Halfway down the corridor, he registered movement from below. A shadow shifted near the living room. It did not look like the usual flicker of passing headlights outside. It moved too deliberately.
Preston stopped moving. His chest tightened with instinct before thought could form. He inhaled, exhaled, and retraced his steps down the hallway.
He descended the staircase with careful quiet. On the last step, he looked toward the living room and felt his world tilt into fear.
Annalise Corbyn sat on the hardwood floor, her back against the edge of the couch. Her arms wrapped tightly around Mikaelyn and Masonel, both children pressed into her as if desperately seeking shelter. Neither child was asleep. Instead, silent tears streaked down their cheeks. Their eyes were red and wide with a kind of fear Preston had never seen in them.
Annalise’s shoulders trembled. She clutched a blanket that had slipped from the nursery in her haste. She looked up at Preston, and the terror in her gaze jolted him like a physical blow.
“What happened?” Preston demanded. His voice came out thin, almost hoarse. He moved toward them, but the children immediately tightened their hold around Annalise, their fingers digging into her shirt.
Annalise swallowed before responding. “Please, sit down for a moment. I promise I will explain everything, but I need you to listen before reacting.”
Preston lowered himself to the floor across from them. The floor felt cold even through his trousers.
Mikaelyn hiccuped. “Daddy, do not let the shadow come back.”
Preston felt his blood run cold.
Annalise tightened her hold on both children. She steadied her breath and began speaking with effort, each sentence carrying the weight of fear she could not hide.
“After putting them to bed, I was finishing their laundry in the hallway. Everything seemed normal. I heard the nursery door creak. I assumed it was one of the kids half awake. I walked back toward it and saw a person inside. He was wearing a hood. I could not see his face. He stood right beside the crib as if he had been watching them for a long time.”
Preston’s hands curled into fists.