ABSENCE RESOUND

The lock clicked familiarly as Jason turned his key, the sound resonating in the vacant house. Entering the house, he was welcomed by a quietness in the dimly-lit interior that felt eerily unnatural. The quietness was noticeably different from the turmoil in his head, a whirlwind of thoughts spinning as he moved through the rooms.

He shouted, his voice sounding tense and empty. “Kendall? Are you here?”

The only response was the hollow echo of his voice. He walked around the living room, searching the areas he remembered she often visited, feeling his heart drop at each vacant spot. He checked the kitchen quickly, barely looking at the clean dishes, before heading upstairs.

Jason paused outside Kendall's door at the top of the staircase. His fingers made contact with the wooden surface as he gently pushed it open, the sound of the hinges creaking cutting through the quietness. The room appeared exactly as he recalled - tidy, yet giving off an abandoned atmosphere. The bed was made, but