Chapter 23 #6
I glance at the phone screen, my heart lurching when I see the battery percentage.
Are. You. Joking?
Two percent? Seriously, Adeline, you couldn’t so much as charge your phone?
“Oh, crap,” I whisper. “Liam, my phone’s about to die.”
“What?” His voice tightens. “How low is it?”
“Two percent,” I say, my voice barely audible amidst the banging. The panic claws its way up my chest.
“Shit.” There’s a sharp intake of breath. “Addie, listen to me. Do you have a charger anywhere nearby?”
I quickly scan the room, my mind racing, my eyes darting.
We don’t own many chargers.
“No, not here,” I manage, my gaze landing on Sam and Naomi. “Sam,” I plead. “Where’s the nearest charger?”
Sam doesn’t hesitate. “My room.”
Naomi barely seems to register the conversation, her hands trembling as she clutches her knife, her face looking like she’s about to pass out.
Glass shatters downstairs, and Naomi gasps, her hands flying to her mouth. Sam’s goes pale.
“No way this is happening,” I mutter, my voice quivering under my breath. My fingers tighten around the phone, and I manage to whisper, though my voice wavers uncontrollably, “Liam… they’re in the house. Please be quick.”
“Can you get to it?” Liam asks, his voice cutting through the haze of fear.
In any other situation, I might have attempted it. “I don’t think so. Someone’s already inside the house.”
“Stay put then,” he says quickly. “Don’t take any chances. Keep the phone on as long as you can. Talk to me, Addie. What’s happening now?”
“I don’t know,” I admit, my voice cracking. “There was glass breaking. I think they’re coming upstairs.”
For a moment, there’s only silence on his end. When he speaks again, his voice is softer, but no less urgent. “Addie, you’re going to be fine. Just keep talking to me. Is everyone with you?”
“Yes,” I whisper.
There’s a long pause, and I hear the faint hum of his car engine down the line. “Do you have a weapon?” he asks.
“A knife,” I whisper again, my hand tightening around the handle, the metal cold against my skin.
“Good,” he says. “If they get too close, you use it. You hear me?”
“Liam…” My voice wavers. “I’ve never—I don’t know if I can.”
“You can,” he says firmly. “I know you can. But only if you have to. Don’t put yourself in harm’s way if there’s another way. Just stay safe. I’m coming, Addie.”
The screen goes black. The phone slips from my hands, and I stare at it, my chest hollow. Whatever warmth Liam left quickly evaporates, and I’m suddenly cold again.
Naomi’s voice trembles as she speaks. “W-we have to d-do something. We have to h-hide.” It’s not a suggestion—it’s a plea, and the desperation in her voice makes it worse.
I glance at her, then at Sam, and I feel the walls closing in.
There’s no way out. No escape. We’re trapped in our own house like animals cornered in a cage.
My brain is moving too fast and too slow all at once. I can’t think straight, but I have to. Mum. She’s still in her room. Alone. Vulnerable. I can’t hide knowing she’s out there.
“You hide,” I say, turning to Naomi. My voice shakes, but I keep it firm. “Mum’s in her room. I can’t leave her like this.” Naomi’s wide, tear-filled eyes meet mine, and for a second, I think she’s going to argue. But then she nods, the fight slowly draining out of her.
“Closet,” I say, pointing to the small space in the corner. “Go. I’ll lock you in. Break yourself out later if you have to. Or Sam will let you out. Just go.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, she frantically runs to the closet, her sobs barely contained. I watch her disappear inside, my chest aching. This isn’t supposed to happen. Not like this.
My eyes land on the little box on her desk where she keeps the key.
I’ve always known about it, but I’ve never needed it.
Until now. My fingers fumble as I grab the key and lock the door.
The click is louder than it should be and practically echoes in the silence.
I slip the key back into its hiding place after I’m done, my hands shaking so badly it takes me a few tries.
“I’ll help you find a spot,” I whisper to Sam. “We need to hurry or—”
“No,” she cuts me off, and her voice is surprisingly steady. It’s not a suggestion. “You’re not doing this alone, Addie.”
I want to argue. I want to tell her that I’ve been doing things alone my whole life, that it’s always been my job to protect everyone. That because of this, I never got the chance to really live. But there’s no time for that. I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat, and we start searching the room.
