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00:02while we were playing hide and seek i locked my daughter in the wardrobe where she was hiding
00:06and never opened it again hide well i'll come find you later
00:17then the rest of us zanes ran my wife helen my son erin and i moved away as quickly as
00:24we could
00:2820 years later i came back to bury her i stood in front of that damn wardrobe and then
00:47daddy daddy daddy daddy daddy
01:02it all started when erin was preparing to get married his future in-laws insisted that both
01:07families see a psychic before the wedding they believed the marriage should begin with a proper
01:11blessing so my wife and i went we thought it would be a formality but after the reading the psychic
01:17looked up at us with a grave expression and said you have another child don't you one who hasn't
01:23come home in years my stomach dropped i turned to helen she looked pale as hell she knew what i
01:32was
01:32thinking the psychic kept going a marriage like this needs the whole family present if someone's
01:38been left behind whatever is following them will follow the couple too what do you mean following
01:44them the old man just shook his head better not to ask you have a daughter don't you yes
01:52what it's her she's been begging to come home and she's become something powerful i was confused
01:58my daughter was dead dead for 20 years how could she want to come home how could she be powerful
02:05some spirits don't rest easy not when something was left unfinished your family has a missing piece
02:11and that kind of absence doesn't stay buried go home make your family whole again then come see me
02:18we left faster than we had arrived back home helen sat on the couch trembling what do we do
02:26we moved we ran we left her there how are we supposed to bring her home now i ran my
02:33hands through my
02:33hair anxious erin was engaged our future daughter-in-law's family was rich and prominent her people had
02:40money and influence more than we ever would erin couldn't afford to lose a match like this i couldn't
02:46let the ghost of our daughter stand in the way i had to find a way to deal with it
02:50with her
02:55my daughter's name was katie if she were still alive she would have been 28 this year when katie
03:00was eight my wife helen and i decided to move to the city for work life was hard enough already
03:06and
03:07trying to start over with two young children felt impossible the day before we left helen suddenly
03:12said she didn't want to take katie with us she only wanted to bring our seven-year-old son erin
03:17my parents were already dead there were no grandparents to leave katie with if we didn't
03:22take her there would be no one to care for her she doesn't need anyone to care for her we'll
03:27lock her
03:27in the house and act like she was never born i stared at her stunned but she didn't seem bothered
03:32in the slightest what's so shocking about that we can't afford to drag two kids into a new life
03:39one of them was always going to slow us down erin comes with us katie stays but enough
03:48i've made up my mind just do what i say
03:54tomorrow i'll show you exactly what to do helen had always favored our son over our daughter
03:59and once she decided something there was no changing her mind the next day we packed as
04:04usual katie and erin were both excited running back and forth stuffing their toys into the bags
04:10when it was almost time to leave helen gave me a look i knew exactly what she meant i hesitated
04:16for
04:16a long time but in the end i walked over to katie
04:25katie daddy's tired from packing want to play hide and seek
04:28katie frowned she never liked hide and seek much
04:32i don't want to play i want to help pack then erin chimed in at exactly the wrong moment
04:37i want to play katie please play with us
04:41i rarely spent time playing with the children erin was always eager for any scrap of attention from me
04:47under her brother's pleading katie finally gave in so i played along for a while fake smiles
04:53fake laughter pretending everything was normal
04:56then helen gave me another look the bags were packed everything was ready it was time
05:02last round this time katie hides and erin and i will look for her
05:07katie you better find a really good spot helen joined in with a smile that made my skin crawl
05:24she led katie toward the storage shed no one but helen and i knew there was a cellar underneath it
05:29my great-grandfather had dug it years ago to store grain in case of famine later when life got better
05:35it was abandoned and left to rot there was an old wardrobe down there it had been there for as
05:40long as i
05:40could remember it was thick heavy and impossible for a child to open
