Several deep breaths later, I pulled the rope and the door creaked open. I reached up a tentative hand and unfolded the ladder. Nothing but inky darkness covered the entrance. Stale hot air wafted from inside with a hint of decay. Something was definitely dead up there, but it could be anything, things worse than what haunted my brain.

Dad came out in shorts and a t-shirt. "Hey. Whoa. I'm climbing up there, remember?"

I glanced up into the black hole, my scalp ...