The sound of something breaking downstairs makes me freeze, and my body goes cold.
What a brilliant reminder of how completely screwed we are.
I force myself to stay still despite every instinct screaming at me to do the opposite, and the bile rising in my throat. I push it down. Fear wastes time. I can’t afford it.
“Promise me,” I say, turning to Sam, my voice shaky as I grab her arm, although my grip is firm. “If something happens to me, you’ll protect Mum too. Don’t let them get to her.”
Sam’s determined eyes meet mine. “I promise,” she says, and for the first time, I believe her.
I glance at the closet one last time before moving to the bedroom door. I ease it open and flinch at the sound, the dread settling over me. The hallway is darker than it should be. My breathing is louder than it needs to be.
A creak from the stairs makes my body go rigid. That’s when I see the figure at the bottom of the stairs, completely still and watching. My pulse pounds in my ears, and for a second, I can’t move.
I retreat into the room, my legs trembling. “What is it?” Sam whispers, her voice tight.
“They’re on the stairs,” I whisper back, and see Sam grip her knife tighter.
“What do we do?”
I take a deep breath, forcing my thoughts to slow down.
“If they come up, they’ll probably check the closest room first,” I say.
“I’ll sneak around from the other side and…
” My voice trails off as I look at the knife in my hand.
The thought of using it makes my stomach churn.
“It’ll give you time to get out. You have to be quick. ”
“And you?” she asks, her voice low.
“I’ll figure it out,” I say, even though I don’t believe it.
She hesitates, then nods. “Got it.”
I glance down the hallway, my heart pounding in my chest, as I realise how wrong my current position is. I’m so out in the open, I might as well just hand myself over.
I need to get to the corner, where the shadows will hide me and my movements.
My heart races as I slide into position, pressing myself against the wall. The cold seeps into my skin as I melt into the shadows, the knife shaking in my hand. Meanwhile, Sam stays in the doorway, her eyes on the stairs.
The footsteps are louder now, each one a hammer against my chest. Closer. Closer. My breathing is shallow, my heart racing so fast it feels like it might give out. Then the door creaks open, and time seems to stop.
The intruder steps inside. They’re taller than I expected, their silhouette filling the space, and my heart clenches as I move, my steps light against the floor.
The knife strikes, and the sound they make is raw and guttural. They stumble but don’t fall. Instead, they turn, their eyes catching the faint light. Rage burns in their gaze, and they lunge at me.
Everything is a blur. They’re stronger, faster. With a more manly build. And my movements are clumsy at best. Pain slices across my arm, warm blood dripping down to my hand. I scream, but it’s swallowed by the chaos.
“Run!” I yell at Sam. She hesitates, and it’s enough to make me scream again. “Go!”
This time, she listens.
I’m relieved when I see her sprinting away.
The intruder’s hands wrap around my neck, cutting off my air and my vision swims as I claw at their grip, my legs kicking uselessly.
Darkness closes in, but I force the knife into their arm. The blade sinks deep, and they hiss in pain, their grip loosening just enough for me to take a breath. The adrenaline surges, and I drive my knee into their stomach with all the force I can muster, sending them staggering back.
Definitely a man, I note.
And I run, my body screaming with every step, but I don’t stop. The kitchen window is ahead, shattered and jagged, and my only way out. But they’re on me again, their hand yanking my hair and dragging me back. I fall, my body weak, my vision blurring.
As I brace myself for the impending horror, a of movement crosses my blurred vision. From the corner of my eye, a figure approaches the foggy window of the door. The world tilts as the door swings open, and Liam bursts in.
His eyes widen at seeing me. His hair, a mess of curls as if he has just gotten out of bed.
The pyjamas he’s wearing just prove it.
Suddenly, the intruder is gone, vanished into the night. I don’t want to dwell on the details of the horror that has just unfolded. Instead, I allow myself to lean into Liam’s embrace, feeling his arms around me, the warmth of his body.
Then I break, my shoulders trembling in fear, in panic. In helplessness. But I cling to Liam, the tears staining his shirt, my fingers digging into his back as if I can somehow hold onto this moment forever. I know it won’t last.