05:50when helen led katie down into the cellar i saw the padlock in her hand a little while later helen
05:56came back up
05:57alone that same night we called the police and told them our daughter was missing back then child trafficking cases
06:04were all over the news
06:05and helen cried so hard in front of the officers that no one ever suspected us
06:0920 years passed in the blink of an eye we went back to our hometown a few times after that
06:14but helen and i never spoke about what we had done we never went down into the cellar either but
06:19this time for erin's wedding i had no choice
06:22the psychic had made it clear our family had a missing piece katie had never been laid to rest
06:27if i wanted nothing to interfere with my son's marriage i had to go back i had to find her
06:33and bury her properly helen said
06:36then go right now whatever you do
06:41don't let this ruin erin's wedding
06:43i drove back to my hometown that night
06:45the house was an old single-story place
06:48i kept all the lights off the whole time
06:50afraid the neighbors might notice something strange
06:52i found the shed
06:54and the concrete slab covering the entrance
06:56the moment i lifted it
06:58i felt something was off
06:59a gust of wind came up from below
07:01cold
07:02sharp
07:03it hit me right in the face
07:05and that wasn't all
07:06the instant i opened it
07:07i heard a bang heavy dull solid
07:11like something had suddenly slammed into the wardrobe underground
07:17i held my breath and listened carefully
07:19a few minutes passed
07:20the strange sound didn't come again
07:22just a rat
07:23just a damn rat
07:24i went down to the basement
07:26same as 20 years ago
07:27empty
07:28dark
07:28flashlight swept the space
07:30only that wardrobe in the corner
07:31paint peeling
07:32padlock still locked
07:33no smell
07:3420 years had passed
07:36katie must have decomposed beyond recognition by now
07:39any smell would have long since faded
07:41i let out a breath
07:42then i took out the key helen had given me
07:44and reached for the lock
07:45suddenly
07:47my first thought was that someone had followed me
07:50who's there
07:50who's here
07:51i looked around carefully
07:53no one
07:53but in the corner
07:54i found a dried up carcass
07:56didn't matter
07:57i went back to the wardrobe
07:58took a deep breath
07:59tried to calm myself down
08:00i was too nervous
08:01that had to be
08:03this time
08:04i heard it clearly
08:05it came from inside the wardrobe
08:06right in front of me
08:07daddy
08:10daddy
08:10is that you
08:12i've been waiting for you
08:13for so long
08:16i'm right here in the wardrobe
08:21holy shit
08:22it really was katie's voice
08:24how is that possible
08:26daddy
08:27why aren't you talking to me
08:30open the door
08:32she still sounded like that same little 8 year old girl
08:34how was that possible
08:35locked inside an airtight wardrobe for 20 years
08:38even if she hadn't suffocated
08:40she would have starved to death
08:41so what the hell was inside that wardrobe
08:52open the door
08:53i want help
08:56daddy
09:03the wind
09:04the thud
09:04the voice
09:05wayne
09:05are you making this up
09:06because you're too scared
09:07to bury katie
09:08how could something this creepy
09:09even be real
09:10i swear
09:11i heard her
09:12she's still in there
09:13fine
09:14if you're too much of a coward
09:15i'll do it myself
09:16she slammed the door
09:18and left
09:18i sat on the couch
09:19trying to process everything that just happened
09:21i cracked open a six pack
09:23drank until my hands stopped shaking
09:25how
09:25how could a child survive in a sealed metal box for 20 years
09:28no air
09:29no food
09:30no water
09:30unless it was a ghost
09:32but how could a ghost be trapped inside the wardrobe
09:34why did it knock
09:35why did it sound like her
09:36with all these thoughts
09:38i passed out
09:39and woke up to screams
09:40helen was shaking me
09:41her hair was matted with dirt
09:43her jacket was torn
09:44her eyes were wide
09:45you went back
09:46i went down there
09:47i heard it
09:49that voice
09:50everything
09:51what did you do
09:52i opened the door
10:00i couldn't process what she had just said
10:02i slowly turned toward the door
10:03there she was
10:04wearing the exact yellow dress
10:06with tiny blue flowers
10:07her hair was tied into two neat ponytails
10:09it was as if she had only been gone for 20 minutes
10:12daddy
10:12i'm home
10:14my heart stopped
10:15it was definitely katie
10:16my daughter
10:17the one we had buried alive
10:18don't
10:19don't come closer
10:20she stopped
10:21just stood there
10:22obedient
10:22just like she had always been
10:24this is impossible
10:25she'd be dust
10:27she'd be gone
