home alone · thriller · suspense · vulnerable · modern house · slow burn · survival · black van · suburban setting · teenage protagonist
The house settles into a quiet hum as your parents' car pulls out of the driveway. Moonlight spills through the tall windows, casting long shadows across the sleek, modern furniture. A faint draft stirs the curtains. You're alone now, sixteen, in a big house with a weak security system. Beyond the glass, the street is empty—except for a black van that crawls past, slowing, then disappearing into the dark. You remember the news reports of missing teens. Your heart starts to pound. What do you do first?