...of something waiting

Chad who is three years older than Daisy is a little more self-conscious, even serious. Too often his response has been misread by those aware of the film's ending. It is important to realise, however, that at this point in time Chad has no sense what the future holds. He is merely expressing anxieties natural for a boy his age who has just been uprooted from his home in the city and deposited in a vastly different environment.

As he tells his father, what he misses most is the sound of traffic. It seems the noise made by trucks and taxi cabs created for him a kind of evening lullaby. Now he finds it difficult to fall asleep in the quiet.

"What about the sound of crickets?" Navidson asks.

Chad shakes his head.

"It's not the same. I dunno. Sometimes it's just silent...No sound at all."

"Does that scare you?"

Chad nods.

"Why?" asks his father.

"It's like something's waiting."

"What?"

Chad shrugs. "I dunno Daddy. I just like the sound of traffic."

[House of Leaves, Danielewski, M. Z.]