A day had passed, and it was Saturday morning, so the kids had no school. Charlene decided to use this chance to get to know them better. She looked for them in their rooms but found none, so she thought of going down to the living room.
But she almost broke a bone when she didn't notice the marbles scattered on the stairs. One wrong step and she slipped.
She had nothing to hold on to, so she rolled straight down to the bottom of the stairs. A hard impact met her body as she hit the tile floor. Her whole body went weak from the pain.
"Good morning, Charlene."
Slowly, she lifted her head and saw the twins and Lily standing in front of her. All three grinned as they watched her struggle to stand.
She didn't need to ask; she already knew they were behind this.
"You said you'd play with us," Wency said. "Do you want to play hide and seek?"
Charlene forced herself to stand, even though her body ached all over. She tried to smile.
"O-okay," she stammered.
From the second floor, Erica watched them silently. Her face showed no emotion, but when her eyes met Charlene's, she gave a faint smile.
"Good luck," Erica whispered before walking away.
"We will hide, and you will find us. Okay?" Wyl said with a grin.
They didn't wait for Charlene's answer and ran off together.
Charlene had no choice but to follow the game. Even though she felt like her body was broken, she forced herself to move.
She first looked for Lily and went to the indoor playground. It was huge. As she searched, she noticed a head behind a large sofa.
Carefully, she approached, thinking it was Lily, and lightly tapped it, but she almost jumped out of her skin when it suddenly turned toward her.
It wasn't Lily.
It was a human-size doll, an exact replica of Annabelle from a horror movie.
Terrified, she screamed and sat down on the foam flooring, her whole body trembling.
After that, she heard Lily's soft laugh from afar. Looking up, she saw the little girl running out of the playground.
She quickly stood up and kicked the doll away. She swallowed hard several times, trying to calm herself. The doll's appearance had scared her so much it felt alive.
She left the playground and followed Wency, but she couldn't catch her. She walked around, repeatedly calling the child's name.
She was about to enter the house when a large flower vase fell right in front of her.
It shattered on the floor.
Her breath caught in shock. One step closer and it would have hit her.
"My God…" she whispered, clutching her pounding chest.
"What a shame."
She looked up at the veranda and saw Erica standing above, grinning.
"E-Erica… w-why—"
"Isn't it obvious?" she replied coldly. "I don't like you here. Leave, Charlene, while you still can. Otherwise, we'll make your life in this mansion hell."
"Get out!"
At the same time, she threw a small flower vase. Charlene dodged it but was completely consumed by fear.
She ran into the house straight to her room. She locked the door and sat on the floor, leaning against it. Her hands shook, and she couldn't stop crying.
The warnings were true.
Kerill's children were not ordinary kids.
She felt like she wouldn't survive if she stayed here any longer.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
"Charlene? Are you okay?"
It was Manang Dores' voice.
She opened the door and immediately hugged the older woman, still trembling.
"My God, Charlene. Are you okay?" she asked anxiously.
"Manang… why are they like this?" Charlene asked through tears.
Manang Dores sat her down and gave her some water before speaking.
"Ever since their mother left them with Kerill, the children have been like this. Angry, very angry. They feel unloved. Monica left them, and Kerill always brings a new woman here."
She took a deep breath.
"They can't accept it, so they do everything to drive anyone who steps into this mansion away. It was worse for those before you. They almost made them leave for good."
Charlene's eyes widened.
"But I'm not telling you this to scare you," Manang Dores quickly added. "You are our only hope. Kerill doesn't have much time left before he loses his children."
She held Charlene's hands tightly.
"That's why I beg you, don't give up on the children. They will be good, Charlene… if someone just has patience to understand them."
Charlene nodded quietly, wiping her tears.
"I'll try," she whispered, though she didn't know how.
She knew the torment wasn't over.
And she feared the days ahead even more.