The moment I entered my in-laws’ house, something felt off. The usual warmth and liveliness were missing, replaced by an unsettling quiet. But what I discovered next was beyond anything I could have imagined—my mother-in-law, Sharon, was locked in the attic. A casual visit turned into something much more alarming.
It all began normally. My husband, Bryce, had been called into work, so we had to cancel our visit to his parents. I decided to go ahead and visit Sharon on my own, bringing along some cookies I’d baked. We had a great relationship—she was always thoughtful and kind, so I thought a surprise visit would be a nice gesture.
But when I arrived, the house was dark, and Sharon didn’t greet me like she usually did. I knocked, but there was no answer. At first, I wasn’t too worried—maybe they were out or resting. I let myself in, balancing the plate of cookies, and called out, “Sharon? It’s me, Ruth!”
Still no response. The eerie quiet felt out of place. I decided to send a quick text to my father-in-law, Frank, just to check. His reply was short and strange: “Out with the guys. Sharon’s resting. You can head home if you want.”
Resting? That didn’t sit right with me. Sharon wasn’t one to nap during the day. Something felt wrong, so I walked through the house, calling her name again. That’s when I heard it—a faint tapping sound coming from upstairs.
My heart raced as I followed the noise to the attic. This space had always been off-limits, Frank’s private area. But now, the key was in the lock. My hand hesitated over the doorknob, a growing sense of dread making me pause.
“Sharon?” I called softly, the tapping stopping abruptly.
I turned the key and opened the door. There, sitting quietly in a wooden chair, was Sharon. She looked exhausted, her usually cheerful face pale and tired.
“Ruth,” she whispered, startled to see me. “You’re here.”
I hurried over, setting the cookies aside. “Sharon, what’s going on? Why are you up here?” Concern tightened in my chest.
She hesitated, then admitted, “Frank locked me in here.”
I was stunned. “What? Why would he do that?”
She sighed, her voice low. “I reorganized his space while he was out. When he got home, he was furious. He said I needed to stay here and ‘think about it.’ Then he locked me in.”
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