The grand mansion on the hill had high ceilings and marble floors that echoed with every quiet step.
Mark had moved his family into the estate three months ago after his business expanded rapidly.
His wife Victoria loved the status and spent her afternoons buying expensive gowns for upcoming charity dinners.
Seven-year-old Lily spent most of her time playing quietly with her doll in the wide hallways.
One sunny Tuesday afternoon, Mark was working quietly inside his dark wood panel office on the ground floor.
Lily walked slowly down the long white corridor with a small slice of fresh white bread.
She knelt down on the cold floor near a large brass air vent set low into the wall.
The air vent connected to an old unused duct system that ran deep beneath the historic home.
Lily leaned close to the cold metal bars and listened to a tiny scratching sound from within.
She whispered sweet words toward the darkness behind the metal grill to soothe whatever was inside.
Lily: Do not be scared because I brought you something nice to eat today.
She carefully pushed a piece of soft white bread through the narrow openings in the metal vent.
Inside the dusty passageway, a pale human hand slowly reached out toward the flickering daylight outside.
Lily smiled softly as the thin fingers took the small piece of fresh food from her hand.
Lily: You can eat all of it because I have plenty more in the big kitchen.
Suddenly, sharp footsteps clacked loudly across the polished marble floor from around the corner of the hallway.
Victoria appeared at the end of the long corridor wearing a long maroon dress and bright red heels.
Her eyebrows pulled together tightly in anger as she saw the little girl sitting on the floor.
Victoria: What are you doing down on the floor in your clean afternoon clothes?
Lily: I am giving some food to the poor person inside the big metal wall vent.
Victoria rushed forward with long angry strides while her face turned completely pale with deep sudden rage.
Victoria: I told you never to come near this part of the hallway ever again!
She reached down with a swift motion and slapped the rest of the bread onto the floor.
Lily gasped softly and backed away while big hot tears began to fill her bright blue eyes.
Victoria raised her heavy red heel and crushed the white bread into tiny scattered crumbs on marble.
Lily: Please stop Mommy because she said she was very hungry in the cold dark!
Victoria: You will go straight to your room right now and never speak of this nonsense!
Mark heard the loud screaming from his office and dropped his pen onto the thick oak desk.
He pulled open his door and ran quickly down the hallway toward his weeping young daughter.