'I'll be careful!' Violet mumbled under her breath as she slowly grabbed onto the door handle and pulled it. Her heart thumped desperately in fear as she poked her head out first, scanning the corridor before fully stepping out.
Her palms were sweaty, and she rubbed them against each other, trying to steady herself. 'I'll open the side door and immediately run back!' she promised herself, her voice a barely audible whisper in the tense silence. Gingerly, she walked down the stairs, her footsteps quiet but her nerves frayed, ready to flee back at the first sign of danger.
The silence was unnerving, thick and oppressive. Her surroundings seemed unnaturally quiet, the absence of even the smallest sounds unsettling. Each step she took felt magnified, her breathing loud in her ears.