Ethan didn't expect to run into her. Not like this. She was swinging her legs at the dining table, the chairs were empty of people, and the food was thrown around in places. He gripped the handgun as he entered the room, it was pointed downwards, but if she made the slightest motion, he'd probably shoot her right away.

He ran into her before, in the hall when the light turned off and her voice was low and threatening. Even after he was in the small crawlspace and she stood outside before running off.

Seeing her more fleshed out made her seem real. He had to blink a few times and ask himself over and over if she was.

She hummed a song that sounded vaguely familiar and looked up, smiling.

He swallowed, "You must be Eveline."

"Daddy!" She stood, her long dark hair draped along her shoulders, she wore a deep blue dress with no socks or shoes. The girl maneuvered around the table, her focus entirely on Ethan who stumbled back, gun raised directly at her head.

"W-What did you call me?" he asked, remembering Mia and the words she spoke when he found her in the cell, the light tone of her voice and later on when she attacked him, only to knock herself out.

Was this because of.. Her? It couldn't be. This is a young girl. A child. In a...murder house.

"You'll be my daddy," she said, slowing her steps, the glint in her eyes faded and her smile fell. "Are you leaving me?"

"Where's Mia?" Ethan asked, ignoring her question.

The girl shook her head, seething. Her hands curled at her sides and she glared at Ethan. "No. You can't leave. You and mommy are my family. You're my family! You have to stay with me! You have too!"

Mommy.

"Where is she? Where is my wife?" Ethan demanded, he had the unbearable urge to pull the trigger, his own desperation and anger, the fear that drove him pushed that urge yet he hadn't fallen over the edge yet.

She's only a girl. Trapped like he was.

There were many questions that were left unanswered. He figured Mia was sick for being kept in the house for so long that she began to grow delusional. The loss of memory, the empty conversation, her desperation, and uncontrolled anger. There was a sort of emptiness to her, the fear had burrowed into her skin and made her sensitive and cautious.

This girl must've gotten to her somehow.

"I just want you.. And mommy to stay with me! That's all I want is for us to be a family!" A sort of dark mist began to thicken at her feet, overflowing and moving toward him.

Ethan shuddered, stepping back and to his horror the mist rose and were taking form into the creatures he confronted in the basement of the house. They growled, a sort of slickness with their frantic motions as one tried reaching for him.

He pulled the trigger several times, his hands were shaking and he did get a few headshots before sprinting out of the room and reloading.

"If you don't want to be my daddy," the girl screamed down the hall, the monsters pouring after Ethan, "than you can die!"

The thumping of his feet echoed as he took off, followed by the monsters. He almost dropped several bullets before cocking the gun and turning his body slightly to aim at the monsters. There were five of them, one of them held their arm up and seemed to be defending themselves.

He grimaced at the action and fired. He missed once, but managed a few headshots, yet it barely worked against them. They continued their relentless pursuit as Ethan ran up the stairs, almost tripping and dropping a bullet. He couldn't bare to lose any while being chased by monsters. He did catch her in the dark at the bottom, staring up at him with a sinister smile.

Ethan tucked his gun away and took out the shotgun. It worked a lot more than the handgun before he locked himself in the storage room beyond the parents bedroom. He held the snake key in his hand, courtesy of Lucas degrading him.

He panted, his heart racing in his chest as his entire body shook with adrenaline. He gripped the key and the shotgun, pressed both to his head as he tried catching his breath.

The girl was something else. Or possibly...she might've been a hallucination. All he was doing was standing by himself for a long period of time, the monsters could have snuck up on him while he was out of it.

Ethan blinked open his eyes. Mia was hearing something, maybe the sickness in the house, the monsters created an infection that made one hallucinate and hear things. Maybe.

"How should I know?" Ethan asked, bitterly. Mia didn't tell him anything and he was once again trapped between a wall and several grotesque monsters. He would have to wait.

After a minute, Ethan breathed in and pushed himself to his feet, he leaned against the door for support and pressed his ear on the wood. An eerie silence followed, there was no sound of a skirmish or the agonized growls coming from the monsters. Except there was something close by, the creak of the door and a heavy breath before the tapping of feet.

She's in the room.

He moved away from the door, furrowing his brows and breathing hard. He tightened his hold on the shotgun and swallowed his nerves.

There was a subtle knock on the door and her laughter rang out on the other side. "Come out, come out, wherever you are."

Silence followed except the heavy breathing continued. There was no creak on the other side, no other noise.

Did she leave or is she still standing on the other side? Am I seriously afraid of a little girl?

He wouldn't deny that he was as he reached for the knob and turned it. Swinging the door open, there was no one there. It was empty. He shuddered, afraid as he brought the shotgun up, pointing it at the bed, the corner of the room, the dresser, and the...old woman.

She sat in a wheelchair. Her head lolled back, looking at him with an empty expression in her clouded eyes. The door to the room was closed and the girl was nowhere to be seen.

Ethan lowered the gun and breathed a sigh of relief. He almost laughed at the overreaction, but his fear still thudded along with his heart.

"You wouldn't know where that little girl or my wife is, right?" he asked, walking past the woman who turned her head slowly, watching him leave the room.

The old woman began to hum as the door slid shut.


Notes: This was bound to happen one way or another. I mean, writing the story between the two. It's short, I didn't want it to be too long. The setting isn't ideal, but I saw some of the teasers for the DLC and decided to go with it. :) Hallucinations is a factor with Eveline.
Getting into their heads was fairly easy, since Ethan is confused throughout, and Eveline is practically a child with temper tantrums that went a little too far.
Don't mind the lame title.

This is also uploaded on my Archive. Same username if you're wondering.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy nonetheless.

Reviews are appreciated. No flames or bashing please.