The smell intensified, heavy and damp, clinging to the back of their throats. “It’s hollow behind this,” Daniel murmured, tapping the surface. The echo wasn’t dense, it was thin, almost empty. “Someone poured this after the house was built,” Megan said. “But why seal a hollow space?” Daniel didn’t answer. He struck harder.
Chunks of concrete fell away until a patch the size of a dinner plate was removed. Behind it was not insulation, not soil, but darkness. Deep, unnatural darkness that extended farther than the cavity should have allowed. He leaned closer, shining the flashlight in. “What the…” His voice trailed off. Megan stepped beside him. Her breath hitched.