When I agreed to babysit for a quiet suburban family, I never imagined uncovering a chilling secret in their basement. But one night, young Ben led me into the darkness, revealing a web of obsession that threatened to unravel us all. What we discovered changed our lives forever.
Ben dropped his toy car and looked up at me with those big, serious eyes of his. “Kate,” he said, “there’s something you need to see.”
I tried to smile. “What’s up, Ben?”
He glanced around as if someone might be listening. “It’s in the basement. You gotta come now.”
My stomach twisted. Robert had been clear: “Stay out of the basement.” He said it with a look that dared me to defy him.
I knelt down. “Ben, you know your dad said we can’t go down there. It’s off-limits.”
Ben’s face darkened. “Dad’s not here. Just come. Please.”
His urgency shook me. “Alright, but we have to be quick.”
We tiptoed to the basement door. My heart pounded as I turned the knob. It was dark and cold down there, and I could smell something musty.
Ben flipped on the light. “Hurry.”
I followed him, and what I saw made my blood run cold. The walls were plastered with photos of Linda. Hundreds of them. Linda at the grocery store, Linda reading a book, Linda asleep.
“What the…?” I whispered.
Ben tugged my sleeve. “I told you it was important.”
I grabbed my phone and dialed Linda. She picked up on the third ring. “Linda, you need to come home. Now.”
Her voice wavered. “What’s wrong, Kate?”
“Just come. It’s about Robert.”
Linda arrived twenty minutes later, her face pale and drawn. She stepped into the basement and gasped, one hand flying to her mouth.
“Oh my God…” she whispered, tears filling her eyes. “He’s been… watching me?”
I nodded. “We need to get out of here. This isn’t safe.”
Linda’s hands shook as she looked around. “How could he do this? How could I not see?”
I put a hand on her shoulder. “We’ll figure it out. But first, we need to leave.”
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