She Claimed His Father Died of a Disease, But the Casket Held a Terrifying Secret

The Sound in the Dark

Leo frowned, stepping back from Maria's tight grip. The explanation felt cold, calculated, and entirely wrong.

"A contagious disease?"

Leo repeated, his voice laced with growing suspicion.

"He was fine when we spoke on Tuesday. He was planning his retirement. How could he contract something so deadly and die within forty-eight hours without a single hospital visit?"

Maria’s eyes dived toward the hallway. Her composure was beginning to crack, a thin sheen of sweat appearing on her forehead.

"It was sudden, Leo. A rare, aggressive pathogen. Please, we have to respect the doctors. The transport team is coming to take him directly to the crematorium. You need to leave. For your own safety."

She reached for his arm again, trying to guide him toward the exit, but Leo stood his ground. The sheer urgency in her voice didn't sound like grief; it sounded like panic. And then, in the heavy silence that followed her plea, a sound echoed from within the mahogany box.

It was a faint, rhythmic thudding. A dull scraping against the heavy wood.

Leo froze. His heart hammered against his ribs.

"Did you hear that?"

he whispered, his eyes locking onto the casket.

"It's just... the settling of the body, Leo. Gases escaping. It's natural,"

Maria stammered, her face turning pale. She stepped between Leo and the casket, her hands splayed.

"Get out, Leo! Now!"

But the thudding grew more frantic. It was a rhythmic, desperate kicking. Leo’s eyes widened as the truth flashed in his mind. This wasn't a dead body settling. Someone was trapped inside. Pushing Maria aside with a force that sent her stumbling against the mantelpiece, Leo grabbed the heavy brass latches of the casket. Maria screamed, calling out for someone in the other room, as Leo threw the lid open wide.