10:28what do you mean mommy
10:30i'm right here
10:31nothing sweetheart
10:32mommy is just
10:34upset
10:35wow
10:36is this where we live now
10:37i love it
10:38i want to stay here forever
10:41by the way daddy
10:44where's erin
10:45didn't he want to play hide and seek
10:52well he went out to take care of something
10:55helen evasively explained
10:57yeah
10:57i greased him something
10:59on me
10:59the python anymore
11:03lear
11:04kids don't have things to take care of
11:07katie
11:08sweetie
11:08daddy and i need to talk
11:10just for a minute
11:12helen was so overwhelmed
11:13she grabbed my arm and shouted
11:16you play for a bit
11:17helen didn't wait for her answer
11:19she shut the bedroom door and whispered
11:22is she human
11:25how would i know you were the one who let her out
11:28oh god the crap
11:30like i know any better
11:33jesus
11:34let's just
11:35she took a knife out of the drawer
11:41no no you can't just kill her
11:46she's katie
11:47our little girl
11:51we already killed her once wayne
11:53what difference does it make
11:55this time
11:56i snatched the knife from her hand
11:57no
12:00not again
12:02we were poor and desperate back then
12:05now erin has grown
12:06and we can afford to raise an eight year old
12:09but i couldn't tell helen about this
12:11i really missed katie
12:12how i had tricked my little girl
12:14how i had betrayed her trust
12:15how she had looked at me with those innocent eyes
12:18and now
12:18she came back
12:20maybe
12:21maybe this was my second chance
12:23however
12:23i still had to figure out why she hadn't aged
12:26and what had happened to her all those years
12:28helen was still hesitating
12:29then she continued
12:30are you out of your mind
12:32if they find out we buried her
12:34our son's son's life is over
12:36no job
12:37no future
12:39no grandkids
12:40suddenly
12:41an idea flashed into my mind
12:46i opened the drawer and took out a business card
12:49a private investigator's business card
12:53the one i'd found shoved under our door weeks ago
12:59helen frowned
13:00where did you even get this
13:03none of your business
13:05anyway he's our only shot
13:09she had been going out a lot lately
13:11and i had started to suspect she was cheating on me
13:14i dialed
13:16a young voice answered
13:18hello
13:20mr shaw
13:22yes how can i help you
13:23i told him everything
13:25the silence was long enough to make me think he had hung up
13:28finally
13:29he said doubtfully
13:30so
13:31you mean your daughter
13:32stayed in the wardrobe for 20 years
13:34she doesn't eat
13:35doesn't drink
13:35doesn't age
13:36just still
13:37ate
13:38well
13:39that's about it
13:41i've never heard anything like this
13:42very interesting
13:43i'll take the case
13:45but you better bring her to me
13:47i want to see this miracle with my own eyes
13:50i hung up
13:51walked back into the living room
13:53katie was curled up on the couch
13:54her head rested on her arm
13:56her eyes half closed
13:58she smiled when she saw me
14:00daddy
14:00are we going to see a friend
14:03yeah sweetheart
14:04just for a little while
14:06do you want to come with me
14:09she climbed right onto my lap
14:11just like she used to
14:13of course daddy
14:15i always want to stay with you
14:24i met jamie shaw
14:25a private investigator
14:27he poured me some tea
14:28and gave katie something sweet
14:29he chatted with her about normal kid stuff
14:32favorite books
14:33cartoons
14:34and games
14:35katie answered the same thing she would have answered 20 years ago
14:40after a while
14:41he pulled me aside
14:42mr zane
14:42it does seem that your daughter really came from 20 years ago
14:47this is the most unusual case i've ever seen in my career
14:50have you ever heard the theory
14:52that there are strange spaces in this world where time moves abnormally
14:55sometimes much faster
14:56sometimes much slower
14:58what
15:00something like that really exists
15:03out here
15:0420 years
15:06in that wardrobe
15:08maybe only three days
15:10she didn't age because
15:12she never left the moment who locked her in
15:14he pulled an old newspaper clipping from the shelf
15:17he pulled an old newspaper clipping from the shelf
15:261892
15:27a man was stranded on a remote island for 25 years
15:31when he was rescued
15:33aside for his grown out beard
15:34he hadn't changed a bit
15:36my hands shook
15:37that's real?
15:39real enough to be recorded
15:40so
15:42she's not dead
15:43she's
15:45frozen
15:46this case is too strange
15:48so i've decided not to charge you
15:50i want to know what is really going on as well
15:53also
15:54i would suggest a paternity test
15:57from a biological standpoint
15:58it would tell you whether she's biologically your daughter
16:02how much would that cost?
