Echoes in the Porcelain Pipes
Living in a crumbling Victorian apartment, Clara grew accustomed to the strange plumbing noises echoing through the walls every midnight. At first, it sounded like dripping water, but soon the rhythmic clanging formed distinct patterns that resembled tapping fingers. Curious and exhausted from lack of sleep, she pressed her ear directly against the cold bathroom tiles to listen closer. A harsh, raspy voice whispered her exact name from inside the drain, followed by the sound of something dragging itself upward through the dark pipes.
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