Chapter 4 - The House Return
I knew Daniel was currently at the hospital arguing with doctors to get Emily discharged.
This gave me a narrow window of exactly forty minutes to find out what was happening inside his house.
I drove recklessly through the suburban streets, breaking several speed limits to reach his neighborhood.
His driveway was completely empty, and the front porch was still wet from the morning frost.
I crept around to the back of the house, staying hidden behind the tall privacy fence.
I used a heavy garden rock to smash the glass pane of the back patio door.
I reached through the jagged glass, unlocked the deadbolt, and stepped into my ex-husband's kitchen.
The house was eerily silent and smelled strongly of industrial bleach.
I walked straight past the living room and headed directly for the basement door.
I turned the brass knob, but it was locked tight.
I searched the kitchen drawers until I found a heavy metal crowbar next to some tools.
I wedged the iron bar into the doorframe and pulled with all my strength.
The wood splintered with a loud crack, and the door swung open to reveal a dark staircase.
I turned on my phone's flashlight and slowly descended into the cold basement.
It did not look like a normal storage area or a family playroom.
The entire basement had been retrofitted with sterile white tiles and bright surgical lights.
There were three metal medical chairs lined up against the far wall, each equipped with heavy leather restraints.
In the center of the room sat a large, stainless steel commercial refrigerator.
I walked over to the refrigerator with trembling legs and pulled the heavy handle open.
Inside, there were rows of sealed medical bags filled with dark red blood.
Each bag had a handwritten label detailing a blood type and a name.
May you like
I scanned the labels, feeling a scream rising in my throat.
The first bag said "Lucas," and the newest bag in the front row said "Emily."
