a haunted house on Briar Lane The Altered Universe Prologue, Part 4

The Altered Universe
Prologue, Part 4: Secrets in the Dust
"Thank you, Mom," Max said, pushing his empty plate forward with a soft sigh. "That was really good."

Dean leaned back in his chair, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, I'm not going to finish the car tonight. I'm going to sleep—it's getting freezing out there, and it's Halloween."

Vera frowned slightly, looking over at him. "You won't see them as much as you think as they grow up, Dean. Please, come with us tonight."

"I'm old, Vera," Dean teased with a small smirk.

Maria rolled her eyes, pointing a fork at him. "Dad, really? Are you going to use that old trick again?"

"Yeah, yeah," Max chimed in, grinning. "You're our father! Come hang out with us!"

"No, I have work tomorrow anyways," Dean said, standing up from the table.

Vera shook her head gently. "You'll always have work, sweetie. Why not just make it family time?"

"We're going to talk about this later," Dean said softly, giving her shoulder a light squeeze.

"Fine," Vera sighed, turning to the children. "Guys, clean up your plates."

Max pulled a face, mumbling under his breath, "No, you're my mother—you clean it up!"

Vera turned around with her hands on her hips, raising an eyebrow. "Really? Really, guys? Come on, get your costumes on. Let's go get your buckets. If you guys are going trick-or-treating, hurry up—it's getting kind of late, and I want to be home at a decent time."

"Okay, okay!" Maria said quickly. She leaned into Max's ear. "Let's talk in my room. I don't want Vera listening."

"Oh yeah, okay, okay, let's go," Max whispered back.

They bolted up the stairs, their shoes clicking against the wood.

"Hey, guys, don't slam the door!" Vera shouted from the kitchen.

"Sorry, Mom!" Maria called down, shutting the bedroom door with a soft click.

Inside, Max leaned against the dresser, his face pale. "Yeah... so I heard Grandma's voice. She told me to get the book in the attic."

Maria narrowed her eyes, studying his expression. "Are you making this story up?"

"No, no, no, no, no, no!" Max waved his hands frantically. "I swear!"

"Stop playing me, Max," Maria snapped. "A book? Like a kids' book?"

"No! Not like that kind of book... a spellbook!"

Maria's eyes lit up with sudden excitement. "Oh! We can pretend to be witches! Yeah, yeah, let me see it!"

She yanked the bedroom door open and bounded down the upper hallway, with Max right on her heels.

"Guys, where are you running? Where are you going?" Vera called, stepping into the hallway from the kitchen.

"Oh, can we go to the attic, Mom? Please?" Maria begged, putting her hands together.

Vera immediately shook her head. "No, no, no. We're not doing that. It's dangerous up there, and I don't want anyone getting trapped or locked in."

"But Mom, come on!" Maria whined. "I want to get our toys!"

Vera looked between the two of them, her maternal instinct kicking in. "Are you sure you want to get toys? Because I feel like I heard something else..."

"Yeah, yeah! The toys!" Max stammered quickly. "Come on, Mom, please, let's go to the attic!"

Vera let out a long sigh, reaching into the hallway closet to grab the attic pull-string. "Fine, guys. But please be careful up there! Watch the floorboards... there might be ghosts up there." She paused, winking at them. "I was just joking with you guys."

"We're just stopping to grab things, Mom," Maria said, her heart thumping against her ribs.

Vera pulled down the rickety wooden ladder, and Maria and Max carefully climbed up, step by step, into the shadowed space above.

The attic was massive—far larger than it looked from the street below. Thick dust coated the floor, and dark, heavy cobwebs draped across old wooden trunks, cracked mirrors, and forgotten furniture like ragged curtains. The air was thick, heavy, and freezing cold.

Max stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide. "Whoa... look at this place."

"Max... Max," Maria whispered, stepping up beside him. She stopped, looking at his white knuckles and trembling hands. "Are you okay, Max? You look worried."

