Chasing a Broken Butterfly

Chapter: 23

Damn it!

For a moment, all I see is black as I reach around to feel for the countertop. My eyes start to adjust to the darkness and I'm able to make out the outlines of the chairs, table, and fridge in front of me. I search frantically for the drawer next to the sink where we keep our utensils. My fingers hit the knob, so I open it and use the screen light from my phone to locate a knife. My hands grip around the handle of the serrated knife, so I pull it out. My heart is slamming against my chest and my hands are sweaty with anxiety. Without Lacey here, I won't be able to tell whether someone is still in the house or not.

I cock my head to the left so that my right ear is pointed towards the kitchen entry. I don't hear anything so I move slowly towards the hallway with the knife gripped tightly in my right hand.

If the lights are out, then the porch light is too and there's no way I'm going outside in the dark. I lay my left hand gently on the wall to feel for any vibrations. Our walls are thin, so if there's anyone moving about upstairs, I should be able to feel their movements vibrate back down through the walls.
I don't feel anything, so I slowly kneel down to place my hands on the wooden floor, careful not to let the knife scrape. I still don't feel a thing, so I peel my hands off when I hear a slight creak. I lift my head up and freeze. My breathing is very rapid now and my muscles tense up. There are only two places in the house that are known for creaking, the stairwell and the study room upstairs. But I know very well that if someone was in the study room, I wouldn't have heard that creak.

I stare intently, trying to make out the stairs ahead of me, but from my position against the hallway wall, I can only see the edges of the first step. I point the knife outwards in front of me, hoping it'll protect me somehow. I hear another creak and hold my breath. Is it going up or down? Should I run or stay put?

I rack my brain for any detailed recollection of the stairs. On the side closest to the hallway wall, there's a railing that curves outwards, the other side has no railing, just a wall. There's approximately eight steps, which means that whoever is on the stairwell has taken two steps. But two steps up or down? I start mentally cussing my body for not providing me functioning ears. I can't freaking tell! I look behind me at the door. Should I just run outside? The officers should be out there and they can help me. I need to run away from whoever is in here. I'm not going to be one of those stupid girls in the movies who run towards danger.

'But what if the person is watching you right now and has a gun aimed at you?' I hate the little voice in my head.

I push the thought away and stand still and listen for another creak. That last creak can help me determine whether I need to run or not. I lay my head against the wall and wait. I don't hear anything, but a few seconds later I feel a thump on the wall. Whoever it was, made it upstairs.

I glance behind me toward the door; towards safety. I make a dash for the door, but as soon as my hand grips the doorknob, the lights flicker back on. I'm almost tempted to run upstairs and see what happened, but I know better. I slam the door open and run outside frantically looking for the black sedan. Perhaps it's the adrenaline, but my feet are numb against the frozen cement. I don't feel the knife in my hand anymore, so I must've dropped it in the hallway before I made a run for the door. I see headlights turn on to my right and automatically recognize it as the undercover cop car that officer McKinley described. The doors open and I see Westmoreland and another officer that I don't recognize climb out.

"Elle, are you okay?" Westmoreland calls out as I run towards them.

"They're in there!" I yell as I point back to the house. "The house! It went dark! I ran! I can't go back inside!" I start crying uncontrollably, unable to put coherent sentences together.