The Girl from the Floor
The scratching grew louder, and Alisha’s breath caught in her throat. Joel’s hand hovered near her shoulder as if ready to pull her back. Sam’s face was drained of color. Then, to their horror, a section of the wooden floor creaked, shifting upward as though something—or someone—was forcing it open.
A pair of trembling hands appeared, pale and dirty. Then slowly, a young woman crawled out from a hidden staircase beneath the floor. Her long black hair was tangled, her dress torn, and her cheeks streaked with dirt and dried tears.
She collapsed onto her knees, sobbing weakly. “Please… don’t let him find me.” Her voice was hoarse, filled with fear.
Alisha’s heart raced as she crouched down. “Who are you?”
The young woman lifted her head. Her eyes, red and hollow, stared back at Alisha. “M-Mia,” she stammered. “I… I’ve been hiding.”
Alisha quickly turned to Jackie. “Jackie, who is this?”
Jackie crossed her arms tightly, her expression unreadable. “That’s Mia. She’s… a beggar. She showed up here weeks ago, terrified, with bruises all over her body. Said someone was chasing her.”
“Someone?” Sam asked sharply.
Jackie’s jaw clenched. “Archie. That pervert never leaves girls like her alone. He’s been following her for months.”
Mia whimpered, curling in on herself. “He… he almost caught me. The night… the night she disappeared…” Her voice trailed off, breaking into sobs.
Joel stepped forward, his voice steady but gentle. “Mia, do you mean Aubrey? Did you see her that night?”
Mia rubbed her face, shaking her head. “I’m not sure. I saw… I saw a woman running. Long hair. She looked scared, just like me. And then—” Her body shook violently as she recalled the memory. “I saw a man. Hooded. I thought… I thought it was Archie. He grabbed her. I kept running.”
Alisha’s heart pounded harder with every word. She leaned closer. “So you think Archie caught that woman instead of you? That maybe… that maybe it was Aubrey?”
Mia gave a broken nod. “It must be. Archie… he hurt me before. He—” She covered her mouth, tears streaming. “He wanted me that night. But I got away. Maybe… maybe Aubrey didn’t.”
Sam’s hands clenched into fists, his voice angry. “I told you Archie was the one! That sick bastard probably got Aubrey.”
Joel looked at Alisha grimly. “This lines up with what Archie told us. A hooded man. A scream. But now we know it wasn’t just a story.”
Jackie let out a sharp breath. “Don’t get your hopes up. Mia has no proof. The police won’t take the word of a beggar with a history of being chased around by Archie. They’ll laugh in her face.”
Alisha looked sharply at her. “That doesn’t mean we ignore it. This is the first real lead we’ve had.”
Mia crawled closer, clutching Alisha’s wrist with trembling fingers. “Please… don’t let him find me again. He said he’d kill me.”
Alisha squeezed her hand gently. “We’ll protect you, Mia. You’re safe now.”
Sam frowned, glancing around the room. “Safe? In a funeral home? With a hidden staircase under the floor?”
Jackie glared at him. “She begged me to hide her. I didn’t know where else to take her. She was terrified.”
Joel eyed Jackie carefully. “Why didn’t you go to the police yourself?”
Jackie’s lips tightened. “I didn’t want to drag Aubrey’s parents into more pain with false hope. And Mia insisted Archie would kill her.”
The silence that followed was heavy.
Finally, Alisha straightened, determination hardening her voice. “Then we’ll go to the police ourselves. Even if it’s not proof, it’s something. They need to know.”
Jackie shook her head quickly. “It won’t work. Archie is clever in his own twisted way. He’ll deny everything, and Mia’s testimony won’t hold up. Trust me, I know how the system works.”
Mia whimpered again. “He’ll come for me…”
Joel crouched beside her. “We won’t let that happen.”
Sam, still tense, muttered, “I say we drag Archie ourselves and make him confess.”
Alisha shot him a look. “We’re reporters, Sam. Not vigilantes. We need to do this right.”
Mia’s breathing grew uneven, her eyes darting toward the dark hole in the floor. “He’ll come back. He always comes back.”
Joel looked unsettled. “How would he even know you’re here?”
Jackie’s voice lowered. “Because Archie knows everyone in this town. He lurks. Watches. He’s like a shadow you can’t shake off.”
Alisha swallowed hard, suddenly aware of how quiet the funeral home had become. The crying guest they’d seen earlier was gone. The halls outside were silent, almost unnaturally so.
Then—
Thump.
They all froze.
A sound echoed from the hallway.
Like footsteps. Slow. Heavy. Coming closer.
Mia clutched Alisha’s arm so tightly her nails dug into her skin. “He’s here,” she whispered in panic. “It’s him.”
Joel turned to Sam, his voice low and tense. “Did you lock the door?”
Sam shook his head. “No…”
Another thump. This time, closer.
Jackie’s eyes flicked to the door, then to the hidden staircase. “Get her down there,” she hissed. “Quickly!”
Alisha shook her head. “No, we can’t—”
The doorknob rattled.
Mia let out a muffled sob, burying her face against Alisha.
Joel moved in front of them, ready to block whoever came through. Sam’s fists clenched.
Jackie whispered harshly, “Stay quiet.”
The door creaked open.
The hallway beyond was empty.
No footsteps. No shadow.
Only silence.
Alisha’s chest heaved as she tried to steady her breath.
Then a voice, low and rasping, drifted in from the darkness of the hallway.
“Alisha Murphy…”
Her blood turned to ice.
She stumbled back, her heart slamming in her chest.
Joel whispered, “That’s… that’s Archie’s voice.”
Sam cursed under his breath. “How the hell did he find us here?”
Mia let out a strangled cry. “I told you—he always comes back!”
The funeral home light above them flickered, and the smell of something foul—like damp soil and rot—filled the air.
Alisha’s voice trembled. “We have to get out. Now.”
Jackie stared at the doorway, her face unreadable.
But before anyone could move, the voice came again—closer, colder.
“I found you.”
And then the lights went out.