Fear

The pitted floors creaked with each step as she crept through the house. Sweat trickled down her back and her chest shook with each breath. Her eyes strained to see in the dark beyond the reach of her simple flashlight. Her hands trembled as she pushed open door after door. Her stomach seemed to flip in time with her heartbeat. Her mind screamed at her to go back, but her legs shuffled on. Tripping on an unseen rug, she crashed to the ground, scraping her knee in the process. The flashlight tumbled our of her clammy hands and hit the ground with a thud that seemed to echo throughout the empty house like the bells of a church. The light flickered tauntingly, then went out. Shaking, she drew her knees, sticky with blood, up to her chest and whimpered. Tears fell down her cheeks and stung her open wounds. Her ears hurt with effort, trying to listen for any signs of life or danger in the darkness. With a deep breath, she put her head to her chest and sobbed silently to herself.