needed time to think.
A loud crash followed by the sound of shattered glass resounded from the living room. Someone’s heavy tread creaked across the wooden floor.
Emily threw the tangled blankets off her legs and slipped out of bed. Tiptoeing across the bedroom, she peeked into the dark hallway.
The door across from hers jerked open, spilling light into the dark hall. Brenda stood in an oversized nightshirt with frogs printed on it. Her hair was wild with tangles, and she was still half asleep. The current lover of the week stood shirtless behind her with sleepy eyes and jeans half zipped.
Brenda pushed the hair out of her face. “What’s going on?”
Emily pressed a finger to her lips and pointed toward the front of the house. “I think someone broke in.”
“I'll check it out,” the man whispered. “Call the police.”
Brenda slipped past him to cross the hall. Fear flickered in her dark brown eyes.
“Don’t.” Emily shot an urgent glance toward the front of the house.
“I’ll be okay.” He went back into Brenda’s bedroom.
Emily pushed her door shut, save an inch to peek through.
She glanced over at her friend. “Hurry, open the window.”
“Get away from the door,” Brenda’s whisper was shrill, her eyes wide with fear. “They’ll see you.”
Emily pressed a cheek against the doorframe to keep an eye on the hallway. Trent rushed past, and she shrank back to avoid discovery.
“Check these other rooms, Pete. She’s gotta be in one of ‘em.” He opened the linen closet in the hallway. “I can’t wait to see the look on her face.”
Brenda’s new boyfriend chose that moment to venture into the hallway. He’d taken the time to put on shoes of all things. He didn’t have the opportunity to ask what the intruders wanted. Instead, Trent grabbed him by the throat and smashed his head against the wall.
Brenda’s boyfriend slid to the floor. He settled against the wall with lifeless eyes. He left a long smear of blood behind on the cream colored paint.
Emily clapped a hand over her mouth and stifled a scream. She snatched the cordless phone from its base. There was no dial tone. She glanced around the room then realized she’d left her cell phone in the living room. Shit!
Brenda hadn't moved. She huddled against the wall instead.
Emily fell to her knees next to the window and fumbled with the lock. The rusty latch refused to open.
The rattling thump of the lover's heels drummed against the floorboards like a macabre drum beat. Someone laughed at his gurgled plea for mercy. What followed was a silence that was worse than any scream.
“Hurry,” Brenda begged as Emily struggled to disengage the lock.
“I’ll have to break it.” Emily moved toward the closet with a sense of purpose. Brenda followed close on her heels.
Emily shoved her into the closet, and she sank to the floor. Hangers snarled in Brenda's hair and the toes of Emily's favorite tennis shoes pressed against her spine.
“They'll hear you.” Brenda wrapped her arms around her knees. Her hands trembled, and her eyes were huge and liquid. “They'll hear you and come in here.”
“Yes, they will,” Emily agreed with grim certainty. “Maybe I can distract them while you climb out the window.”
Brenda grabbed her arm. Her grip was painful, but Emily didn’t shake her loose. “Stay with me, they’ll kill you.”
The sound of breaking glass and crashing furniture resumed.
Emily imagined they’d finished feeding. She wiped her friend’s face on one of the dresses hanging above her head. “Promise you'll make a run for it?”
The bathroom door down the hall banged open. The shower curtain ripped from its rod. Someone yelled, “Gotcha!”
Emily cast a glance at her friend. “Get ready.”
Brenda nodded in acceptance.
She turned and struck the window. Pain shot up her elbow all the way to her shoulder. A spider web fracture ran through the glass. She’d have to hit it again.
The bedroom door
A loud crash followed by the sound of shattered glass resounded from the living room. Someone’s heavy tread creaked across the wooden floor.
Emily threw the tangled blankets off her legs and slipped out of bed. Tiptoeing across the bedroom, she peeked into the dark hallway.
The door across from hers jerked open, spilling light into the dark hall. Brenda stood in an oversized nightshirt with frogs printed on it. Her hair was wild with tangles, and she was still half asleep. The current lover of the week stood shirtless behind her with sleepy eyes and jeans half zipped.
Brenda pushed the hair out of her face. “What’s going on?”
Emily pressed a finger to her lips and pointed toward the front of the house. “I think someone broke in.”
“I'll check it out,” the man whispered. “Call the police.”
Brenda slipped past him to cross the hall. Fear flickered in her dark brown eyes.
“Don’t.” Emily shot an urgent glance toward the front of the house.
“I’ll be okay.” He went back into Brenda’s bedroom.
Emily pushed her door shut, save an inch to peek through.
She glanced over at her friend. “Hurry, open the window.”
“Get away from the door,” Brenda’s whisper was shrill, her eyes wide with fear. “They’ll see you.”
Emily pressed a cheek against the doorframe to keep an eye on the hallway. Trent rushed past, and she shrank back to avoid discovery.
“Check these other rooms, Pete. She’s gotta be in one of ‘em.” He opened the linen closet in the hallway. “I can’t wait to see the look on her face.”
Brenda’s new boyfriend chose that moment to venture into the hallway. He’d taken the time to put on shoes of all things. He didn’t have the opportunity to ask what the intruders wanted. Instead, Trent grabbed him by the throat and smashed his head against the wall.
Brenda’s boyfriend slid to the floor. He settled against the wall with lifeless eyes. He left a long smear of blood behind on the cream colored paint.
Emily clapped a hand over her mouth and stifled a scream. She snatched the cordless phone from its base. There was no dial tone. She glanced around the room then realized she’d left her cell phone in the living room. Shit!
Brenda hadn't moved. She huddled against the wall instead.
Emily fell to her knees next to the window and fumbled with the lock. The rusty latch refused to open.
The rattling thump of the lover's heels drummed against the floorboards like a macabre drum beat. Someone laughed at his gurgled plea for mercy. What followed was a silence that was worse than any scream.
“Hurry,” Brenda begged as Emily struggled to disengage the lock.
“I’ll have to break it.” Emily moved toward the closet with a sense of purpose. Brenda followed close on her heels.
Emily shoved her into the closet, and she sank to the floor. Hangers snarled in Brenda's hair and the toes of Emily's favorite tennis shoes pressed against her spine.
“They'll hear you.” Brenda wrapped her arms around her knees. Her hands trembled, and her eyes were huge and liquid. “They'll hear you and come in here.”
“Yes, they will,” Emily agreed with grim certainty. “Maybe I can distract them while you climb out the window.”
Brenda grabbed her arm. Her grip was painful, but Emily didn’t shake her loose. “Stay with me, they’ll kill you.”
The sound of breaking glass and crashing furniture resumed.
Emily imagined they’d finished feeding. She wiped her friend’s face on one of the dresses hanging above her head. “Promise you'll make a run for it?”
The bathroom door down the hall banged open. The shower curtain ripped from its rod. Someone yelled, “Gotcha!”
Emily cast a glance at her friend. “Get ready.”
Brenda nodded in acceptance.
She turned and struck the window. Pain shot up her elbow all the way to her shoulder. A spider web fracture ran through the glass. She’d have to hit it again.
The bedroom door
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