Chapter 4 - The Standoff
The air inside the dark, dusty cellar was thick and suffocating.
Arthur held Lily tightly against his chest, covering her ears to muffle the sounds from above.
He could hear the muffled, angry voices of the strangers demanding answers.
"We lost a piece of cargo out on the highway," a deep, menacing voice echoed through the floorboards.
"We know she ran this way."
Sheriff Miller’s voice rang out, steady but tense.
"This is private property, and you are trespassing."
"I suggest you get back in your vehicles and leave before I call for state backup."
A cold, sinister laugh sent shivers down Arthur’s spine.
"We cut the phone lines a mile down the road, Sheriff."
"You aren't calling anyone."
Suddenly, the unmistakable sound of a gunshot shattered the tense silence.
Arthur squeezed his eyes shut, praying that Miller was still alive.
Heavy footsteps began to stomp violently through the house, tearing apart furniture and smashing plates.
They were looking for Lily.
Arthur gently placed the little girl behind a large stack of wooden crates in the darkest corner.
He reached up into the rafters and pulled down an old, loaded shotgun he kept hidden for emergencies.
He wasn't going to let these monsters take the innocent child.
Upstairs, a furious shout indicated that they had found the cellar door.
The heavy wooden hinges groaned as the intruders ripped the door open.
A blinding beam of a flashlight pierced the darkness of the basement.
Arthur raised the shotgun, his finger hovering dangerously close to the trigger.
"Come on down," Arthur whispered to himself, his heart hammering in his chest.
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But before the men could take a single step down the wooden stairs, a horrifying, unearthly scream echoed from outside.
It was Titan.
