A loud thud ripped through the silence, jerking me awake.
I groaned, squinting as the world slowly came back into focus. The room was dark now—inky black with just the faintest silvery glow bleeding in through the curtains. My head felt foggy, like I’d been asleep for days instead of hours. I blinked a few times and sat up, disoriented. How long had I been out?
There was a second sound. A sharp, wet kind of sound. Almost like something slapping against the floor.
Then I heard a scream—High-pitched. Raw. Pained—coming from downstairs.
Adrenaline shot through me like a needle to the heart. My whole body went stiff, breath caught in my throat. I stared at the door like it might open on its own and answer every question already spiraling through my brain.
What the hell was that? Was Etha
