You chose: Call out for Kit and move deeper into the house. Cameras or not, your only priority is finding her.

You turn away from Room 204.

Every instinct tells you not to.

But Kit is missing.

And whatever this house is doing, it isn’t finished showing you.

Cole yells out, “Cut! Just cut…” and starts talking to his Assistant Producer. 

You quickly signal Charlie. He notices and sneaks away with you.

Still rolling.

You move deeper into the mansion.

The hallway opens into a side corridor you didn’t notice before. It leads back downstairs. A spiral staircase tucked away. Service stairs.

The light shifts. Softer. Older. The house almost prefers this direction.

That’s where you run into them.

Maren stands near the archway that leads to the courtyard doors.

Fred — the REAL Fred — beside her.

Concern etched into his face.

“You felt it too,” Maren says. Not a question.

You nod.

Fred still doesn’t fully trust you and looks only toward Maren. 

“We can’t expect the house to act any differently,” he says. “We have a new crowd of people here. It’s curious.”

He rubs his hands together, drops them by his side in defeat.

“We are getting a bad reputation here. Canceled bookings. Especially with the activity in Room 204. I can’t say I’ve ever had an experience, but it’s obvious you and others have.”

You ask about Room 204.

Maren’s jaw clenches. She almost looks annoyed to have to deal with you.

“That room was never meant to be a honeymoon suite,” she says. “We renamed it years later. Tried to make it something lighter.”

She looks toward the ceiling.

“But the night before the wedding… that was his room. The groom. He drank too much. Wandered outside. Fell into a sinkhole near the old family plot. The ground collapsed inward.”

Fred swallows and finally looks you in the eyes almost ashamed. “They found him the next morning.”

No one speaks for a moment.

Then Sam’s voice crackles over the radio.

“I found Kit… in the courtyard.”

Maren shoots you a look, “What does he mean FOUND?”

“Copy,” you say. “Headed to you.”

You look at Maren and Fred with sympathy. 

Sympathy for their situation. 

For what happened in this house.

You almost plead with them both, “Come with us, you might be able to help.”

You all move fast.

The courtyard is washed in late afternoon light. Kit stands near the edge of the grass, barefoot, staring down into a shallow depression in the ground… the remnants of where the earth once gave way.

She turns when she hears you.

“She doesn’t want anyone in the room,” Kit says. “She’s not angry. She just misses him.”

Kit’s channeling you’ve never really gotten used to. 

You immediately get goosebumps. 

The wind picks up around you for a moment. 

Her hair swirls upward.

Like witchcraft.

“She wants to preserve the night before it all went wrong,” Kit adds.

Sam’s device that has been sweeping through background static comes to life and suddenly speaks, “Isabelle.”

Maren and Fred exchange a look - recognition hitting at the same time. Like they know the name. 

Maren speaks, “Can we ask that device questions?”

You nod. “It’s not a certainty, but sometimes it helps.”

She starts, “Ask it if her fiancé’s name was-.”

“Charles,” Charlie says quietly.

Sam’s EMF detector blares! 

Charlie pans down with his camera to the lights of the pod frantically going off. 

Maren shocked, “Yes, Charles. But how did you-“

Charlie looks from Maren to you. 

“Well, when we were upstairs near Room 204, something touched me which you witnessed,” he says, nearly blushing. “But then I heard a woman whisper ‘Charles’ in my ear.”

Kit lets out a small laugh, then quickly tries to compose herself. 

You do the same wondering if you have ever seen his face turn that color before. 

Also, mentally bookmarking the moment to tease him about later.

Fred speaks before you can. 

“You know, it never did make sense to me before,” he says. “Isabelle… last I heard, she was still alive.” 

Maren nods slowly and chimes in.

“Yes, but I think the memory holds a place here. You know the expression, leaving a piece of yourself behind. Maybe their love did that. It would explain why fresh flowers calm the house.”

Fred looks at you now.

“So what can we do?”

Your answer comes easier than expected.

“I think we should try to make contact with Charles in Room 204.”

Everyone agrees. 

Upstairs again.

At the end of the hall, Cole stands with actor Fred.

