Isabella's POV
The first thing that hit me was the footsteps. It was not loud, nor was it hurried, nor confident. Just there. It was so light, but I heard it.
My cat Oreo was nowhere in sight. I couldn't even hear her; she might be napping somewhere under my bed, but the thought that the intruder might've hurt her left me restless.
A slow, measured thump from directly above me, coming from my bedroom, had my heart stuttering in fear in my chest. My hands trembled.
At first, I thought I had imagined it. My brain tried so hard to rationalize, to cling to anything normal. Old houses make sounds. Wood shifts. Pipe contract. It's nothing.
But what about that boot mark? And then... Creak. Another one. Creeeaaak. Like someone carefully, meticulously, testing each step on purpose. Trying not to be heard.
My breath froze inside my chest. My anxiety skyrocketed as sweat began to coat my palms, my body burning in fear. It felt like I might have a panic attack any second now.
