Mark pulled his dirty truck into the driveway after a long work shift.
He wiped his sweaty forehead and let out a tired sigh.
The house was usually full of laughter around five in the afternoon.
Today the small suburban home felt completely silent and cold.
He walked up the wooden porch steps and opened the front door.
His mother was supposed to be on a senior bus tour in Florida.
At least that was what his wife Sarah had told him three days ago.
Mark stepped into the entryway and kicked off his heavy boots.
He heard a faint rustling noise directly above his head in the hallway ceiling.
It sounded like someone gently tapping on the wooden boards up top.
Mark stopped walking and stared up at the bright white paint.
The house was old but the attic was rarely ever used by anyone.
He assumed it was just a stray squirrel running across the roof tiles.
Sarah walked out of the kitchen with a tense expression on her face.
She wiped her trembling hands on her fabric kitchen apron repeatedly.
Mark: Did you hear that strange noise upstairs just now?
Sarah: It is probably just mice in the insulation honey.
Mark looked closely at his wife because her voice sounded very shaky.
Mark: Are you feeling alright today Sarah?
Sarah: I am fine just tired from cleaning all afternoon.
Mark walked toward the kitchen to get a cold glass of water.
He noticed that his nine year old daughter Lily was missing from the kitchen.
Mark: Where is Lily right now?
Sarah: She is doing her homework up in her bedroom upstairs.
Mark nodded his head slowly but he still felt somewhat uneasy.
He remembered how sad his mother Eleanor looked before her supposed trip.
Eleanor had lived in their house since her health began failing last year.
She had given her entire life savings to help them pay the house mortgage.
Mark loved his mother deeply and missed her quiet presence in the house.
He walked down the narrow hallway toward his quiet home office space.
Another soft thud echoed right above the drywall near the living room.
It was not the fast sound of a tiny wild animal running.
It sounded like a heavy human foot stepping slowly across fragile wooden beams.
Mark stopped in his tracks and listened closely to the rhythmic sound.
Mark: That really sounds like someone is walking up there Sarah.
Sarah rushed out from the kitchen and grabbed Mark tightly by the arm.
Sarah: You are just tired and imagining things after work Mark.
Sarah: Come sit down and let me serve you some warm dinner.
Mark looked down at his wife's pale face and felt a strange knot in his stomach.
Her eyes were wide and she was looking nervously toward the living room ceiling.
She was standing right between Mark and the doorway to the central hall.
Mark: Did you go up into the attic space today Sarah?
Sarah: Of course not because the pull down ladder is completely broken.
Mark remembered fixing that wooden ladder just two weeks ago in the garage.
He knew for a fact that the ceiling access door was working fine.
Why would Sarah tell such an obvious lie to his face right now?
A loud crash suddenly echoed from the center of the living room space.
It sounded like a heavy metal tool striking hard against hollow drywall.
Mark pushed past Sarah and ran quickly toward the open living room doorway.