Gemotions

The antique shop had seemed like a safe haven, a place of quiet contemplation. But the letter she discovered within the pages of "Pride and Prejudice" shattered that illusion. It was a cry for help, detailing a series of escalating threats. Now, everywhere she looked, danger lurked.

She examined the locks on her front door, again and again, pushing the key in and out, feeling like she could not get it right. She unplugged the phone, silenced her cell, cut off all ties to the outside world.

The rhythmic ticking of the grandfather clock in the living room became an unbearable drumbeat, a countdown. The shadows in the corners of her apartment seemed to deepen, to take on new forms. She kept the lights on. Constantly.