A forgotten name

The forgotten note and key clattered to the floor, the playful clatter swallowed by a bloodcurdling scream. It shattered Scarlett's fragile peace like a gunshot. Her heart hammered in her chest, a trapped bird desperate to escape. The scream – it came from upstairs, from Carlo's study.

A kaleidoscope of horrifying possibilities flooded her mind. Had Carlo returned early and something gone wrong? Or was there someone else in the house, an intruder who'd turned their brief moment of hope into a nightmare?

Before she could even think, Scarlett was already moving. Her legs, fueled by pure terror, propelled her towards the stairs. Each step echoed in the sudden silence that followed the scream, a counterpoint to the frantic drumming of her heart.