A lazy Sunday afternoon in Kerala. The house smells of frying snacks, the fan hums, and Maria Mathew, a mother of four, lounges on the sofa with her steaming cup of chai. She's been waiting for this moment all week.
Aaron (15, the unfortunate youngest child) wakes up with a bad feeling. He rubs his eyes, stretches, and immediately senses danger.
From the living room, he hears his mother's voice, calm but full of hidden threat.
Maria: (Calling out)
"Aaron, Samuel! Come here!"
Aaron pauses.
He knows this tone.
He knows what's coming.
He considers jumping out the window.
Instead, he slowly walks out, dragging his feet like a prisoner heading for his execution.
In the living room, Samuel (20, professional procrastinator) is lying on the sofa, eyes glued to his phone. He doesn't even look up when Aaron enters.
Maria, sitting with her legs stretched out, calmly sips her chai.
Maria: (Sweetly)
"It's time to clean the storage room."
Silence.
Aaron freezes. Samuel scrolls.
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Then, finally-
Aaron: (Dramatic gasp)
"Nooo! Amma, no! I don't want to clean the storage room!"
Samuel, still staring at his phone, doesn't react.
Samuel: (Casually)
"Let's do it next week. I'm too tired today."
Maria raises an eyebrow.
She slowly places her chai down.
Maria: (Dangerously calm)
"You said that last week."
Samuel shrugs.
Samuel: (Still scrolling)
"And nothing changed, so one more week won't hurt."
Big mistake.
HUGE mistake.
Maria swiftly kicks Samuel off the sofa.
WHUMP.
Samuel lands on the floor, blinking in shock.
Samuel: (Groaning)
"Amma! This is cruelty! I have rights!"
Maria: (Ignoring him)
"You will not get food until the storage room is clean."
Aaron gasps.
His stomach growls.
He looks at Samuel, who is still lying on the floor, processing his life choices.
Aaron: (Whispering)
"She's serious. We're dead."
Samuel sighs and dramatically pushes himself up.
Samuel: (Muttering)
"Fine. But if there's a ghost in there, I'm running first."
Aaron sighs, already regretting being born.
Maria watches them leave, sipping her chai like a queen who has won the war.They thought cleaning the storage room was just another Sunday chore.But what they uncovered beneath the dust, the boxes, and the cobwebs...It wasn't just old junk.
It was a secret buried deep — one that would flip their lives 360 degrees and drag them into something far darker than they ever imagined.