“My neighbor insisted she saw my daughter at home during school hours… so I pretended to leave for work and hid under the bed. Minutes later, I heard multiple footsteps moving down the hallway.”

—Shh, be quiet— a voice whispered.

Lily’s voice.

I was at home.

She was not alone.

And whatever was happening downstairs… I was about to find out the truth…
The sound of creaking wood on the stairs was the only thing that broke the silence after Lily’s whisper. One, two, three pairs of feet. Maybe four. The weight of each step echoed on the floorboards like a hammer blow straight to my nerves. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to merge with the floor, praying that the dust accumulated under the bed frame wouldn’t make me sneeze and give away my position.