I can’t stop shaking.
The power went off an hour ago and I’ve been using a flashlight to read the end of Victoria’s diary. Because it is now over. Her last entry was about how she was going to tell Adam she was leaving him. At some point between writing that entry and now, she fell down the stairs and nearly died. The heat is off too. I’m buried under three blankets, but I still shiver.
It’s cold in here. When I look out the window, all I can see is white.
We’ll be stuck here for days.
I’m trapped in this house. Trapped with Adam, who is a psychopath with a gun. I should have listened to Victoria. I should have taken it while I had the chance.
No wonder that woman at Mercy Hospital never heard of Mack. He went missing nearly a year ago.
What if Adam finds out I haven’t been giving Victoria her medications? What will he do to me? Especially now that we’re all alone here, with no witnesses.
Suddenly, I feel stifled by the blankets on my bed. And I have to pee badly. After a moment of contemplation, I push the covers away and slip out of the bedroom, still holding my flashlight
The hallway looks endless by the light of the flashlight. The floorboards creak beneath my feet with each step. I hug my body for warmth as I walk down the hallway. God, it’s cold. It’s like the wind goes right through this house. I hold my breath as I pass Adam’s room and…
The door is open. And the room is completely black.
I shine the flashlight inside the room. The bed is empty. I hear a creak above me and realize he must be up in the attic. He must still be working in his office up there.
That means I could search his closet.
I shouldn’t though. Adam has been nothing but kind to me during the time I’ve worked here. If he finds me rifling around his things, God knows what he’ll do. It’s better to just cross my fingers and hope the storm passes without incident.
You have to get the gun, Sylvie.
I could hear the urgency in Victoria’s voice. Does she know something that I don’t? Maybe the storm is an opportunity for him. Maybe he’s been waiting to be alone with her. Of course, he’s not entirely alone with her. I’m here too.
I have no idea what he plans to do. I only know he’s killed someone once before.
I take a deep breath and enter Adam’s bedroom. His closet is the one on the left-hand side—it’s much smaller than Victoria’s closet. I should have a much easier time finding things in here. I take one last look out the door to make sure the coast is clear and turn the doorknob to the closet.
It’s a completely normal closet, but any closet looks ominous by flashlight. He’s got a row of suits hung up and some dress shirts. He has a row of shoes neatly lined up at the bottom of the closet. I don’t see anything down there that looks remotely like a gun. I shined my flashlight all over the bottom of the closet, searching.
But he wouldn’t put it at the bottom of the closet. He’d put it at the top, wouldn’t he? So there would be no chance somebody in a wheelchair could get to it.
I aim the flashlight at the top of the closet. I see a shoebox up there.
I grab the shoebox. I shove the flashlight under my armpit and rip it open. And there it is, lying nestled in the white paper. A revolver.
There’s a loud creak from above, and I almost drop the shoebox. A second later, I hear footsteps. And the footsteps are getting louder.
Oh my God. He’s on the stairs.
If he sees me with this shoebox, I don’t know what he’ll do. Yes, I’m the one with the gun, but I don’t know how to fire it. Much like Victoria, I’ve never held a gun in my hand. He could pluck it right out of my hand and kill me with it before I could say boo.
The footsteps stop for a moment. He’s at the bottom of the stairs. He’s on this floor.
I rip the gun out of the box and stick it into my waistband. By some miracle, it doesn’t go off and blow a hole in my foot. My hands are shaking like crazy as I close the cover of the box and shove it back into the closet. I pull my shirt down over the gun just as the door to the bedroom swings open.
Adam has a flashlight of his own and I shield my eyes from the glare of it as he enters his room. When my eyes have a second to adjust, I realize he’s doing the same thing.
“Sylvia?” He sounds baffled. “What are you doing here?”
“I…” I’m stealing your gun. “I was looking for another blanket. It’s freezing in my room.”
Wow. Good job thinking on the fly.
“Yeah, it’s really cold.” He shivers. “Sorry about that. I’ll go get you another blanket. They’re actually in the hall closet.”
No kidding.
Adam retrieves another blanket for me and sends me on my way. I return to my bedroom, but I can’t sleep. First of all, I’ve got a gun stuck in my waistband and no idea where I should put it. The door to my room doesn’t even lock. If Adam notices the gun is missing and finds it in my room, I’m scared of what will happen.
I need to ask Victoria what to do.
I wait long enough that I assume Adam must be in bed. Then I tiptoe out of my room and into hers next-door. A few weeks ago, Victoria would have been dead to the world at this hour. But since I stopped giving her those medications, she’s much more awake at night. When I come into her bedroom, she’s in bed but her eyes are wide open. I shut the door behind me so that nobody can hear us.
“I got it,” I tell her. I only realize now that my voice is shaking. “I got the gun from his closet.”
I raise the waistband of my pants and shine a light on it so she can see.
Once again, I catch that glimmer of a smile on her lips. “I don’t know what to do with it now though,” I say.
“My…” I follow the direction that Victoria is pointing with her shaky left hand. She’s pointing at her closet. “T… tunk.”
I shine my light into Victoria’s closet. Sure enough, there’s a trunk on the ground. It has a combination lock on it, but it’s unlocked.
I open up the trunk and find some clothing inside. I stuff the gun inside a shirt and push the shirt back into the trunk. I close it but hesitate before snapping the combination lock into place. “Do you know the combination?”
“Nine… Five… six.”
I look back at her face. This is a woman who had a severe head injury. Am I really trusting her to remember a three-digit lock combination? “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Well, what’s the worst that could happen? If she remembered the combination incorrectly, then at least nobody will be able to get the gun.
Unless…
“Does Adam know the combination?” Victoria snorts. “No.”
I straighten up, taking one last look at the trunk on the ground. I hope I did the right thing. I hope Adam doesn’t discover the missing gun and go completely crazy.
I look back up at Victoria, who still has that smile on her face. I guess she’s relieved. I don’t blame her, after what she’s been through.
“Good night, Victoria,” I say. “Good night, Sylvie.”