His hand rests on the actor’s shoulder.

“Yes, it’s all part of the script,” Cole says. “All we need is for you to tell the story of Room 204. We’ll call the episode ‘Til Death Do Us Part. Really play up the vibe of their unwavering love.”

As you lead the group down the hall, the frustration behind you is palpable. You motion for them to keep cool, signaling that you’ll take the lead.

You look at Charlie, “Just keep rolling and let me handle Cole.”

Charlie runs ahead and starts the camera shot on the actor signally to second cam to pick up the hallway shot. 

Maren and Fred drop back out of frame. 

You step into the shot. “Fred!” you call out, closing the distance between you. “That woman’s voice seems to travel everywhere. Kit and Sam picked up a recording of an ‘Isabelle.’ Does that name mean anything to you?”

The actor quickly gathers himself after Cole nods with approval. “Yes,” he says. “If you step inside Room 204, I can explain what happened here. A truly tragic story.” 

You feel it as soon as you cross the threshold. 

It hits you immediately.

Kit’s hand clamps onto your arm as she stumbles, her own face mirroring the sudden nausea written on yours.

“You okay?” The actor asks.

“Yes,” you reply. “Just… heavy.”

He launches into his monologue with sweeping, theatrical gestures, as if the dusty room were a Broadway stage. 

“Twenty years ago this month!” he proclaims. “The night before the wedding. It was the talk of the town—even the mayor was on the guest list. Two prominent families, joined at last! To be wed: the beautiful Isabelle Wentworth and the town's most eligible bachelor, Charles Madison.”

Kit rolls her eyes.

Sam, under his breath to you, “Hey, sorry man, both my devices just died.”

Charlie adds, “Yeah, sorry, camera’s yelling at me too. We need to take a moment so I can swap batteries.” 

You glance at Cole for the call to cut.

He looks pale. Distant.

Unresponsive, you decide to nudge him, “Cole,” you say. “We need a minute.”

“Yeah. Yeah. Cut,” he mutters.

Charlie calls it, “Cutting! Just give me five.”

You step toward Cole.

“You okay?”

“Yeah—no, I'm good,” he says too quickly. “Hey, how did you make the batteries do that all at once? And that voice earlier. Did you hide a speaker or something in the closet? Good call on that. Really smooth. Really smooth.”

He won’t meet your gaze. 

His response is unexpected, but you lean into it.

“Eventually, you are going to have to believe me. Sometimes weird things happen.”

Charlie calls, “Okay, I’m up. Rolling.” 

You take charge.

“Action.”

Sam’s device fires up, scanning through the static as the man’s voice emerges again, “Isabelle… is that you?”

Kit steps forward, “Yes. I’m here!”

The actor looks visibly spooked in this moment. 

Sweat droplets start to form on his face. 

The voice answers.

“My love… I’m so sorry.” Static crackles. “I’m so sorry I’m late.”

Kit responds gently.

“You’re not late. Isabelle is with you. She always was and will be.”

Suddenly, a large surge is felt through your body.

Sam’s EMF detector screams.

The actor collapses into a chair, unable to push through his fear.

A sharp pop echoes through the room.

Everyone grabs their ears. 

Charlie almost drops his camera. 

Then silence.

Maren and Fred step into the doorway. 

The room feels lighter.

The pressure lifts. 

You turn to the actor, fanning himself with his script.

“I think it might be best to close this room for a little while.”

He nods, shaken.

You turn and notice Maren and Fred in the doorframe.

Maren shapes a silent 'thank you' with her lips. Beside her, Fred nods in agreement, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.

“And rename it,” you add. “Let it rest as what it was. Not what people wanted it to be.”

Later, as the crew packs up, Cole doesn’t say much.

He sits alone outside, megaphone in his hands.

This isn’t the season he planned.

But it’s the one that will stay with him.

Before you leave, Fred stops you.

“Thank you.”

You smile. “We were meant to be here, I guess.”

As you walk away, he calls out, “Oh and in case you were wondering… I’m still a fan of the show.” 

You give him a final wave before getting into the production van.

End of Story 11.