An Intruder

Nora woke up with a start, the quiet of her room shattered by an unexpected sound. A faint gasp escaped her lips as she instinctively touched her face. Pain flared through her bruised cheek, and she winced, fingers tracing over the tender, swollen skin. The memory of the brutal attack from yesterday flooded back, and her heart raced.

Rubbing her eyes to clear away the grogginess, she tried to focus on the source of the disturbance. Moonlight filtered through the curtains, casting eerie shadows on the walls. She looked around at the quiet and wondered what it was that had woken her up.