Elena’s Pov
The storm started right after dinner, and the wind rattled every window in the house until Clara begged to sleep in my room because thunder scared her. I tucked her into my bed with Mr Fluff and read three stories until her eyes closed and her breathing evened out slow. Mrs. Hale checked once and told me to keep the hallway candle lit in case the power failed because the generator sometimes lagged. I blew out my lamp to save batteries and sat on the floor beside Clara’s side of the bed, watching lightning flash white through the curtains. The next crash of thunder shook the walls, and every light in the mansion died at once, leaving us in total black.
Clara stirred but did not wake, so I felt my way to the door and cracked it open to see if anyone else moved in the hall. Can
