The car rolled to a stop just outside the house, its engine humming softly before it cut off. Annabelle turned to Cathy and forced a gentle smile despite the tightness in her chest.

“Cathy,” Annabelle began, keeping her voice calm and steady, “I need you to stay here for a minute, okay? I just need to check something inside the house.”

Cathy’s brow furrowed. “Why? Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing’s wrong,” Annabelle lied, reaching out to brush a strand of Cathy’s hair behind her ear.

Her sister’s curls were damp from running around, the golden brown catching the fading light like molten honey.

“I just... need to be sure of...