Page 41 of Shhh…It’s A Killer Story

"I panicked."

"We noticed."

I reached the front porch, slipped inside, and quietly closed the door behind me. Then very carefully I peeked through the curtain. The detective was still standing beside the truck and the shepherd was still looking toward my cottage as if wondering where I'd gone.

I smiled wistfully.

"He likes me."

Gerald groaned.

"The dog does."

"That's what I meant."

"Liar."

I let the curtain fall. Tomorrow, I decided. Tomorrow, I'd introduce myself properly.

Probably.

Maybe.

Seraphina

The hammer came down. A sickening crack. Someone screamed.

Again. And again.

The sound echoed through the room until I couldn't tell if it belonged to them...or me. Blood splashed across the floor. Across my shoes. Across the white kitchen cupboards.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

The hammer slipped from my hand. It struck the floor with a dull clang before spinning lazily in a widening pool of crimson. Round and around and round it goes. The smell of iron filled the room. Warm, metallic. Familiar.

Then... Silence. Not quiet but complete silence. The kind that presses against your ears until your own breathing sounds too loud. A single drop of blood rolled from the edge of the countertop.

Tick.

It landed beside the hammer.

Another lands.

Tick.

Somewhere behind me. A floorboard creaked...heavy breaths, someone’s choking, moving, trashing.

Slowly I turned

My eyes snapped open as I bolted upright, sucking in a sharp breath. Morning light spilled through the curtains. My heart hammered against my ribs for a few seconds. I simply stared at the ceiling. Waiting for the dream to decide whether it had truly let go of me. Eventually, my breathing slowed.

"So."

I rubbed a hand over my face.