Rules — House

If you hear your name from the garden after dark, do not answer. The third door on the left stays locked. Do not knock. Always leave a saucer of milk by the cellar door. "Stayed too long at the wall, didn't you?" a voice rasped.

Leo jumped. Mrs. Sterling stood behind him, her silver hair pulled back so tight it looked painful. She wasn't mean, exactly—just precise. House Rules

That night, Leo lay in bed, the silence of the woods pressing against his window. Then, he heard it. If you hear your name from the garden

"Privacy," she said simply. "A house this old has earned its secrets, Leo. Follow the rules, and the house will be kind. Break them, and well... it becomes quite difficult to find one’s way out." Always leave a saucer of milk by the cellar door