Join Mark on a whimsical midnight adventure when his smoke alarm starts a series of strange events! What begins as a simple battery chirp quickly unfolds into a captivating mystery, leading Mark to discover a peculiar secret lurking behind a seemingly ordinary door. This charmingly suspenseful tale, brought to life with vibrant illustrations, explores curiosity and courage in the face of the unknown.
At 2:17 a.m., Mark’s smoke alarm went off. Not the shrill fire scream—just one sharp chirp. The low-battery warning. He groaned, rolled over, and stared at the ceiling. He’d deal with it in the morning. The house was quiet again. Then the chirp came back. Exactly one minute later. Mark sighed, kicked the blankets off, and shuffled into the hallway. The alarm was mounted above the guest bedroom door. He grabbed a chair, stood on it, and twisted the cover off. The battery was brand new. He frowned, checked the date, then snapped it back in anyway. The alarm went silent. Relieved, Mark climbed down and turned toward his bedroom— —and froze. The guest bedroom door was open. He was sure he’d closed it earlier. He hated that room. It always smelled faintly dusty, no matter how much he cleaned. He stood there for a moment, listening. Nothing. He stepped forward and pushed the door closed. Behind him, the smoke alarm chirped again. One single chirp. His stomach dropped. Mark spun around and stared at the alarm. Then he noticed something he hadn’t before. A thin, black scorch mark crept down the wall beneath it—like a finger dragged slowly through soot. The chirp came again. This time, it wasn’t alone. From inside the guest room, something answered it. A soft sound. Almost polite. Breathing. Right behind the door he had just closed. And then—very carefully— the door handle began to turn.
