The house had been empty for nine months.

At midnight, the counting began.

One.

Two.

Three.

Cryer entered with a constable.

The voice continued until twelve.

Then silence.

The sound came from nowhere they could locate.

The following night Cryer placed twelve chalk marks across the floor.

At dawn, eleven had been rubbed away.

The twelfth remained.

Beside it, someone had written:

START AGAIN.