Secrets They Kept.

Bryan almost didn’t knock.

The house was too quiet for mid afternoon one of those places where sound felt swallowed before it reached the walls. He adjusted his jacket, glanced at the address again, then rapped twice.

The door opened at once.

Two women stood there, identical except for the way they smiled.

“Oh my God,” one of them said. “It’s really you.”

Bryan blinked. “Uh yeah. Bryan.”

They stared a moment longer than polite.

“I’m Olivia,” said the one on the left.

“And I’m Sophia,” said the other. “We weren’t sure you’d actually come.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Bryan smiled. “I’m here about the room.”

They exchanged a look quick, knowing.

“What are *you* doing here?” Sophia asked.

“I’m filming a movie,” Bryan said. “Low-budget thriller. Needed something quiet.”

Both of them lit up.

“Oh hell yeah,” Olivia said. “Come in.”

The house was immaculate. Almost staged. The furniture was neutral, modern, untouched by personality. No photos. No clutter. No dust.

“Twins or friends?” Bryan asked as they walked.

“Twins,” Olivia said.

“By two minutes,” Sophia added.

They laughed together, perfectly in sync.

The room for rent was at the end of the hall. Spacious. Clean. Too clean.

“How much are you asking?” Bryan asked.

“We really just need help with utilities,” Sophia said. “Lights. Cable. Wi-Fi.”

“We’ll handle rent and groceries,” Olivia added. “We already budgeted.”

Bryan hesitated. “That’s… generous.”

Olivia smiled. “We like stability.”

“Any house rules?” Bryan asked.

Sophia’s smile softened. “Just respect the house.”

“And everyone in it,” Olivia said.

Bryan nodded. “Deal.”

The first night passed quietly too quietly.

Bryan noticed small things. Doors that didn’t creak. Mirrors positioned to reflect more than they should. A faint electrical hum in the walls that never quite stopped.

Later as he headed to shower he paused.

“Oh sorry,” he said, embarrassed. “Didn’t know someone was in there.”

Both sisters stood in the bathroom doorway, towels around their shoulders.

“We shower together,” Sophia said.

“We do everything together,” Olivia added.

Bryan chuckled nervously. “Everything?”

They just smiled.

That night, Bryan couldn’t sleep.

He told himself it was nerves. The movie. The move. The unfamiliar quiet.

Still, he felt watched.

The next morning, Olivia handed him coffee.

“Walls are thin,” she said lightly.

Sophia laughed. “But interesting.”

Bryan nearly choked. “Sorry if I—”

“No,” Olivia said. “It’s refreshing. Hearing someone else live.”

They stared a beat too long.

“Movie night later?” Sophia asked.

“After we visit our mom,” Olivia added. “Hour drive.”

They left together, locking the door behind them.

The lock clicked louder than it should have. Bryan stood there long after their footsteps faded, listening to the house settle around him. No traffic outside. No neighbors. Just that low electrical hum, like a breath held too long.

He tried the windows. Locked. Every one.

He laughed under his breath, shaking his head. get a grip. Still, he checked the front door again. Solid. Heavy. New hardware.

He wandered into the kitchen. The clock above the stove blinked 12:00. It didn’t change.

Minutes passed. Maybe more. His phone showed no signal, though it had worked earlier. When he refreshed his messages, an unsent draft stared back at him addressed to no one, empty except for a single line

ARE YOU COMFORTABLE?

Bryan deleted it. His hands were sweating now.

That was when he noticed the faint click overhead.

Like a camera adjusting focus.

Bryan wandered the house.

He didn’t mean to snoop. He just wanted reassurance proof that the unease was in his head.

Their bedroom door was cracked.

Inside, a desk. A computer still on.

The screen flickered.

LIVE FEED BEDROOM 1

Bryan’s bedroom.

His chest tightened.

He scrolled.

Folders lined the desktop.

•Behavioral Observation

•Compliance Trials

X-FILES PHASE THREE

Footsteps sounded in the hallway.

The front door opened.

“We’re home,” Olivia called.

Bryan slammed the laptop shut and bolted.

“Hey,” he said too quickly when they entered the living room. “Took you guys forever.”

“Moms like to talk,” Sophia said.

“She really does,” Olivia agreed.

They watched him closely.

“What were you up to?” Sophia asked.

“TV. Sleeping,” Bryan said, forcing a yawn.

“Good,” Olivia said. “We’re going to nap before movie night.”

They disappeared down the hall.

Bryan didn’t sleep.

He searched their names.

The results made his blood run cold.

Tax investigations. Fraud. Disappearances tied to false identities. Charges dropped. Records sealed.

“What did I get myself into?” he whispered.

He marched to their door.

Knocked.

“We need to talk.”

Olivia opened it halfway. “What’s wrong, Bryan?”

“You know damn well,” he snapped. “Why are there cameras in my room?”

Sophia stepped behind him.

“We can explain.”

“Explain what?” Bryan yelled. “You’re sick.”

Pain exploded at the back of his head.

Cold water dragged him back.

He was tied to the bed.

Olivia stood at the foot, calm. Sophia hovered near his head.

“Wake up,” Olivia said.

“What the hell—?” Bryan groaned.

“I hit you,” Sophia said softly. “I panicked.”

“Untie me,” Bryan shouted. “Now!”

“You’ll be fine,” Olivia said. “We just need to tell you the truth.”

“This is a prank,” Sophia said suddenly, forcing a laugh. “Your cousin set it up. You’re on a show.”

Bryan laughed weakly. “You almost killed me.”

They untied him.

As he stood, relief flooding in, something sharp pressed into his neck.

Darkness swallowed him.

He woke somewhere colder.

Damp concrete. A single bulb.

He was restrained again.

“Where am I?” Bryan croaked.

“Still home,” Sophia said.

“This part just isn’t advertised,” Olivia added.

People entered shadows, silhouettes, quiet observers.

Bryan thrashed. “Help me! Call the police!”

No one moved.

“They pay not to interfere,” Olivia said.

Sophia knelt beside him. “You were chosen.”

“For what?” Bryan whispered.

“To be observed,” Olivia said. “To be studied.”

“Desire. Fear. Compliance,” Sophia added.

“A secret network,” Olivia continued. “We provide access.”

Bryan’s heart hammered. “You can’t do this.”

“We already are,” Sophia said.

“You signed the lease,” Olivia finished.

The door shut.

The cameras stayed on.

The house stayed silent, watchful, and full of secrets. And the cameras never blinked