Chapter 5 - Discovery
The front door of the apartment clicked open, followed by the sound of heavy boots scraping against the entryway mat. Jacob and his father stepped into the hallway, carrying empty recycling bins and laughing about a neighbor’s dog they had seen outside.
"Man, it's freezing out there tonight," Jacob said, rubbing his hands together. "Winter is definitely making its entrance."
"Tell me about it," his father replied, heading toward the kitchen to grab a glass of water. "Where's Clara? Still cleaning up?"
Jacob walked into the living room, where Brenda and her mother were chatting. He looked around, noticing the quiet emptiness of the kitchen and the half-finished pile of dishes in the sink.
"Brenda, have you seen Clara?" Jacob asked, a faint note of confusion in his voice. "Her jacket is still hanging by the door, but she's not in the kitchen."
Brenda took a slow sip of her wine, looking entirely unconcerned. She arched an eyebrow, leaning back against the sofa cushions. "Oh, she stepped out onto the balcony a little while ago to get some fresh air. Said she needed to cool down after throwing a fit about the dishes."
Jacob frowned, a cold knot forming in his stomach. "The balcony? In this weather? Brenda, she's six months pregnant, she wouldn't just go out there in a sweater for fun."
"Well, she did," Brenda said dismissively, waving a hand in the air. "She wanted some drama, so I told her to enjoy the view."
Before Brenda could finish her sentence, a sudden, heavy dread gripped Jacob. He spun around and rushed across the living room toward the sliding glass door that led to the balcony. As he approached the glass, the dim exterior lighting illuminated a shadow sprawled across the concrete floor outside.
Jacob froze.
"Clara?" he shouted, his voice cracking with sudden panic.
He threw his weight against the handle, but it held firm. He jiggled it frantically, realizing in horror that it was locked.
"Brenda! Where is the key?" Jacob roared, turning around with a look of absolute fury that his sister had never seen on his face before.
Brenda blinked, her smug expression finally faltering. "I... I just clicked the latch. There shouldn't be a key needed..."
"It's bolted from the inside track!" Jacob screamed. He backed up two steps and threw his shoulder violently against the glass pane. With a loud crash, the latch mechanism sheared off, and the sliding door flew open.
Jacob rushed out onto the freezing balcony, dropping to his knees beside my motionless body. The air around me was frigid, and my skin was ice-cold to the touch.
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"Clara! Clara, wake up!" Jacob cried, shaking my shoulders gently. There was no response. My face was pale, my lips tinged with a frightening blue hue, and a dark stain of dampness and blood was spreading visibly across the front of my leggings.
Jacob's father rushed onto the balcony behind him, gasping in horror at the sight. "My God! Call an ambulance! Now!"
