Chapter 3 - The Bronze and the Broken
The black airport town car pulled up to the curb of my suburban estate exactly seven days after the deadbolts had clicked shut.
The afternoon sun was blazing, casting a golden light over the manicured lawn. The passenger doors flew open, and Vivian stepped out, wearing a flowing linen resort dress, an oversized straw hat, and a pair of designer sunglasses. Her skin was deeply bronzed, a smug, self-satisfied smile plastered across her face.
Ethan followed closely behind, dragging four massive, overflowing suitcases stuffed with luxury shopping bags from Balenciaga and Chanel. He looked relaxed, completely untroubled by a single shred of guilt.
"Oh, it feels so good to be back from that dreadful humidity," Vivian sighed, adjusting her sunglasses as she marched up the stone walkway. "Ethan, make sure Grace carries the heavy bags upstairs immediately. And tell her I want my iced tea served on the patio. My feet are absolutely barking."
"Right, Mom," Ethan chuckled, rolling the heavy suitcases up to the grand front entrance. "She’s probably throwing a tantrum inside, but once she sees the cheap bracelet I bought her from the airport gift shop, she’ll fall right back into line."
Ethan reached into his pocket, pulled out his heavy silver keychain, and slid the key into the top deadbolt.
He turned it.
Nothing happened. The cylinder didn't budge.
He frowned, pulling the key out and wiping it against his shorts before trying again. He forced it, gritting his teeth as he twisted with all his might. The key wouldn't even slide halfway into the lock.
"What is taking so long, Ethan?" Vivian snapped, crossing her arms impatiently. "I’m burning up out here."
"The lock... it’s stuck, Mom. The key won't go in," Ethan muttered, his brow furrowing as a sudden, uneasy tension crept into his shoulders.
He looked closer at the keyhole. It wasn't just stuck. The entire lock mechanism had been completely replaced. The old brass deadbolts were gone, replaced by a sleek, biometric titanium smart-lock system that didn't even possess a keyhole. It was a smooth, black piece of reinforced glass that glowed with a faint, pulsing blue light.
Suddenly, a cold, mechanical voice echoed from the hidden external speakers above the door:
“Access Denied. Unauthorized Personnel Detected on Private Property.”
May you like
Ethan took a step back, his face instantly draining of color. "What the hell...?"
Before Vivian could let out a screech of protest, the heavy oak door slowly clicked and swung inward.
