Intro. The clock on the wall clicks to 3:00 AM, the "Witching Hour." Elena bolts upright, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird. She doesn't know what woke her-a sound, or perhaps the sudden drop in temperature that turned her breath into a faint mist.
She turns her head slowly toward the corner of the room. At first, it looks like a trick of the light. But then, the shadow shifts. It isn't a shadow cast by the furniture; it's a silhouette that breathes.
Deep within the darkness, she sees the faint, ethereal outline of a figure watching her. No words are spoken, but the malice and sorrow radiating from the corner paralyze her. Her hand reaches for the lamp, but her fingers freeze. She realizes that in this room, at this hour, she is no longer the owner-she is the guest.