With her foot, Beca gingerly pushed open the door to the Bellas' house. When she arrived after class, she noticed that the door was ajar, which was odd because the Bellas were usually diligent about locking up the house tight whenever they left.
"Guys?" Beca called out as she stuck her head inside. Her voice seemed to ricochet around the empty house. "Anyone home?" She tentatively stepped inside, eyes darting around the front room. "Okay, guys, this isn't funny anymore. Who's here?"
Beca stood at the entrance, carefully listening for activity inside the house. She quietly closed the front door, ensuring the latch clicked and the door locked behind her. Despite the tension that seemed to be in the air, Beca slowly climbed the stairs to the attic room she shared with Amy.
As she turned on the second-floor landing, Beca quickly looked behind her. She thought she saw a figure flash across the living room. Looking down the corridor of the second-floor bedrooms, she saw all the rooms standing open, which was peculiar because the girls typically shut the doors when they left for class. The instant she made that realization, the door furthest from her slammed, causing Beca to jump. Each door followed suit. SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! The final one closed so forcefully that a picture fell, shattering against the floor.
The sound of the breaking glass broke Beca free from her frightful freeze. She raced up the last flight to her room and slammed the door. She leaned against the door, catching her breath before engaging the lock. Beca quickly looked around the attic room, all corners and even under the beds. Nothing.
Relieved, she sat on her bed and tried to catch her breath. Beca was completely freaked out yet not scared enough to message the other Bellas to see when they were coming home. She wasn't in the mood for the relentless teasing she knew she'd receive.
She kicked off her shoes and scuttled backward until she was sitting against the wall, her knees drawn to her chest. She scrunched her eyes closed. Opening them a few moments later, she saw herself from above as if floating close to the ceiling. Was that a shotgun she was holding? Sure enough, doppleganger!Beca had a double-barrel shotgun trained on the door. Where did that come from? Beca watched her doppelganger's tension build as heavy steps clunked up the stairs. None of the Bellas made this much racket, not even Amy.
The doorknob slowly twisted. Both Becas sharply sucked in a breath, eyes glued to the door jamb. Beca was sure she'd locked the door but feared the lock wouldn't hold. Suddenly, the person on the other side of the door slammed a shoulder against the door in an attempt to bust the door frame. Doppleganger!Beca flicked the safety off the rifle and wrapped her finger around the trigger.
The next thing Beca realized was that she woke up drenched in sweat. She sat upright as she heard voices filtering upstairs. She looked around for the gun she'd had earlier. Seeing none, Beca crept to the door and eased it open. When nothing awaited outside, she stealthily went downstairs, carefully avoiding the squeaking stair treads. As she rounded the last landing, all the tension left her body.
Her Bella sisters filled the kitchen and living room, laughing and singing as they fixed dinner.
"Hey, Beca," Chloe called out. "I didn't realize you were home." She tilted her head sideways and examined her friend. "You look a bit pale. Are you ok?"
Relieved, Beca nodded. "Um, yeah. What's for dinner?"