Upstairs

When I was a child I lived in a rented two-floor house. Both my parents worked so I was often alone when I came home from school. One early evening when I came home the house was still dark. I called out, “Mum?” and heard a voice say “Yeeeeees?” from upstairs. I called my mum again, and again got the same “Yeeeeees?” reply. I felt she was calling back at me and climbed up the stairs. When I reached the first floor I called her once more and the voice “Yeeeeees?” came from the furthest room. I felt both uneasy, but a strong urge to see my mother, and started to walk towards the room. But just that moment I heard the front door downstairs open and my mother come in, carrying a lot of shopping bags. “Sweetie, are you home?” my mother called in a cheery voice. Hearing her voice made me feel instantly better and I turned back to go downstairs at once…but not before I had a quick glance towards the room. While I watched from the top of the stairs, the door to the room slowly opened a crack. For a brief moment, I saw something strange in there. A pale face, staring at me.