Chapter 6 — Unlocking the Patio Door
Benjamin reached out his hand toward the sliding mechanism of the patio door.
His fingers wrapped around the cold metal latch.
He lifted the locking lever upward.
A sharp mechanical click echoed quietly in the tense living room.
Rachel watched in stunned silence from her spot near the edge of the living room rug.
Her hand dropped slowly from where she had been pointing.
Chloe stopped crying for a moment, her tear-streaked face lifting upward.
Her attention shifted entirely from her teddy bear to the heavy glass door.
Benjamin pulled the handle toward himself.
The heavy glass door slid open on its track.
A rush of cold, wet air swept immediately into the warm house.
The damp smell of wet earth and rain filled the room.
The golden retriever did not wait for an invitation.
It squeezed its mud-covered body through the gap in the doorway.
The dog trotted eagerly across the threshold and onto the living room rug.
It tracked a fresh, glistening set of wet paw prints directly beside the old ones.
The retriever let out a happy pant and gave its whole body a massive shake.
Droplets of brown muddy water sprayed outward in a wide circle across the walls and furniture.
The heavy glass door slid open, and the damp smell of earth fills the room.