Part 24
Derek moved toward the kitchen doorway with the stealth of a hunter, his back pressed against the wallpaper.
I followed a step behind him, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird.
Every instinct told me to scream, to run out into the safety of the dark street, but we had nowhere left to run.
The hallway was cast in deep shadows, the moonlight barely reaching through the high windows.
We reached the base of the stairs, staring up into the darkness of the second floor.
Derek raised the knife slightly, his breathing shallow and controlled.
I placed a hand on his shoulder, signaling him to wait while I reached for the light switch on the wall.
With a deep breath, I flipped the switch, flooding the staircase with bright, harsh yellow light.
Nothing moved.
The empty stairs led up to a completely silent hallway.
Derek exhaled a long breath, but he didn't lower the knife.
"Stay here," he whispered, his voice barely a breath.
He climbed the stairs one by one, stepping close to the wall where the wood was less likely to creak.
I watched him disappear around the corner at the top, holding my breath until my lungs burned.
A minute passed, feeling like an eternity, before his face reappeared over the railing.
"It’s empty," he called down, his voice laced with confusion. "The window in your room is wide open, though."
I hurried up the stairs, my heart dropping.
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I knew for a fact that I had locked every single window before we went to the store.
The wind blew the curtains inward, like a ghostly hand waving at us from the dark yard below.