Before Max could answer, a strange, low hum began to vibrate through the wooden planks beneath their feet, sending a chill straight down their spines.

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The Altered Universe Prologue, Part 4: Secrets in the Dust "Thank you, Mom," Max said, pushing his empty plate forward with a soft sigh. "That was really good." Dean leaned back in his chair, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, I'm not going to finish the car tonight. I'm going to sleep—it's getting freezing out there, and it's Halloween." Vera frowned slightly, looking over at him. "You won't see them as much as you think as they grow up, Dean. Please, come with us tonight." "I'm old, Vera," Dean teased with a small smirk. Maria rolled her eyes, pointing a fork at him. "Dad, really? Are you going to use that old trick again?" "Yeah, yeah," Max chimed in, grinning. "You're our father! Come hang out with us!" "No, I have work tomorrow anyways," Dean said, standing up from the table. Vera shook her head gently. "You'll always have work, sweetie. Why not just make it family time?" "We're going to talk about this later," Dean said softly, giving her shoulder a light squeeze. "Fine," Vera sighed, turning to the children. "Guys, clean up your plates." Max pulled a face, mumbling under his breath, "No, you're my mother—you clean it up!" Vera turned around with her hands on her hips, raising an eyebrow. "Really? Really, guys? Come on, get your costumes on. Let's go get your buckets. If you guys are going trick-or-treating, hurry up—it's getting kind of late, and I want to be home at a decent time." "Okay, okay!" Maria said quickly. She leaned into Max's ear. "Let's talk in my room. I don't want Vera listening." "Oh yeah, okay, okay, let's go," Max whispered back. They bolted up the stairs, their shoes clicking against the wood. "Hey, guys, don't slam the door!" Vera shouted from the kitchen. "Sorry, Mom!" Maria called down, shutting the bedroom door with a soft click. Inside, Max leaned against the dresser, his face pale. "Yeah... so I heard Grandma's voice. She told me to get the book in the attic." Maria narrowed her eyes, studying his expression. "Are you making this story up?" "No, no, no, no, no, no!" Max waved his hands frantically. "I swear!" "Stop playing me, Max," Maria snapped. "A book? Like a kids' book?" "No! Not like that kind of book... a spellbook!" Maria's eyes lit up with sudden excitement. "Oh! We can pretend to be witches! Yeah, yeah, let me see it!" She yanked the bedroom door open and bounded down the upper hallway, with Max right on her heels. "Guys, where are you running? Where are you going?" Vera called, stepping into the hallway from the kitchen. "Oh, can we go to the attic, Mom? Please?" Maria begged, putting her hands together. Vera immediately shook her head. "No, no, no. We're not doing that. It's dangerous up there, and I don't want anyone getting trapped or locked in." "But Mom, come on!" Maria whined. "I want to get our toys!" Vera looked between the two of them, her maternal instinct kicking in. "Are you sure you want to get toys? Because I feel like I heard something else..." "Yeah, yeah! The toys!" Max stammered quickly. "Come on, Mom, please, let's go to the attic!" Vera let out a long sigh, reaching into the hallway closet to grab the attic pull-string. "Fine, guys. But please be careful up there! Watch the floorboards... there might be ghosts up there." She paused, winking at them. "I was just joking with you guys." "We're just stopping to grab things, Mom," Maria said, her heart thumping against her ribs. Vera pulled down the rickety wooden ladder, and Maria and Max carefully climbed up, step by step, into the shadowed space above. The attic was massive—far larger than it looked from the street below. Thick dust coated the floor, and dark, heavy cobwebs draped across old wooden trunks, cracked mirrors, and forgotten furniture like ragged curtains. The air was thick, heavy, and freezing cold. Max stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide. "Whoa... look at this place." "Max... Max," Maria whispered, stepping up beside him. She stopped, looking at his white knuckles and trembling hands. "Are you okay, Max? You look worried." Before Max could answer, a strange, low hum began to vibrate through the wooden planks beneath their feet, sending a chill straight down their spines.

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