The apartment was unusually quiet when Mallory woke up late the next morning. Normally, the air was filled with the sounds of Altair's tinkering, Vanessa's drills, or Zara playfully trash-talking Greg over some board game. But today, there was nothing but the soft hum of the air conditioning.
"Guys?" Mallory called out groggily, rubbing her eyes as she shuffled toward the living room. Her heart sank slightly when she saw the note pinned to the fridge.
Mallory,
We've gone to reinforce the east stairwell. It's been looking shaky, and we don't want it giving out. Be back soon.
Mallory sighed, crumpling the note. "Great. Leave the lazy one to fend for herself."
As she slumped onto the couch, she noticed a faint scratching sound coming from the corner of the room. She blinked, her grogginess clearing slightly as she realized the noise was coming from Sprinkles' play area.
"Sprinkles?" she called.