We moved into my grandma's old house. There's an extra room I've never seen before. (Part 3) Final

[Part 1]
We sat still in the house. Another thump shook the door. I pictured one of the Faceless standing on the other side. Watching. Waiting.
“Don’t move,†Mrs. Ralston said.
She slowly got up and paced to the door. She pushed the curtains aside and peered out through the window.
Then she breathed a sigh of relief.
“Don’t worry, dear. It’s just the mailman.â€
She opened the door and accepted the package. I sat still in the kitchen seat, the hard wood clawing into my back. All I could think about was Danny in that place. Wondering if he was okay.
Or if he was gone forever.
She walked back to the table, limping slightly, and lowered herself back onto the chair. I glanced around in the awkward silence, and noticed a photo of Mr. Ralston hanging over the fireplace.
“Where’s Mr. Ralston?â€
Her expression darkened. “Passed away three years ago. Prostate cancer.â€
“I’m so sorry.â€
“I miss him every day,†she said, wistfully glancing at the photo. “The life of a widow… I’d never wish that on anyone.â€
“Then help me get Danny back.â€
Her face paled. “We can’t go back there. It’s too dangerous.â€
“I need to try. And I’m going to. With or without you.â€
She stared at me, her blue eyes fearful.
“You don’t have to come with me. Just help me get back to that place. Tell me everything I need to know about the Faceless.â€
She stood up and motioned me to follow. She walked up the old steps of her house, covered in brown shag carpeting and yellow floral wallpaper. Guess Grandma wasn’t the only one who didn’t renovate.
“Why didn’t Grandma tell me all of this?†I asked, as we made it to the second floor. “You would think --â€
She cut me off.
“Your grandma never saw them,†she said. “The less nostalgic you are, the less likely you are to slip into their world. Your grandma… she’s a forward-thinking woman. Doesn’t dwell on the past at all.â€
We stopped. Five doors lined the hallway, cut into the green wallpaper. All closed tight. She pointed to the middle one. “Try that one.â€
“Is it --â€
“I’m afraid I wasn’t quite honest with you,†she said, her eyes falling to the ground. “I’ve seen the other world… far more times than just once.â€
She looked at me, her lip trembling.
“That middle door leads to a room that isn’t in the floorplans. Sometimes I go in there, just to look out the window…†Her voice cracked, and a flush of red flooded her face. “I see Don out there. Mowing the lawn in his cargo shorts and red T-shirt. I know it’s not him, but sometimes I just need to see him again.†She took in a deep, shuddering breath.
“It’s okay. I understand.†I awkwardly wrapped her in a hug. “I’ll see you when I get back. Okay?â€
She nodded.
I swung the door open and stepped inside.
It was a small room, like the one in Grandma’s house. I walked over to the small window and stared outside. Even though we were on the second floor, the window opened to ground level. Outside, the swingset was new again, the lawn freshly mowed.
I pulled the window open and climbed out it.
The air was warm and breezy, fluttering my hair. The sun seemed to glow supernaturally bright, veiled by a thin layer of clouds. The grass was too bright, too green, too soft.
And everything was too quiet.
I walked down the sloping hill, towards the swingset. Where would they have taken Danny? Probably inside the Ralston’s house. But I last time, the front door just led me back to reality.
I walked over to one of the windows. Cupping my hands and looking inside, it seemed to be the kitchen window.
I cracked it open and climbed inside.
Thump. Thump. A faint thumping sounded from above. I crept over to the stairs and climbed up them as quietly as I could. The thumping grew louder -- like the dull throb of a heartbeat.
The upstairs looked the same. The green wallpaper, the dark oak doors. Except there were only four.
Thump. Thump.
My hand tightened around the doorknob. I pulled it open.
“Danny!â€
He was bound to a chair in the center, a piece of duct tape stuck to his mouth. Deep slashes cut into one side of his face.
As if they tried to slice his face off.
I ran over to the cords and yanked at them. His muffled cries sounded over the duct tape. “I know, I know, I’m working as fast as I can!†I hissed back.
