Sharon woke with a start about two hours later sure that something had woken her. She was cold and the darkness frightened her as she lay, her ears straining against the silence. The fire had gone out, the room chilled again.

She heard footsteps outside the front door. Footsteps muffled by the snow. She swallowed,unable to move, her heart pounding loudly in her ears. There was someone outside.

She couldn't see but she could hear the slight creaking of the door handle as it was being turned. Had ...