This chapter opens up by stating that there is something wrong in the house where Navidson and the rest of what could be considered his family live. It is not the case of simple robbery or breaking in, but instead something much more sinister. It is uncanny, and a passage in German is quoted as a reference point for this.
Instead of finding things missing, Navidson and Karen find something added. A door where there wasn't one, concealing a corridor, spanning from their bedroom to the children's bedroom. A search of photos confirms that there was indeed no hallway there before. When interrogating the real estate agent about this hallway, all that is found in the floorplan is a mysterious crawlspace between the two rooms, but no door.
Unsatisfied, Navidson and Karen actually contact the police, who are only able to confirm that nothing was stolen. The cameras, motion activated, didn't pick up anything either.
There is then a title card, simply showing "¼". Navidson, out of curiosity, measures the hallway, only to measure the outside of the house. It is then revealed that, no matter how often he measures it, the hallway itself is ¼" longer than the actual distance. Karen is tired of it, as Navidson drives himself up a wall trying to explain this.
Eventually they call Tom, Navidson's fraternal twin brother, who builds houses and is introduced by a title card simply saying his name. He comes over with his tools, and is greeted warmly by Karen. The children take a liking to him with his inherent ability to entertain, as well as him bringing them McDonald Fries. He comments on the fact that Navidson hasn't talked to him in years, but suddenly calls him up needing his tools. Karen tells him that it means he's family.
Tom asks where Navidson is, only for it to be revealed that Navidson took a trip to the hardware store to get some tools of his own.
It turns out that Navidson was off in his measurements, but the Hallway was still larger than the outside by 5/16". The two brothers can not figure out what is wrong, first chalking it up to unseeable factors, such as faulty equipment. However, they can't get it out of their head, and Tom calls off some construction plans while Navidson calls up an old friend who teaches engineering.
This friend is Billy Reston, who Navidson met while capturing photos of a train yard, when he snapped a shot of Billy Reston fleeing from a fallen wire, which he lost his legs to.
While the men work on trying to figure out the enigma, Karen attempts to introduce normalcy, by calling over her friend Audrie, to help construct bookshelves.
Billy ends up bringing in equipment that will accurately measure the hallway with no room for error. At first, it appears that there is no extra measurement, seemingly gotten rid of. That is, until, due to a draft causing the door to close on itself, a book is picked off a bookshelf in order to prop it open.
Karen has been filling her life with books, propping her bookshelf wall to wall in order to have a sense of normalcy. Each time she picks a book off the bookshelf, the books meticulously domino over, only to be perfectly stopped by the wall at the end. This process occurs when the book is picked off the shelf, but instead of hitting the wall, the last book topples off the shelf, hitting the ground where an extra foot of space has appeared.
Tom, the catalyst, notes nothing of this.
But Karen?
She screams.
Truant starts by explaining what a bitch it was to find a translation of the German quoted in the analysis of "The Navidson Record", which is revealed to be a passage from Heidegger's "Being and Time", which I will copy down in my notes for later reference, which references the term Uncanny. Specifically, it talks of how it can be used to refer to the phrase "das Nicht-zuhause-sein", or in english, "not-being-at-home".
However, after finding the translation, and comprehending the contents of the passage, things quickly go south for Truant. He's working as an apprentice for a tattoo shop, and it is a simple job, one of which he refers to as being not only for idiots, but reserved for idiots. However, something is… wrong the morning after he finds the passage. He notes that it is likely a coincidence that his mental state is connected to "The Navidson Record", and instead it is likely linked in the moodswings he's been having, though those are new as well. He still deems his experience important to note down, however.
At the tattoo shop, he can't seem to hold it together in order to actually do his job. Something's just off. He then makes the mistake of going to get a glass of water, away from the comforting presence of humanity. That's when it happens. The whole world suddenly gets darker, not like a blackout, but like a storm coming in, however, it's sunny outside, and Truant is inside. It comes with something else as well… the feeling of being not alone.
Not in a comforting way.
But instead in the way where you are certain that it is death itself that is with you, with nails or teeth or just about anything that could reach you.
And it's right behind Truant, with a scent of death and rotting, one so strong that it could not be ignored or denied.
Instead of running like he says would be the smart decision, to run before it could get him, he turns to look, so fast he thinks he ought to have whiplash, and there, in a corridor, it is.
Incomprehensible, like a dark shadow that one could not possibly make out, it seems to wait until just the moment that Truant turns, and it is gone. Truant is only able to see a deserted corridor, or, he notes, a recently deserted corridor.
The darkness is gone, and so is the sense that something is there, but Truant, in a sense of pure terror, is left looking around, until he finally regains control of the situation.
The world is still disorienting and wrong, but more manageable as Truant goes back to his work, where his boss is yelling at him for the phone has been ringing 9 times since he was gone.
Truant picks up the phone to find Lude on the other end, explaining that he found a party, and can get Truant as well as his boss and anyone that wants to be, a way in. Truant doesn't care much, due to his experience, but keeping an air of normalcy, he ends up agreeing.
Truant continues later, seemingly calmer, to talk about Zampanò, and how he can't bring himself to delete any of his work, specifically a ramble about how coffee spills over a cup. he stipulates that Zampanò himself would have likely insisted on cuts and changes to his manuscript, but Truant can't muster up the conviction to actually get rid of it. It might seem silly as to why he wouldn't, but he claims himself that it is due to it being the only part of Zampanò left after his death. His work, his words. The only part of him left that isn't rotting six feet under.
So he states that the reader can skip around, he couldn't give a damn about how we read it, but the old man's words stay.
Truant mentions that Latin was not really his thing as a translation of "War and Peace" was given, but then further explains that it was more so the thing of a woman named Amber Rightacre. He claims that in a way, Zampanò was the one to bring them together. Amber used to read Tolstoy, mainly War and Peace, to Zampanò. Along with his manuscripts, Truant found lists of phone numbers, most of them being defunct. Truant calls up Amber, who, upon hearing about the Manuscripts, ends up agreeing to drinks.
Amber and Truant end up at The Viper after talking for a short bit, a club, and meet up with Lude. Lude attempts to add to their conversation about The Navidson Record analysis, but is unable to keep up with the details, for he never read the words himself.
The two share a connection that runs deep, one that can only come about from a shared experience.
Amber talks about Zampanò, about how he had his "children", other women who would help him with his work on the manuscript, about how he seemed to be able to look out as if they were all there, and about how when he blinked, he would hold it, for longer than it seemed necessary, as if to savor the moment.
Eventually, the talk of Zampanò ceases, and they end up at her place, where she calls up one of her friends, Christina. The three play spin the bottle, devolving into just kissing passionately
During their making out, Truant has a vision of his father, as if he is approving of his plays. This encourages to get more passionate, making up for the love promised in his childhood which never came. They eventually have sex, until it is time for Truant to leave.