Who was the woman in the picture?
Who was ‘L?’
And why did I feel like this message was addressed to me?
Before I could continue pondering, Rufus’ barking got louder.
He was already at the top of the stairs, howling like he’d never done before.
The sound sent shivers down my spine.
Suddenly, the light bulb above me flickered and went out, engulfing the basement in darkness.
Panic gripped me.
I grabbed the box and ran up the stairs, nearly tripping in my excitement.
Rufus was waiting for me upstairs, his body pressed against the door as if he wanted to protect me from what was down there.
I slammed the door shut and locked it, my chest rising and falling heavily.
Rufus immediately relaxed, his tail wagging as he pushed against my leg.
It was as if he was trying to reassure me, telling me I had done the right thing.
When Alex got home that evening, I questioned him.
‘Alex, what’s in the basement?’ I demanded, holding up the box.
His face went pale.
‘You were there?’ he asked, his voice strained.
‘Yes. And I found this. Who is she, Alex?
Who is the woman in the photo?’
He was silent for a while.
Then he sighed and sat down, burying his face in his hands.
‘She was my ex-fiancée,’ he finally said.
‘Her name was Laura.
She…she died in this house.
She fell down the basement stairs.
It was an accident, but her family blamed me.
They said I was careless.
I’ve tried to move on, but sometimes…I think she’s still here.’
I stared at him, my heart pounding.
A rhythmic pounding. An ominous silence.
The way Rufus had tried to hold me.
It all made sense now.
‘You should have told me,’ I said quietly.
‘I didn’t mean to scare you,’ he said, his voice shaking.
‘I thought if I ignored it, it would go away.’
But it didn’t disappear. And now I knew the truth.
From that day on, I avoided the basement.
Rufus seemed calmer after the incident, like he knew I understood everything.
But sometimes, late at night, I can still hear the quiet knocking from downstairs.
And I wonder if Laura is still waiting – for justice, for closure, or maybe just to be remembered.