part 4
PART 4
The prepaid phone turned on with two percent battery.
Claire nearly laughed from pure terror.
Two percent.
That was what stood between her daughter and whatever waited at the front door.
She dialed 911.
The call connected on the second ring.
“911, what is your emergency?”
Claire kept her voice low.
“My name is Claire Warren.”
“I am at 1426 Maple Ridge Drive.”
“There is a man outside my door trying to get in.”
“My husband may have sent him to hurt me.”
The dispatcher’s voice sharpened.
“Are you safe inside?”
“For now.”
“My six-year-old daughter is with me.”
“Can you lock yourself in a room?”
Claire looked toward the front hall.
The doorknob stopped moving.
Silence.
Too much silence.
Then the lock clicked again.
The man was using a key or remote access.
Claire moved fast.
She dragged the kitchen chair under the basement door handle.
Then pushed Lily toward the laundry room.
“Under the folding table.”
Lily shook her head.
“No, Mommy.”
Claire knelt.
“Listen to me.”
“You do exactly what we practiced for tornado drills.”
Lily’s lip trembled.
“But it’s not a tornado.”
Claire touched her face.
“No.”
“It’s worse.”
“And you are going to be braver than both of us.”
Lily crawled under the folding table.
Claire handed her the phone.
“Stay on with the lady.”
Lily nodded, sobbing silently.
Claire turned back toward the hallway just as the front door opened one inch.
The safety chain caught.
The man stopped.
Then a gloved hand slipped through the gap, reaching for the chain.
Claire raised the flashlight with both hands.
“Get out of my house.”
The hand froze.
A low chuckle came through the door.
“Daniel said you’d be dramatic.”
Claire’s fear changed shape.
It became anger.
“Daniel said a lot of things.”
The man pushed against the door.
The chain strained.
Claire stepped forward and slammed the flashlight down on the gloved hand.
The man cursed and jerked back.
The door slammed shut.
For three seconds, there was silence.
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Then glass shattered in the back of the house.
Read the full story 👉 Claire stopped the man at the front door, but the crash at the back of the house proved he was not alone.
