I ran my hand over the cold metal of the door handle.

I rattled it, but it did not budge.

Landon had the only key to the deadbolt.

My heart hammered against my ribs.

The silence of the empty house pressed in on my ears.

I looked down at Rowan.

His forehead felt hotter now, like a warm stone left in the sun.

His tiny lips looked slightly blue in the dim light of the hallway.

I needed to get to the window.

The large bay window in the living room looked out onto the street.

Maybe Arthur, our retired neighbor, was outside cutting his grass.

I took two steps toward the living room.

A sudden wave of dizziness hit me, and black spots began to bloom across my eyes.

I squeezed my eyes shut and leaned my shoulder against the drywall.

The hallway wall felt solid and cool against my cheek.

“Rowan,” I whispered, but my voice was just a dry rasp.

He made a tiny, wet clicking sound in his throat.

I opened my eyes, forcing the black spots to recede.