Hello?

"Is someone there?" I peered into the hall. "Anyone?" There it was again, that muffled ringing. "Hello? Speak if you're there!" I'm sure I heard a little snatch of something that time. "Speak again! I didn't catch that." Silence. "If you're mumbling, cut it out!"

Leaning over the stairway's railing, I cast a glance around the entryway. It was empty. "I'll call the police. I'll do it. I've got the phone right here!" But, then, I started to laugh at my foolishness. "Testing! Testing!" The fear that had gripped me before melted away.

The marble floors guy warned me they'd echo.