It had been over five minutes already, and I was still inside the bathroom, back pressed against the door. I could hear movements from outside, and I knew it was coming from the living room.

My brain was whirling about. What was I supposed to do, anyway?

Okay, relax, Rika, I told myself and inhaled a deep breath before opening the door. Heck, I wasn’t going to spend the night on the toilet!

I opened the door and careful looked around.

Empty.

Then there were sounds coming from the kitchen. I suppose whoever it was got hungry?

I snuck out as quickly as I could and darted down the corridor, right into one of the rooms and closed the door behind me. The room was dark, and I had completely no idea where I was. I heard a groan coming from under the covers and saw a hand stick out along with long, dark curls.

“Rika…?” the person murmured sleepily, and I recognized the voice. It was Tiffany.

She switched on the light on her bedside table and I could see things clearly now.

She rubbed her eyes. “What…” she mumbled, still half asleep.

I put a finger to my lips and shushed her. She looked at me curiously, and I crossed the room in a flash.

“What is it?” she asked me with wide eyes.

I made signals so that I wouldn’t have to use my voice. I leaned down and whispered as quietly as I could.

“Someone’s outside,” I told her.

She arched back, looking quite surprised. “What?”

“Someone’s outside,” I repeated, a bit louder this time, thinking she didn't hear me.

She didn’t get what I was saying. “What… what are you talking about?”

“I heard someone,” I told her, “in the living room.”

“It’s probably just the girls…” she said, hoping she could just go back to sleep.

I cringed. “I know you’re tired, and I’m sorry to disturb you,” I said, “but someone male is out there.”

At that she shot up. “What?”

I nodded in response, and she threw her covers and stood. We both head for the door and leaned to listen for any sounds. We heard footsteps, and it was getting louder. When we looked down a shadow passed our door and I swear I saw Tiffany turn a shade paler.

She rushed over to her bed and grabbed something out from under. I realized that it was a baseball bat.

“W-What’re you—”

“Stay back,” she told me with the bat secured in her hands.

I did as I was told and watched as she roughly threw the door open and went in combat mode.

Okay. Didn’t expect that to come from Girls’ Generation’s smiling Fany.

I rushed over and followed her, but when we got out there was nobody there.

I didn’t want to speak, so I pointed at the kitchen where I remember I heard someone go through the cupboards. Tiffany, without a word, handed me the bat while she lead. I nodded and kept my sharp eye on my surroundings.

I heard something coming from behind me and I spun around rapidly with the bat in my hand, ready to pounce.

There was nothing.

Then I heard a squeak.

Mice?

I turned back to Tiffany. She wasn’t there anymore. Then I heard a muffled voice, mixed with my pounding heart. I wanted to cry out her name, but at the same time I wasn’t so sure of myself. Was this all a joke? If it was, I would seriously have murdered my sister.

“Mmph! Mmph!”

I rapidly turned and heard the continuous muffled voice.

Tiffany? I said inside my head, hoping that somehow she would reply telepathically back to me.

This wasn’t a joke anymore.

The baseball bat shook in my hands, and my knees trembled.

Sica. Yuri. The girls. They’re all in their rooms. I just had to dash quickly and I’d be safe.

“Mmph!”

I kept on hearing the muffled voice, but I couldn’t make out where it was coming from. The living room? It was a start.

I quietly crept into the dark living room, my eyes wild like a cat’s. And when I got there—

—there was Tiffany. Along with Yoona and Jessica. The three of them there in the corner beside the television, their mouths taped, their hands tied.

I almost dropped the bat and my mouth quivered, but nothing came out.

Something loomed behind me.

What the heck—

I whirled around, catching a set of dark angry eyes. A man stood b