Fresco found the switch, but turning it on did little to illuminate the basement. A single bare bulb dangled at the bottom of the stairs. It smelled like dirt and mold, old decay and death. He forced his feet to move one step at a time, socks sliding on the old wooden boards. It wasn't the basement itself causing his reluctance. It was the occupant.

Fresco found Daniel in the far corner where the cinder blocks gave way to blackened earth. His brother curled up into a ball on ...