“Stay quiet,” I whispered hoarsely, my voice strained from the effort of holding back tears. “We’ll get through this. Just… don’t make a sound.”
Ryan nodded, his little hand trembling in mine. It was all I could do not to cry, not to give in to the overwhelming sense of hopelessness that was clawing at my insides.
The door handle rattled once more, louder this time. The sound of a shoe scraping across the floor followed. Then a soft thud, as if someone had dropped something heavy on the ground.
I could feel the air around me grow thicker, heavier. My pulse quickened.
Ethan’s voice, cold and calm, echoed down the hallway. “They’re still alive. This isn’t over yet.”
I pressed my back into the bathroom wall, my breath coming in ragged bursts. He was coming closer. I knew it. He was checking every room, looking for us. And he would find us.
Then, from the distance, I heard the unmistakable sound of a drawer opening—slow, deliberate. The soft scrape of metal against metal. My breath hitched in my throat. The kitchen. He’s in the kitchen.
I couldn’t wait. I couldn’t risk it. I had to move.
“Stay here,” I whispered to Ryan, my voice trembling but firm. “Don’t move.”
I pushed myself off the bathroom wall and crept toward the door. I could hear the faint noise of Ethan and the woman talking again, but their words were muffled, distant. It was my chance.
I grabbed the doorknob with sweaty fingers, turning it just enough to squeeze out. The house was silent again, save for the soft creaking of the floorboards beneath my feet as I tiptoed down the hallway. The kitchen was ahead. That was where I had seen Ethan earlier—placing the plates, setting the table, everything so meticulously done. Everything felt wrong, and now, I had to find out why.
I moved as silently as I could, my heart hammering in my chest, almost as loud as my footsteps in my ears. I reached the kitchen. The counter was clear, save for the half-eaten remnants of the meal Ethan had prepared. The green sauce on the plate had made my stomach turn earlier, but now, it felt like a warning, a signal that something worse was about to happen.
