A Pattern of Shadows

A loud thump followed by a low scrape sounded somewhere to the south, in the direction of the living room. It was starting. Katy sprinted through the hallway toward the staircase at the back of the house. She took the stairs two at a time, at the same time trying to stave off the adrenaline that flooded her body. She fought to keep moving, to pump her legs faster, and it was all she could do not to scream.