-Caroline-
Caroline had decided to leave the bakery for her home a bit later than usual, opting to stay a tad longer to tidy up the bakery. After mopping the floors and putting one last loaf of bread in the oven, Caroline threw open the windows and left the door ajar, letting the stifling heat from the fire escape into the chilly outdoors. She sat down on a rickety wooden chair, contentedly exhausted from a day's work. It was time to go home.

Grabbing the small basket Caroline had brought along with her and a wooden pail, she exited the bakery after shutting the windows and locking everything securely. Caroline walked briskly out into the cool, crisp air, the moon invisible under a blanket of clouds. She made her way at a slightly faster pace than normal down to the southern end of the village, coming across the old stone well that was struggling to stand upright. Affixing the handle of the pail to the worn rope, she lowered it into the certifiably icy water and drew it back up, struggling with the dead weight of the liquid. Untying the bucket, Caroline unsteadily held the bucket of numbingly cold water in one hand while she picked her basket up with her other. She unsteadily walked back to her house through the emptying streets, looking forward to a bowl of warm soup and dinner in her stomach.

Arriving at her front door, Caroline set down the bucket and basket once again then fished out the keys. She unlocked it, pausing at the threshold, lingering outside in the wintry air. Caroline felt an uneasy feeling creep into her gut, and she cautiously peered into the shadows that were grabbing at the buildings, attempting to discern the source of her uneasiness.