The ambient whine suddenly stopped and the sound of the front door opening was unexpectedly amplified up to eleven, making me jump out of the chair.

Footsteps came up to the door of the front room I was in at that moment. And then Ellis walked in, gorgeous as ever.

“Hi, Marcus.”

I almost ran up to her in my eagerness to hold her in my arms.
Understandably, she was a little taken aback.

“Hey, hey, hey! What’s the matter?”

“Nothing,” I said. “Just happy to see you.”

“Awwwww,” she cooed jokily.

An hour later, we were watching something on the TV and eating microwave pizza, when something that had troubled me sixty minutes ago came bobbing to the surface of my mind.

“Why were you saying “Please let him be out” when you came in," I asked, my anxiousness evident.

She abruptly glanced at me and I could see a slight tinge of an emotion in her eyes.
Panic, perhaps?
Most likely, considering the events which were soon to occur.

She laughed nervously, and slowly said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”