Chapter 2 - Shadows in the Driveway
Mara spun around, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird. The dusk had deepened into a bruised purple twilight, casting long, distorted shadows across the cracked concrete of the driveway. A tall figure in a heavy dark hoodie was standing silently beside the passenger door of her sedan, peering through the tinted glass with unnerving slowness. The porch light flickered, buzzing softly before casting a weak, jellow glow over the yard.
"Get inside, right now," Clara commanded, her anger instantly evaporating into a hard, protective motherly instinct as she yanked the front door wide open.
Mara rushed across the threshold, her boots clicking loudly on the hardwood floor, hoisting the baby car seat with a sharp gasp of exertion. Little Maya stumbled inside behind her, clutching her favorite denim jacket tightly around her shoulders. Clara slammed the heavy oak door shut, throwing the deadbolt with a resounding click that echoed through the quiet, dimly lit hallway.
"Who is out there?" Clara demanded, leaning her back against the solid wood while breathing heavily through her nose.
"Did someone follow you from the city, Mara? You look like you've been running for three days straight."
"I don't know who that was," Mara breathed, setting the car seat down gently onto the entryway rug. Inside the carrier, the baby remained dead silent, swaddled in a thick blue blanket that hadn't been unbuckled in hours.
"They've been trailing us since the interstate rest stop past Richmond. I thought I lost them near the county line."
"You brought a tail straight to my front door?" Clara’s voice rose, filled with a terrifying mixture of fury and dread.
"You have no idea what kind of people live around here now, Mara. This isn't the quiet neighborhood you remember."
May you like
A sharp, metallic rap suddenly echoed from the front porch, shaking the glass pane beside the door.
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