Silence swallowed the room. Mindy could hear her own heart pounding as she stared at the giant king-sized bed in front of her. Smooth silk sheets covered it like calm water, but nothing about the room felt calm. She did not want to move any closer. It felt like something cruel might crawl out from under that bed and drag her down. Still, the unknown person sending messages was the only one helping her now.
Slowly, she dropped to her hands and knees and crawled across the soft carpet. Each movement felt loud in her ears. When she reached the side of the bed, she stopped. Her fingers shook so badly she had to press them together. Is this a trap? she asked herself. But standing still would not save her either. So she reached forward.
She lifted the heavy duvet little by little. Her breath c