The ropes fell to the floor. More frantic murmurs from him. “I got you,†I said, standing up. I bent over and ripped the duct tape off.
“They’re behind you!â€
I whipped around.
Jenny and James Ralson stood in the doorway. Their blank faces pointed right at me. Skin smoothly stretched over their faces.
“No, no, no.†I backed up. Danny quickly stepped in front of me, shielding me from then. “I can’t leave you --â€
“Jenny? James?†a voice called from downstairs.
The two Faceless stopped in their tracks.
“Jenny! James!â€
It was Mrs. Ralston’s voice. The Faceless mother of the family.
Jenny and James immediately retreated. Thump, thump, thump -- they ran down the stairs. Then all was still.
“Okay. We’ll go down, go out the front door, and then come back in. The front door goes back to our world.â€
“You shouldn’t have come back for me,†he whispered. “You might get --â€
“Sssshhh!†I hissed. “Come on.â€
I grabbed his wrist and yanked. We crept out into the hallway; I peered down the stairs.
The foyer looked empty.
We slowly, quietly, walked down the stairs. The wood creaked underneath us. As we made it into the foyer, a low murmuring sound came from the kitchen.
Danny’s hand fell on the front doorknob.
“Wait,†I said.
I tiptoed into the hall and peered into the kitchen.
A faceless Mr. Ralston sat at the kitchen table, in front of steaming plate of chicken. Jenny and James sat on either side of him, making soft, murmuring sounds. Mrs. Ralston stood in front of them, smiling.
She had a face.
“Mrs. Ralston!†I shouted.
She looked up.
So did the Faceless.
“Run!â€
She slowly shook her head.
“It’s not really them! You know that!†I screamed.
“Blair!†Danny shouted, from the foyer.
“Mrs. Ralston, please --â€
Sccchhhhrrrip.
A ripping sound echoed through the house. The three, smooth faces split down the middle. The heads snapped open -- to reveal rows of needle-like fangs.
“Mrs. Ralston!†I screamed.
She ran.
She zipped out of that kitchen faster than I’ve ever seen an old woman run. She grabbed my hand, and the two of us ran. Danny yanked the door open. Slam -- it rattled shut behind us.
We fell out into the damp, bright green grass.
“Quick! Back inside!†I yelled.
I wrenched the door open.
The foyer was empty.
The three of us collapsed onto the floor, panting, hearts racing. I grabbed Danny and hugged him as tight as I could.
Mrs. Ralston squeezed my shoulder. “Thank you,†she whispered. “Thank you.â€
Danny pulled away from me and smiled. “I guess I’ll get the chance to actually finish Skyrim now, huh?†he said, with a nervous laugh.
I nodded and leaned against his shoulder.
“I guess I’m lucky you’re not a nostalgic guy, huh?â€
***
Over the next few weeks, we helped Mrs. Ralston board up the middle door in her upstairs hallway. She tried to get her to move away, but she refused to. “At least let me relive my memories in this old house,†she said. “Even if I can’t be with them.â€
Danny and I moved out soon after. We visited my Grandma at the nursing home about once a week. I never planned to tell her about the secret room, but one day, it came up naturally while we were playing checkers. Taking in a deep breath, I started: “Grandma, did you ever see an extra door in the kitchen? Between the pantry and the bathroom?â€
I expected her to give me her classic What the hell are you talking about? look. But instead, she just smiled.
“Beautiful little room, isn’t it?†she said.
“You… you went in that room?â€
“Of course! And I would have stayed there, too,†she said. “But this nursing home is so wonderful. The nurses go the extra mile to make sure you’re comfortable. The food is great, too.â€
“Really?†I asked, thinking about the mushy chicken and green jello I’d shared with her last week.
“Oh, yes,†she said, with a smile. “Everyone’s so deliciously nostalgic here.â€
That’s when I noticed the scar. Hidden among her wrinkles, cutting from her forehead to her chin.
She turned to me and smiled.


Source.