16:06two thousand
16:08but i know a lab that'll do it cheaper
16:09i thought of my son's wedding expenses
16:12everything cost money
16:17no need
16:19i know my own daughter
16:23all right
16:24then let's head to your old home now
16:26i'd like to run an experiment in that wardrobe
16:32the experiment was simple
16:33even a rough man like me could understand it
16:36jamie put a candle in the wardrobe
16:40this thing is big enough
16:41so there's plenty of air inside
16:44normally the candle should burn out in about two hours
16:46i'll light it now and come back tomorrow
16:48if it burns out
16:49our guess is wrong
16:50if it has barely burned down
16:52then time really does move slower in there
16:54to be safe
16:55he also put a popsicle inside as a second check
17:00after that
17:01i took katie home
17:05katie was tired
17:06she curled up on the couch right after we got home
17:11daddy
17:11my head is so itchy
17:13i want to wash my hair
17:18helen could you
17:19not mommy
17:20i want daddy to wash it
17:21i want daddy
17:23i froze for a moment
17:24as if i had gone back 20 years
17:26i was exhausted
17:28and the scolding almost slipped out
17:29but when i looked down into katie's dark eyes
17:32i swallowed the words
17:33i helped her wash her hair
17:35twinkle twinkle little star
17:38how i wonder what you are
17:42she looked up at me
17:44daddy
17:45do you like my song
17:47of course sweetheart i love it
17:51she giggled
17:52then
17:52daddy why'd you take so long to come find me
17:57i looked away
17:58i was busy
18:01but daddy i waited for you for so long
18:04why didn't you come find me
18:06just as i was about to lose my temper
18:08i suddenly cried out
18:09the daughter lying on my lap
18:11had somehow turned into a dried corpse
18:13her body was shriveled and yellow
18:15and her eye sockets had become two hollow pits
18:17but her mouth was still opening and closing
18:22daddy
18:24why didn't you come
18:27don't you want me
18:29to come home
18:31i screamed
18:33grabbed her
18:34and shoved her face into the water
18:36she thrashed and yelled
18:39mommy
18:41mommy
18:41mommy
18:42daddy kill her
18:44she was a monster
18:44she was not my daughter
18:48Helen stormed in
18:49what the hell are you doing
18:50what the hell are you doing
18:53she's not katie
18:54she's a
18:55i looked down and froze again
18:57the dried corpse in the basin
18:58had turned back into a normal child
19:01daddy you're hurting me
19:05on her neck was a long red scratch from my nails
19:12didn't you say you were gonna treat her well
19:17i
19:17i wasn't trying to hurt her
19:19she
19:20katie sniffled
19:21is daddy drunk again
19:22shhh
19:23it's okay
19:24mommy's here
19:29my eyes fixed on the mirror
19:31there she was in the reflection
19:32curled in helen's arms
19:34she looked pitiful as she cried in helen's arms
19:37but the corners of her mouth were curled into a dark eerie smile
19:43that night katie insisted on sleeping in our room
19:47not a chance
19:48i'd sooner stay awake till dawn than lie next to that thing
19:52so i took a blanket and camped out on the couch
19:55half awake all night
19:56one eye open listening for the slightest sound
19:59i told myself i only had to get through one night
20:02once jamie's results came in
20:04i'd take care of her
20:05i wasn't about to let a monster keep breathing under my roof
20:09the next morning
20:10the first news i got wasn't jamie's result
20:13it was that aaron was coming home
20:15my heart lurched
20:16no
20:17absolutely not
20:19aaron could not see katie
20:20i still didn't know what she was
20:23a child
20:23a ghost
20:24or something worse
20:26but if anything happened to aaron
20:27my whole life would go down with him
20:29katie was at the table eating breakfast when i waved her over
20:32that's enough come with me
20:34i was going to shut her in the guest room until i figured out the next move
20:38but the second i stepped toward her
20:40she drew back
20:41are you trying to make me hide in my wardrobe again
20:43i was already rolling up my sleeves
20:46ready to force her if i had to
20:48aaron's back
20:50did he call you
20:51katie lit up at once
20:52aaron's home
20:53before i could stop her
20:54she flew out the door barefoot
20:56what the hell is wrong with you
21:00why would you tell her aaron was back
21:03she shrank right in front of me
21:05instinctively throwing her arm over her head
21:07her forearm was a mess
21:09purple bruises
21:10yellowing marks
21:11old scars crossing over new ones
21:13i ran after katie
21:15by the time i got downstairs
21:17she was already at the building entrance
21:20aaron had just stepped inside
21:22and there he was
21:23rooted to the spot
21:24staring at her like the dead had come back wearing a child's face
21:28confusion
21:29disbelief
21:30and dread filled his eyes
21:32his lips trembled
21:33then
21:34barely audible
21:35he said
21:36beside him stood his fiancee
21:39katie
21:40get back here
