What had happened to Alvin her husband was impossible, she needed to report it to the authorities, he couldn't be gone just like that, it wasn't possible.

Mae Lin ran from her room and down the main staircase to the office of Elinor Wincham, surely there would be a telephone there? She could tell the owner what had happened even though it sounded insane even though she had witnessed it herself only moments ago.

Knocking on the office door she entered after Elinors invitation. The other woman was sitting behind her desk apparantly reading a book.



"Mrs Hastings, what seems to be the problem?"

Her breath ragged Mae Lin stammered through what she had seen, she watched Elinor for her reaction, would she believe her? It seemed even to herself that it had been some kind of nightmare. maybe she had hit her head in the bathroom and this was all some kind of hallucination?

Elinor pushed back her chair and walked round the desk to face Mae Lin, the wman was clearly distressed. She should not have been a witness to what had happened to her husband, witnesses were not permitted. As if echoing her thoughts the whispers came from the cellar door.

"No - no witnesses. No reports. Secrecey always"

Then there was the sound of footsteps on the cellar stairs even though she knew there was no one in the cellar, no one alive anyway.

Slowly the cellar door opened. Mae Lin screamed at the sight of the figures entering the room. Sobbing she fell to the floor. Elnor felt a sharp pain of regret pierce her but there was nothing she could do...