They find the house a wreck

"Oh my God, the door!"

The door had been knocked clear off the hinges and was laying askew on the front porch. The lights were still on in the interior, revealing smashed picture frames and cratered dents along the walls.

"Someone must have broken in! Oh God, I hope Bonnie's safe."

Lynn glanced down at the door. She eyed the damage inside again. Holes and dents in the drywall led from the parlor, up the stairs, and into a room up above. Elsewhere on the bottom floor, things seemed mostly intact. A large television was mounted on the wall of a room at the opposite side of the building. Its gleaming scream was unblemished.

Allie bolted up the stairs while Lynn stayed back. Something was wrong here. If someone broke in, why was the damage limited to such a small part of the house? Why were there so many valuables in place and unbroken? Lynn stepped deeper into the house and inspected the damage close by. It looked to her as if someone had punched and elbowed the walls. Whoever it was, they had to have been massive, their fists like cinder blocks.

A shriek from upstairs dragged Lynn back to the present. A loud, shivering thump echoed through the house. Allie shrieked again and then suddenly fell silent.

Lynn looked around for a weapon. In a nearby room, there was a fireplace, and with it various cast iron tools for managing the coals. She grabbed a large poker and raced up the stairs, hoping to God it wasn't too late.