“Billy told me that you let him in while you ran and got your money, but while he stood in the doorway, he noticed a naked man standing off in the corner.”

“What?”

“That’s what Billy said he saw. He said he took off when he saw the man start walking toward him. If you would like to pay, you can come in. We can’t send any more cars out. The storm has gotten too bad. My engine froze…”

I ended the call. There was no need to discuss the details with her. Even if what “Billy” said happened was entirely made up. I was too freaked out to waste any more time. I grabbed my keys and mapped out the best escape route out of the house which didn’t involve going through the living room.

The sliding-glass door of my parents’ room in the back of the house was my best choice. I would have to climb over a seven-foot wooden fence to get out of the backyard, but it would be worth it.

I wasted no more time, grabbed my purse off the kitchen counter and started to head to the dark hallway which led back towards the bedroom of the house. I was just about to walk into the little corridor when the lights went out.

Oh fuck. It was a freeze out. The frigid cold had taken out the power lines. There was now no life in the house other than me and whatever may or may not have been with me.