I held the folder tight against my chest.

The front door handle began to turn.

I realized I had forgotten to lock the screen door.

The heavy inner door was locked, but the handle of the deadbolt began to rattle violently.

“Meredith!” Trevor shouted from the porch. “Open the door right now!”

I stepped back into the shadows of the kitchen.

I looked at the back door of the cabin, which led out to the steep ridge trail.

If I ran, I would have to go out into the dark storm.

The rattling grew louder, the wood of the door frame groaning under the pressure.

I took a deep breath and grabbed my flashlight from the counter.

The kitchen light flicked once, then went completely black as the power cut out.

In the sudden darkness, the sound of glass shattering echoed from the front porch.

I squeezed the folder against my ribs.

The shards of the windowpane chimed as they hit the hardwood floor inside the living room.

“Meredith!” Trevor’s voice was closer now, muffled by the wind but sharp.

I didn’t turn on the flashlight.