A scream.

That's the last thing he heard of his sister. She died in their house fire. Owen made it out with his parents. But Elise was too late.

Moving to a new house is not Owen's ideal we-can-start-over kind of way to start. He thinks the house was haunted, for it is an old mansion in the middle of nowhere.

While unpacking, he finds a board. It is not an ordinary board. It is a checkers board, with a circle of glass in the middle. But not caring, he only tosses it aside.

Since the house was big, he likes to explore. But one day he sees a shadow that didn't belong to anyone. Not being very brave, he finds his parents, and stay with them the rest of the day.

The same thing happens for weeks. There is a series of knocks coming from the other side of the wall, or he sees odd silhouettes on his window as he goes to bed.

Not being able to resist, one day he follows a series of whispers outside, and into a shed filled with shovels, rakes and other gardening tools. But uncovering a secret door, he discovers that life is not always as it seems.