A loud bang startled her awake. She jumped, staring at the screen. It must have been one of those jarring haunted house moments where the speakers blasted. With a yawn, she shifted in her seat. Lily squeezed her eyes shut before opening them again.
“Oops, I think I nodded off there for a minute.”
“Me too,” Cassie admitted.
“Looks like the scary movie didn’t harm your sleep. Want to head to bed? We can finish the movie tomorrow.”
Cassie nodded. She picked up the popcorn bowl as Lily turned off the TV.
“Oh, leave it for tomorrow,” Lily suggested.
Cassie agreed with a yawn and set the bowl on the coffee table. She stretched and prepared to stand, when another thump sounded from above. Both women froze.
This time, it wasn’t the movie.
Lily groaned at the noise. “What’s that cat of yours gotten into now?”
Cassie wrinkled her eyebrows as she slowly shifted her gaze to Lily. “Willy’s right here.” She motioned to the cat sleeping on the back of the couch.
Lily blanched, her jaw gaping open as she realized the source of the sound above them was not caused by their feline housemate.
“Should we call the police?” Cassie whispered.
“Let’s check it out first. Take your phone with you, just in case.”
“Are you sure?”
“I don’t want to call the police if Willy’s invited a friend over.”
“Good point.”
With her phone in her hand, and a baseball bat in Lily’s, the two women crept up the stairs. Lily craned her neck to glance around as she inched up the steps. They approached the landing and stood silent for another moment.
A thud sounded to their right. Both of their heads whipped in the direction.
“Down the hall,” Lily whispered and pointed.
Cassie nodded in response and they crept toward the source of the noise. The hallway closed around them. Lily tiptoed further, bat at the ready. Cassie pressed her hand against her mother’s shoulder in solidarity.
They stopped halfway down the hall near the window. Lightning burst, illuminating the space for a brief second. It showed no one. A bedroom lay at the end of the hall. Was someone lurking inside?
