Chapter 4 - Flight Through the Shadows
Glass rained onto the linoleum floor. Sarah didn't look back; she dashed up the wooden stairs two steps at a time, guided only by the faint glow of the lightning outside. She rushed into the nursery, where Lily was sitting up in her crib, rubbing her eyes and whimpering at the loud crash downstairs.
""Shh, baby. Mommy's got you,"" Sarah whispered, scooping Lily into her arms along with her heavy woolen blanket.
Downstairs, the sound of splintering wood and shouting erupted as the intruders forced the front door. Marcus roared, followed by the sickening thud of a physical struggle. Sarah swallowed her scream, dashed down the narrow back hallway, and dropped into the cellar stairwell.
The cool, damp smell of dirt and preserved jars hit her nose. Lily clung to Sarah’s neck, terrified by the darkness. ""Daddy?"" the toddler whimpered softly.
""Be brave, sweet girl,"" Sarah murmured, sliding the rusted iron bolt on the storm cellar doors.
May you like
She pushed the doors upward against the driving rain, stepping into the muddy grass behind the house. Cold water immediately soaked her hair and clothes. She shielded Lily under the wool blanket and ran into the dense treeline of the ridge.
Behind her, red emergency flares lit up the farmhouse yard. She reached the crest of the hill, gasping for breath, and looked down. A gunshot cracked through the storm, echoing across the valley from the kitchen she had just abandoned.
