Chapter 2 First Night

Morning came too soon. I'd finally fallen asleep around four, only to wake at six when ARTEMIS spoke.

"Good morning, Miss Martinez. Mr. Wolfe requests breakfast at seven-thirty."

I sat up, confused. "How do you know I'm awake?"

"I monitor all vital signs for your safety."

That didn't make me feel safe at all.

I showered and dressed in jeans and a plain shirt. The kitchen was massive, with every tool I could imagine. The fridge was full of fresh food, all organic, all expensive.

I made eggs, bacon, and toast. It was simple but good.

Donovan appeared exactly at seven-thirty. Today he wore a black suit that probably cost more than my car.

"You look tired," he said, sitting down.

"The house makes noise at night."

He paused with his fork halfway to his mouth. "What kind of noise?"

Should I tell him about the howling? Something in his eyes warned me not to.

"Just creaking. Old house sounds."

He relaxed. "You'll adjust. The first week is always hard."

After breakfast, he disappeared into his office, a room I was told never to enter without permission. I started cleaning.

The house was already spotless, which was weird. Why did he need a housekeeper? But I dusted anyway, vacuumed the huge rugs, and polished the dark wood.

In the library, I found something strange. Claw marks on the desk. Deep gouges in the wood, like something with very sharp nails had grabbed it.

"ARTEMIS, what caused these marks?"

"Mr. Wolfe keeps large dogs. They sometimes get excited."

Dogs right?

I found more marks throughout the house. I found them on door frames, on furnitures, even on the walls, up high where no dog could reach.

At lunch, I made myself a sandwich and explored more. The house had so many locked doors. My master key opened most of them. There were empty bedrooms, dusty sitting rooms, and a ballroom that hadn't been used in years.

But three doors wouldn't open. The basement door had an electronic lock that beeped red when I tried my key. The west wing had a heavy chain across it. And the attic door felt wrong somehow, like the wood itself didn't want me to touch it.

In my room, I decided to look for clues about the last housekeeper. Donovan said the position had been empty for months, but the room had been lived in recently. I could feel it.

Under the loose floorboard by the window, I found it. A journal with a pink cover.

The first page had a name: Emma Chen - Subject #12

Subject? That was a weird way to write her name.

Her handwriting was neat at first:

Day 1: Mr. Wolfe is charming but strange. The pay is amazing. Mom's surgery is scheduled for next month. Thanks to this job.

Day 15: The howling is getting worse. It's definitely coming from the basement. Donovan says it's the heating system. He's lying.

Day 32: My hair is changing color. Just a few strands turning lighter. It must be the stress.

Day 45: The dreams started. I'm running through a forest, but it's not me. I'm someone else, someone named Celeste.

My hands shook. Dreams? I'd had a strange dream last night too. I saw myself running.

The entries got messier:

Day 67: I can't tell what's real anymore. I keep seeing her in mirrors. She has golden hair and purple eyes. She wants her body back.

Day 89: Donovan watches me constantly. He calls me by her name sometimes. I'm not Celeste. I'm Emma. I'm Emma. I'm…

The writing stopped mid-sentence. The next page had only one word, written in different handwriting:

RUN!

I dropped the journal. My heart pounded so hard it hurt.

"ARTEMIS, what happened to the last housekeeper?"

"Emma Chen left for a family emergency."

"When?"

"Seven months ago."

Seven months. The journal entry was dated seven months ago.

A door slammed downstairs. Heavy footsteps climbed the stairs. I shoved the journal back under the floorboard and jumped onto my bed, grabbing a book.

Donovan appeared in my doorway. His eyes looked different. They were more gold than gray.

"Everything alright, Sierra?"

"Yes. I was just reading a book."

He stared at me for a long moment. "You went near the basement today."

It wasn't a question.

"I was just cleaning…"

"The basement is dangerous. It is an old structure and could collapse." He stepped into my room. He seemed bigger somehow. He looked more like an animal than a man. "I need you to promise you'll stay away."

"I promise."

He smiled, showing teeth that looked too sharp. "Good. Dinner's at seven. We have a guest joining us."

After he left, I touched my hair in the mirror. Was it my imagination, or was there a single strand that looked lighter than the rest?

That night at dinner, the guest was a young woman with black hair and sad eyes.

"This is Dr. Chen," Donovan said. "She helps with my... medical condition."

Chen. Like Emma Chen. They looked similar too.

"Nice to meet you," Dr. Chen said. Her left hand stayed under the table.

We ate in silence. The food was perfect, but I could barely swallow. Dr. Chen kept staring at me like she wanted to say something.

When Donovan left to get wine, she grabbed my wrist.

"Check your food," she whispered. "Don't eat the…"

Donovan returned. Dr. Chen let go and smiled like nothing happened.

After dinner, I went to my room and locked the door. It wasn't like it mattered. There was no lock on the inside

.

At midnight, the howling started again. But this time, it was different.

This time, it sounded like my name.

Sierrrraaaa...