The house was so quiet, the low hum of the refrigerator was the loudest thing... until tonight.
A faint, off-key melody started drifting down from the locked attic. It sounded exactly like an old music box. My heart pounding, I grabbed the ancient key. The music stopped instantly the moment I heard the click of the lock.
I pushed the door open. The attic was just dusty, cold, and empty. No music box. I felt a chill that had nothing to do with the air and started to walk away.
I was halfway down the stairs when the melody began again. But this time, it wasn't faint. It was loud, mechanical, and seemed to be coming from right behind my head.
I froze, every muscle locked in terror. Then, a sweet, breathy child's voice whispered directly into my ear: "Shhh. Don't wake them up."
emtorres97