Harriet walked pretty quickly, her feet clicking against the stone-paved path as she headed straight into her family house. Her steps were light, almost bouncing with excitement, the edges of her dress brushing along her legs as she hurried toward the familiar front door she hadn't seen in a while.
A huge smile spread across her face, her cheeks flushed and eyes gleaming. She beamed, nearly glowing with joy, her breath catching slightly in her throat as she reached out and pushed open the wooden door with both hands.
The air inside was still, oddly still.
She gasped out loud, the sound sharp in the quiet.
"Mari!" she called, her voice hopeful but tinged with confusion as it echoed through the small sitting room. "Maria!" she shouted again, louder this time, her brows beginning to furrow.
"Mariana!" she screamed, calling one after the other, her voice rising with increasing urgency, eyes wide now—not from joy but from unease.
There was no response.
