The Secret Room Part - 2

Max and Annie struck up a flirtatious friendship over the telephone. Every night for a couple of weeks, Max would call Annie and they would talk for hours. Because they went to different schools, they had never met in person before. Max described himself as tall and attractive. He claimed he was popular at his high school and captain of the football team.

Annie was smitten, and she couldn't wait to meet him. It had been rough couple of months dealing with the death of her mother. She hadn't smiled in so long. But now she couldn't stop.

One night, Max finally asked Annie out on a date. A real date. He wanted to take her to an ice cream shop and then the movies. The doorbell rang and Annie ran down the stairs with butterflies in her belly. But when she opened the door, she gasped with the surprise. The boy at the door couldn't be Max. This wasn't the self - described attractive athlete. The boy at the door was short... and messy.... and he had acne all over his face. The boy at the door was a liar.

Annie was a sweet girl and had committed to a date with Max. So she went with him to the ice cream shop. But her butterflies had completely vanished. The date was uncomfortable and awkward. The easy and flirtatious banter of their telephone conversations was nowhere to be found.

At some point during the sparse conversation, the death of Annie's mother came up. While the topic was still hard, Annie really needed to confide in someone about the struggle and hoping Max could be a shoulder to lean on. She may not be attracted to Max like she had hoped, but she could really use a friend. 

Instead of being supportive and sensitive, Max perked up and began asking questions after questions about the details of Annie's mother's death. Disturbed Annie shut down the conversation and told Max that she needed to get home. She walked away hoping to see the last of Max. But her wish would be ignored. Max wasn't ready to say good bye...................

A few nights after the disastrous date, Annie & Jessica were particularly missing their mother. They decided to have an impromptu ritual. If they could just hear their mother's voice or feel her presence, maybe the emptiness would go away. They went downstairs into the basement and set everything up. Candles, crystals and pictures of their mother. 

They chanted and prayed, asking for their mother to appear. To speak to them. Show them a sign that she was there. Anything. but nothing happened. Disappointed and missing their mom more than ever, they decided to head back upstairs. But not before their father came down and caught them. He made the girls promise not to do anything that foolish again. Their mom was gone and nothing would bring her back.

A few nights later, while their father was at work, the girls were doing their homework while watcing TV. All of sudden, they heard knockng. But it wasn't from the front door. Or the back door.

Where was it coming from???

They listened and waited.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK........