Round 5 Transcript

I feel the weight of the lamp base in my hands, the cold brass smooth against my palms. The house is too quiet except for the rain hammering the windows like fists—impossible to hear anyone move over that sound. I take one slow step toward the narrow hallway leading to the kitchen, every muscle tense, and listen.... Nothing moves. I reach out and close the sitting room door behind me with a soft click, then cross the darkness toward the kitchen lights, using the wall for guidance.

I hear a floorboard groan somewhere deeper in the house—not my step, not a sound I made. The woods outside press in dark and silent around the glass. The lamp in my hand feels heavy and solid, a good bludgeon if needed. The kitchen door is still unlocked; she could be hiding anywhere upstairs or down. I move toward the stairs, slow and quiet, listening for movement above.