The red Cadillac's headlights carved twin tunnels through the darkness as it hurtled down the narrow driveway. The vehicle's tires kicked up gravel and dust, the suspension groaning as it bounced over potholes in the neglected approach to the house. Somewhere in the fields beyond, a murder of crows erupted into flight, their black wings barely visible against the dimming sky.
The house loomed like a forgotten relic, its weathered clapboards the color of bone, windows staring blankly into the dark. Not a single light betrayed movement within. Erik didn't wait for the car to fully stop as he pulled up to it. As the Cadillac skidded sideways, its brakes screaming in protest, he shoved the driver’s side door open and lurched out, nearly losing his footing.
The momentum carried him forward, and he stumbled up the warped wooden steps of the porch. The third step creaked ominously under his weight, threatening to snap. Behind him, the engine continued to idle, its throaty rumble underscoring the frantic rhythm of his heartbeat.
Erik’s sweat was beading on his forehead despite the autumn chill, as he slammed his fist against the door, once, twice, three times. The hollow sound echoed across the property, swallowed by the vastness of the surrounding fields. The skin across his knuckles split with the third impact, but he barely registered the pain.
"I know you're in there, Mad… I saw your live feed" His voice cracked on her name, betraying emotions he'd promised himself he wouldn't show. "Open the door!"
Silence answered him. Not the natural silence of a country evening—this silence had weight, intention. It pressed against his eardrums like a physical force.
Desperation clawed at his throat. Erik took a step back and drove his boot against the door, just beside the tarnished brass knob. The impact jarred up his leg, but the door held firm. Older homes like this were built differently, he knew—solid wood, not the hollow-core doors of modern construction. It would take more than his body weight to breach it.
"Open up!" he shouted, his voice carrying across the property and returning to him as a weak echo.
Chapter 31