Knock, knock, knock.
Mary Scott only realized her voice was dry and raspy when she spoke, utterly lacking strength, while the knocking outside continued relentlessly.
Each knock seemed to hit her heart directly, tightening every fiber of her being.
Taking a deep breath, Mary walked barefoot toward the door, curious about who was outside. Just as she approached, the knocking abruptly stopped, followed by the sudden ringing of her phone.
Mary, whose nerves were stretched to their limit, nearly jumped at the sound of the ringtone. It took her a moment to collect herself before noticing the caller ID: David Locke.
She frowned in confusion. Was he calling in the middle of the night because he'd seen the trending scandal? After hesitating for a while, she pressed the answer button. But the accusatory words she expected never came; instead, there were only two concise ones: "Open the door."
