Intermediate to Advanced

Continue the story in English.

Continue the Story

You are fixing a small nail into the wall to hang a picture. On the third tap something behind the wall taps back. You stop. It taps again. You are holding the hammer and not sure what the next move is. The room is quiet except for the faint hum of the refrigerator in the next room. The picture frame is still leaning against the skirting board, and the nail is only halfway in. You lean closer, listening. The wall gives no sign of movement, only that same small, deliberate knock from inside, as if someone—or something—knows exactly where you are standing. Then, from somewhere deeper in the house, a floorboard creaks. The tapping stops. A moment later, a thin voice comes through the plaster: “Don’t hang it there.”