Shattered Silence

I froze, my heart skipping a beat as the sharp noise echoed. The sound was unmistakable—solid, deliberate. My breath caught in my throat, and every nerve in my body tensed, my mind racing.

*I’m alone, aren’t I?*

I slowly stood up from the center of the living room, my eyes darting toward the hallway that led deeper into the house. The shadows seemed to stretch longer now, as if the air had suddenl