Day 2 began quietly for Eddie Diaz, Evan "Buck" Buckley, and Eddie's son Christopher as they settled into their new life in Columbus, Indiana. The events of the previous night—the strange cold spots and unsettling whispers—lingered in the back of Eddie and Buck's minds, but they both decided to keep those thoughts to themselves, not wanting to worry Christopher or jump to any conclusions.

The house was fully unpacked now, and Eddie was determined to make it feel like home. He and Buck spent the morning deep-cleaning every room, dusting, wiping down windows, and vacuuming, while Christopher busied himself in his new bedroom, organizing his toys and books.

But as the day wore on, the eerie feeling that had settled over them the night before seemed to creep back in.


It started when Christopher opened the closet in his bedroom. While rearranging his things, he stumbled upon something tucked away in the far corner—a small, female doll. The doll was old, with faded fabric and porcelain skin, its glassy eyes staring blankly ahead. Its hair was matted, and the dress it wore was tattered at the edges. It didn't look like the kind of toy any child would want to play with, let alone hide away in a closet.

"Dad? Buck?" Christopher called out, holding the doll up in his lap as he wheeled himself into the hallway. "I found something in my room."

Eddie and Buck were still in the living room, folding blankets and tidying up when they heard Christopher. They exchanged a glance before walking over to his room.

"What's up, buddy?" Eddie asked, leaning down to see what Christopher had found.

Christopher held up the doll, its lifeless eyes reflecting the afternoon light. "I found this in the closet. It was just sitting there."

Buck raised an eyebrow. "That's... creepy. Definitely not something we packed."

Eddie's eyes narrowed as he looked at the doll. "It must've been left behind by the previous owners. Let's just get rid of it. We don't need it hanging around."

Christopher nodded, but there was something about the doll that made him uneasy. He handed it to Eddie, who placed it in the hallway to throw away later. They didn't dwell on it too long, but the discovery had left a strange feeling in the room—a sense that something wasn't quite right.


Later that evening, they sat down for dinner, a large serving of vegetable lo mein spread across the table. It was a calm moment, something Eddie and Buck had been looking forward to after the exhausting day of cleaning and unpacking. The conversation turned to more practical matters, like finding a new school for Christopher.

"I was thinking," Buck began, taking a bite of his noodles, "maybe we should look into a private school for Christopher? I know we talked about public schools, but there are some good private options in the area."

Eddie nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, I've been thinking about that too. He's got the support he needs, but a private school might be better equipped to help him. I'll start looking into it tomorrow."

Christopher, chewing on his noodles, looked between them. "I don't mind either way. As long as I can make some new friends, I'll be happy."

The moment was light, relaxed—until a strange sound interrupted their conversation. It came from the direction of the garage, a low, scraping noise, followed by what sounded like something being dragged across the floor.

Eddie and Buck exchanged a glance. "Did you hear that?" Buck asked, lowering his fork.

Eddie nodded, his expression hardening. "Yeah, I did." He sighed and stood up from the table. "I'll go check it out."

Buck watched as Eddie made his way toward the garage, his own unease building. Christopher stayed quiet, his eyes wide as he listened.

Eddie opened the garage door cautiously and stepped inside. The garage was dimly lit by a single bulb hanging from the ceiling, casting long shadows across the floor. He scanned the room, his eyes landing on the shelves stacked with tools and boxes, but everything seemed to be in its place. There was no sign of anything out of the ordinary—no strange objects, no sign of movement. The sound had stopped.

"Nothing," Eddie muttered to himself, but the feeling of being watched prickled at the back of his neck.

After a quick look around, he rejoined Buck and Christopher at the table. "There's nothing in there. Probably just the house settling again."

Buck frowned but nodded. "Let's hope that's all it is."


After dinner, they treated themselves to chocolate caramel coconut ice cream for dessert. The sweet treat lightened the mood, and they found themselves laughing and joking as they ate, talking about their favorite ice cream flavors and reminiscing about their old lives in L.A.

"This ice cream is so good," Buck said, grinning as he took another spoonful. "Why didn't we get this flavor back home?"

"I think Columbus has some hidden gems," Eddie replied with a chuckle.

But their light-hearted conversation was once again interrupted by the same strange sound coming from the garage—the scraping, dragging noise, only louder this time.

Eddie, tired of the noise and the sense of unease it was causing, set down his spoon and stood up again. "Alright, that's enough. I'm checking the garage again."

Buck raised his hands in mock surrender. "Better you than me."

Eddie grabbed a flashlight from the kitchen drawer and headed back to the garage. As he stepped inside, the temperature seemed to drop. The air was colder than before, and the shadows seemed to stretch longer, darker.

He flicked on the flashlight and scanned the garage once more. The light cut through the darkness, illuminating the shelves, the boxes, the tools. Everything looked normal—except for one thing. In the far corner of the garage, there was a dark stain on the floor that hadn't been there earlier. It was faint, but it looked like something had been dragged across the concrete.

Eddie knelt down, inspecting the stain. It was cold to the touch, and it sent a shiver up his spine. But there was no explanation for it—no sign of what had caused it.

Just then, the sound came again—this time, directly behind him.

Eddie whipped around, the flashlight beam cutting through the air, but there was nothing. The garage was empty, silent, save for his own breathing. He stood up slowly, backing toward the door, his heart pounding in his chest.

When he returned to the kitchen, his face was pale, his jaw tight. Buck looked up from his ice cream, his expression serious. "What's wrong?"

Eddie shook his head, not wanting to alarm Christopher. "I didn't find anything. Just... a stain on the floor. I'll take a closer look tomorrow."

Buck's brow furrowed, but he didn't press further. "Alright. Let's just finish dessert and try to get some rest."


As they finished up their ice cream, the house fell into a strange, uneasy silence. The sound from the garage had stopped for now, but the chill in the air remained, creeping through the walls and settling in the corners of the room.

Eddie and Buck exchanged a glance, both knowing that this wasn't just the house settling. Something else was at play, and it wasn't going to let them off easily.

They had moved to Columbus for a fresh start, but whatever haunted this house had its own plans.

The night was only beginning.