THE MOMENT SHE HEARD the sound of a key in a lock, Alice backed up. She didn’t know what was behind her, but the door being opened was in front of her, of that she was certain, and she wanted to get away from whoever was entering the room. She had scrambled just a few feet when she backed into a wall, which she began exploring with her fingers. She stopped when the door opened and she was blinded by the light that flooded the room; it wasn’t strong, but it was enough to sting her eyes after the darkness.
Alice blinked her eyes rapidly to get them to focus properly. Once she could see the room she was in, and the silhouetted figure that entered it, she hurriedly crawled away until she was in the corner farthest from the door, where she felt a little safer.
“It’s okay, I’m not going to hur