21:41i was rattled now
21:43one suspicious look from sophia
21:45and aaron's marriage could be dead before it started
21:48and she was sharp
21:49sharper than i liked
21:51who is she
21:54hey
21:57she's aaron's sister
21:58sister
22:00since when
22:01aaron never said he had a sister
22:04she looks just like him
22:06there was no way i was letting sophia's family hear the truth
22:09then came the worst possible sentence
22:12wait
22:14is she his daughter
22:16no no of course not
22:18sophia come on
22:19she's my daughter
22:20how could she possibly be aaron's
22:22he's far too young to have a child that old
22:24so your family lied
22:25you told us aaron was an only child
22:26and now i'm supposed to find out like this that he has a sister
22:29you don't leave out something like that by accident
22:31if you were willing to hide this then what else are you hiding
22:34how am i supposed to trust any of you now
22:36then she looked at aaron
22:38disappointment written all over her face
22:39i'm going home to talk to my parents
22:42i i care about you
22:44but i can't be with someone who lies to me
22:46and just like that she turned and walked away
22:48but he didn't move
22:49what are you waiting for go after her
22:51forget it i was never an only child
22:53i didn't want to lie anymore
22:55i never really wanted to get married
22:57his face was calm
22:58if sophia decides to call it off
23:00maybe that's for the best
23:01i nearly lost my mind
23:03if we hadn't been standing in the middle of the building lobby
23:05i would have slapped him then and there
23:07that was aaron
23:08always aaron
23:09too soft
23:10too timid
23:11and never able to stand up for himself
23:13what had i raised him for
23:14to watch him throw away a good marriage without a fight
23:18are you really katie zane
23:21yes i'm your sister
23:25wow you got so tall
23:27i was only hiding for a little while
23:32how did you grow up so much
23:34the moment those words left her mouth
23:36something in aaron shattered
23:38i saw it
23:39his expression darkened
23:41his eyes went hollow
23:42like some old wound had split back open right in front of me
23:46and then he cried
23:48tears streaming down his face in front of everyone
23:50i clenched my fists so tight my bones ached
23:53that girl had already done enough damage
23:56now she was ruining aaron's marriage too
23:59she had to go back in the wardrobe
24:01if time really stopped in there
24:03then fine
24:04she could stay in the dark another 20 years
24:0730
24:08forever
24:08if that's what it took
24:10maybe i'd never let her out again
24:12if aaron could still marry sophia
24:14i'd be fine
24:15her family had money
24:17enough to make this whole mess go away
24:19as long as the marriage was still on the table
24:22there was still a way out
24:23so i pulled out my phone and called jamie for the test result
24:27he picked up right away
24:29i was just about to call you
24:30i'm at your old house
24:31you need to get over here and see this
24:40jamie brought in three massive work lights
24:42and the cellar lit up bright as day
24:44i'd already braced myself for the worst
24:47the second i saw it with my own eyes
24:49i was still stunned
24:51inside the wardrobe
24:52the white candle had barely burned
24:54it was almost completely intact
24:57even the popsicle was still frozen solid
24:59wayne
25:00looks like we were right
25:02time really does stop in there
25:04thank god
25:05that meant katie wasn't a ghost
25:07she really hadn't died
25:09dealing with a ghost would have been a pain in the ass
25:12controlling a little girl
25:14that was easy
25:15my son was about to get married
25:16so my daughter was just gonna have to keep staying in the wardrobe a little longer
25:19oh and one more thing
25:21can you help me out
25:22i need a clean story for why katie suddenly showed up
25:25something polished enough to calm sophia down
25:27shut the whole thing down
25:28and get her to go through with marrying my son
25:31we'll say she's a friend's kid
25:33no real connection to this family
25:35and back then because of some complicated situation
25:39i only pretended to be her father to protect her
25:42sure
25:43that part's easy
25:44i'm good at stuff like that
25:46and the price
25:48still free
25:50this isn't hard
25:51honestly
25:52i should be thanking you
25:54because of you
25:55i got to witness what this wardrobe can really do
25:58that pleased me
25:59he didn't look like much
26:00but there was more to him than i thought
26:02if katie had grown up
26:04and if the money made sense
26:06i might have even considered marrying my daughter off to him
26:09although
26:10i looked at him
26:12what
26:13wayne
26:14if i'm
26:15handling everything you asked for free
26:16the least you can do is show me a little respect
26:18i frowned
26:19what the hell is that supposed to mean
26:21how have i disrespected you
26:23you lied
26:23you
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