Emma

The door moved, coming inward toward the stairs. The temperature rose as I moved upward as if the air became thicker as well as warmer. I took the next step, and the last, until I was at the kitchen floor. The shadows had grown while I’d been in the cellar, indicating that the sun was setting. It was still present, but getting lower in the horizon.

“Emma.”

I sucked in a breath as I stepped around the corner of the ...