The Path Beneath Them

Jake lay flat on the floor, shoulder pressed to the baseboard as he angled the flashlight deeper into the opening. The crawlspace extended farther than he expected—narrow, but clean, with no sign of dust buildup. Something had been moving through there recently, maybe for a long time.

He followed the tunnel with the light until it curved left, toward the nursery. Mia stood behind him, arms crossed tightly, feeling the weight of every quiet step they hadn’t heard. All this time, Nimbus hadn’t been outside. He had been living under their floorboards, silently navigating beneath them. Moving through the house like it was his, not theirs.