Chapter 4

Seconds dragged by as I held my breath in the darkness, listening intently for any sign of movement.

At last, I caught the sound of calm, even breathing drifting up from below.

Suppressing my excitement, I quietly shook Melissa awake.

Melissa groaned and nudged me away. She murmured, "What is it?"

I, flustered, pressed a finger to her lips, shooting a nervous glance at Ethan lying on the floor.

Thank goodness he didn't wake up.

There was no time to explain, so I motioned for Melissa to help me move the chair and sneak out with me.

Melissa knew I wasn't the type to mess around.

So even though my actions seemed a little odd, she went along with it.

The rain was still pouring down outside, and this place was surrounded by tricky terrain. Heading out now would be just as risky.

Our best bet was to lie low and hide.

If we could just make it past the moment I was supposed to die, maybe things would turn around.

My mind was racing, trying to come up with a plan, when my foot accidentally bumped into the door.

The muffled thud was especially loud in the tense silence of the room.

I held my breath and pointed the flashlight in Ethan's direction.

In an instant, my heart leaped into my throat.

Ethan sat up abruptly, clutching a fruit knife, his eyes fixed on us with a menacing glare.

He asked, "Sweetheart, where are you going?"

"Run!" I screamed.

I grabbed Melissa's hand and dashed out of the room, but Ethan was already on our heels.

I didn't have time to look for a better hiding spot, so I dragged Melissa straight into the bathroom.

Right before Ethan could shove his knife through the doorway, I slammed the door shut and locked it in one quick move.

I leaned against the sink, gasping for air.

Outside, Ethan was howling like a lunatic.

Melissa stared at me, wide-eyed. She asked, "Laura, what's going on here?"

I caught my breath, my hand shaking as I pointed at the door.

I stammered, "E-Ethan wants to kill me."

Ethan shouted, "Sweetheart, open the door!" He was nothing like his usual calm self. He sounded totally deranged, like a psycho from a slasher flick.

He even dashed to the kitchen, grabbed a cleaver, and started banging and chopping at the door like a madman.

Terrified, Melissa and I huddled together.

Watching the door splinter and crack, panic rose in my chest until I could barely breathe.

It was 2:58 AM, just two minutes to go until 3 AM.

Just two more minutes: if I could hold out, I would make it.

Panicking, I started grabbing anything within reach in the bathroom and piling it up against the door.

Melissa, meanwhile, was just coolly watching her watch, totally unfazed by the chaos.

The glow from the digital screen lit up her face, and an odd little smirk played at her lips.

She suddenly tossed out a joke that couldn't have been more out of place.

She said, "Laura, do you think Ethan's so desperate because maybe 3 AM is actually the best time to head for paradise?"

My whole body went cold, as if I'd been dropped into an ice pit.

I'd only told Melissa Ethan wanted to kill me. But I never said a word about the 3 AM deadline.

How did Melissa know about that?

I pressed my parched lips together, forcing out a smile that was more like a grimace.

"Melissa, what are you even talking about?" I asked, trying to sound clueless.

Melissa didn't answer. Instead, she kept her eyes fixed on her watch, timing it perfectly, then slipped her hand into her coat pocket.