I married a widower named Daniel and happily took on the role of caring for his two young daughters named Grace and Emily. Everything seemed wonderful in our beautiful new home until I noticed that the basement door was always locked and the girls behaved strangely around it. Daniel claimed it was merely a storage space for dangerous tools and junk but my instincts told me something was wrong. My suspicions were confirmed one afternoon while I was watching the girls and Grace unexpectedly offered to show me where her deceased mother lived.

Grace guided me to the locked door and explained that her father frequently took them down there to visit their mother. Using a pair of hairpins I managed to pick the lock and carefully descended the stairs with the girls right behind me. Instead of finding discarded household items I discovered a carefully preserved shrine dedicated entirely to his late wife. The damp and mildewed room was filled with her clothing, her old photographs, home movies, and a small play area where Daniel would bring the children to spend time surrounded by her memory.

Continue reading