When she and Emerson had walked through the door that evening, she’d been expecting the inevitable explosion of anger for taking off when her mother had forbidden her to leave her room, much less the house. She was even prepared for the required silent treatment that would surely follow, something that was never the punishment her mother believed it to be. But that wasn’t the point. The point was: she’d been expecting that – not this carnage.

Even after stumbling upon this horrific scene, her brain had refused to grasp the veracity of what she was seeing, and she’d stood frozen, unable to do or think about anything other than: It’s still three and a half weeks from Halloween. That thought had still been swirling in her mind when Emerson’s ear-piercing scream ripped through the room, her feet backpedaling as if she’d just encountered a diamondback rattlesnake, stopping only when she’d backed into the wet bar where her dinner made a return trip. Seconds later, Em’s legs had given out, and she’d collapsed against the nearest wall where she remained.

From that moment to now could’ve been minutes or hours. And though Addis knew she and Emerson needed to get out and call for help, the weight of the horror instead had her collapsing down beside her friend. Gripping Emerson’s hand in her own, her voice thick with fear and disbelief, she whispered, ‘We have to call the police.’

Temporarily releasing her grip, Addis, hands shaking, retrieved her phone from her pocket, dropping it twice before she was finally able to unlock the screen. Three numbers, that’s all she had to push – nine-one-one – but getting her brain to coordinate and cooperate with her fingers was far more difficult than it might seem. Especially as her eyes refused to stop darting her father’s way. A clawing pressure to crawl to him and curl herself into his side ripped through every fiber of her being.

Emerson’s fingernails bit into her forearm, halting Addis as her body subconsciously gravitated toward her father. ‘Ad, we need to go.’

It wasn’t Em’s plea that breached the recesses of Addis’s terrified mind; it was the musical chime above the front door, the sound chilling and ominous in a way it never had been before. Her heart jackhammered, making it even harder to breathe. ‘Oh my God. Someone’s in the house!’

Emerson’s head jerked up as Addis’s eyes flickered to the patio door. Could they cross the room, unlock the metal bar, and slip out without being noticed?

Footsteps sounded in the foyer, coming closer.

No, they didn’t have time. Addis forced herself to her feet, wrenching Em up with her.