DEPARTURE

Nancy sat at her desk, the soft glow of her computer screen casting a faint light across her face as she typed away, absorbed in her work. Suddenly, a faint noise pierced the silence of her office, causing her to freeze mid-keystroke. It was a sound she wasn't expecting, a sound that shouldn't be there – coming from the next room.

Her heart began to race as she realized that the next room should have been empty. She had always kept it locked, forbidding anyone from entering. It was her son Dylan's room, but he was away, far from home. With trembling hands, Nancy pushed back her chair and rose to her feet, the familiar weight of a vase in her hand now feeling like the only defense she had.