A few moments passed—and then I heard it.The sound of water running.Labored breathing.Groans muffled behind the closed door.
I stood there,paralyzed,unable to move or breathe,like something was wrapped tightly around my throat.
Half a minute passed.
Then the door flew open.Winona stepped out,cheeks flushed,lips curved in a satisfied smile.
She walked past me slowly,wearing a satisfied smirk—like a victor flaunting her prize.But just as she passed the top step,a sharp scream cut through the air.
Startled,I spun around in shock.
Winona—who had been perfectly fine seconds ago—was now tumbling down the stairs,crashing step by step.Her screams echoed through the house,sharp and piercing.
She hit the floor with a sickening thud.Her face and hair were streaked with blood and the sunglasses she wore had shattered on the marble tiles,shards sparkling like broken crystal.
I stood there in shock—completely frozen.
Before I could even process what had happened,Lennon burst through the bedroom door and sprinted downstairs.
He rushed down the stairs and dropped to his knees beside Winona,his usually composed,obsidian-like eyes now filled with panic and fear.
"Winona!Are you okay?Please don’t scare me!"