The room had a strange stillness to it, the kind that hums with anticipation. Grandma sat down cross-legged on the floor, her voice calm but serious. "That house," she began, "is cursed. We don't speak of it loosely, and never in front of Grandpa. We tried investigating it once in our childhood, but we weren't prepared. The curse... it left marks. This time, we do it right. That's why you need to be patient, listen carefully, and promise not to tell him anything."
The kids nodded, a mix of curiosity and nerves glowing in their eyes.
Kaito asked, "What kind of things can affect us, Grandma?"
Grandma's eyes darkened for a moment. "If you even talk about it carelessly… you'll have bad dreams. You could get lost—somewhere strange. Somewhere not here." The room fell silent for a long second. You could hear everyone's thoughts hit the brakes at once.
Then Grandma broke the silence. "We need to make some preparations. Nobody should go home for now—it's safer here. I'll call your parents and say it's a summer camp. If they have no objection, everyone can stay."
"Good, good!" everyone chimed in.
Ethan raised a hand. "Um, Grandma? I don't really do Japanese food. Like, my taste buds refuse politely. I can only handle Indian food."
Grandma chuckled warmly. "I knew you were coming someday. That's why I learned to cook Indian food too."
Everyone blinked.
"What?!"
"Whoa—Grandma, are you psychic?"
"You even predicted Ethan's stomach!"
The group burst into laughter. Ethan gave Aiko a mock bow. "See? Royal treatment."
They shifted into a large room with high ceilings and a giant glass-covered window—sealed shut, no handles, no opening mechanism.
"This room is safest," Grandma said. "No outside influence can enter through that window."
She placed a bag in the middle of the room, opened it, and brought out colorful feathers, beads, threads, and some small crystal-like stones.
"We'll each make a dreamcatcher and a locket," she said. "The dreamcatcher protects your sleep. The locket, your spirit."
Ethan got to work quickly and made a dreamcatcher with extra care. "This one's for Aiko," he grinned.
Aiko blushed a bit but rolled her eyes playfully. "Then this one's for you, Mr. Chef-Needs-Indian-Food."
Then Echo piped up. "Wait, Ethan made two dreamcatchers… both for Aiko?"
Everyone laughed—even Ethan and Aiko, their faces half-buried in the feathers by now.
Echo added, "I'll make a locket for Ethan too. He needs double protection—for both his mouth and his feelings."
"Very funny," Ethan said, chuckling. "But fair."
After the giggles faded, Grandma raised a hand. "If anyone needs the washroom, go in pairs. Two at a time. No exceptions. I'll bring water and food here so you stay protected. I'll also sleep here tonight, so nothing can touch you while we rest."
Liam raised a hand. "But Grandma, what about the story? You promised!"
"Preparation first, story later," she said firmly. "No one is to come into this house tonight except us. Your team and mine—that's it. If I go to the washroom, I'll wake everyone."
"Any problems?" she asked.
Everyone shook their heads.
"No, Grandma."
"Good," she smiled.
Then someone whispered, "Shhh, Grandma, you sleep."
"Yeah, we won't sleep tonight anyway," Kaito grinned. "We're playing games when you do."
Grandma smirked. "Okay, okay."
And so, the night before the real story was quiet… sort of. A room full of whispering, giggling kids, feathers floating in the air