Chapter 17 ⁓ An Unfortunate Incident

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The thuds quicken

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The thuds quicken.

Reid flicks off his flashlight and hurriedly conceals his form in the shadows beside the doorframe. He keeps his mouth firmly shut and takes soft inhales out of his nose that make him a bit dizzy, but it works to keep his fast breathing quiet.

The phone in his pocket goes off against his thigh, and Reid quickly covers it with his palm, trying to muffle the vibrations.

The thudding suddenly ceases, and silence settles, save for the battering rain against the glass of the window.

Reid remains still for a long stretch of time, crouched with his knees bent and his lower back pressed flush against the wall. He debates texting Kenneth that he might be in trouble, but he's not sure if he's being paranoid and hearing sounds in the dark where there aren't any. It's happened before, when his head slips into the place between past and present.

After the quiet settles, Reid inhales deeply and slowly peeks around the ajar door. It's open enough that he can stare into the shadows of the bloodstained corridor.

Initially, Reid doesn't see anything while squinting but hears a shuffle. His adrenaline works overtime to adjust his eyes to the dark and, ever so slowly, bring outlines into focus.

The closed doors, the potted plant atop a lengthy table that he'd passed on his way to the bedroom, the many paintings that cover the expansive walls—he doesn't miss the heart-raising sight of a person, bathed in shadow, standing in the middle of the corridor. They're big and staring in his general direction.

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