The vast estate of the Sterling family sat high on a lonely hill overlooking the foggy coast of Oregon. Outside the glass doors of the massive mansion, a crisp autumn breeze blew off the ocean, rattling the dry leaves across the stone patio. It was late at night, and the mansion was mostly dark, except for the bright underwater lights of the Olympic-sized swimming pool. Those blue lights cast shifting reflections against the white walls of the estate and the American flag hanging high on the pole nearby. Elena, a young maid who had worked for the family for three years, walked quietly along the edge of the terrace with a pile of fresh towels in her arms. She loved little Leo, the eight-month-old baby who had recently lost his biological mother to a tragic illness. The child was the sole heir to a vast real estate inheritance, a fortune worth tens of millions of dollars. But since the wealthy father, Marcus Sterling, had married his new wife Victoria six months ago, the house had felt heavy with tension and unspoken greed.
Elena stopped near the shadow of the tall hedge, freezing in her tracks as she saw a figure moving near the water. It was Victoria, wearing a bright green silk dress that rustled loudly in the silence of the night. Victoria was pushing a dark leather baby stroller very slowly toward the deep end of the swimming pool. Elena felt a cold spike of fear run through her heart as she watched from the shadows, unable to comprehend what she was seeing. Victoria did not look back, nor did she check to see if anyone was watching her from the balconies above. She reached the slippery edge of the blue water, paused for just a single heartbeat, and then gave the heavy stroller a sharp, deliberate push. The stroller tipped over the concrete rim and plunged straight down into the cold, deep water with a terrible, heavy splash that echoed across the quiet courtyard.
Elena dropped her armful of white towels onto the damp ground without making a sound. Her heart slammed against her ribs like a trapped bird, but her feet moved instantly before her mind could even processing the terror. She ran across the slick stone tile, kicked off her black shoes, and dove headfirst into the freezing swimming pool. The cold water hit her skin like a thousand needles, burning her eyes and knocking the breath straight out of her lungs. Underwater, everything was a swirling blue blur of bubbles and shadows as the heavy iron stroller sank rapidly toward the bottom. Elena kicked her legs with all her strength, reaching her arms out as she swam down into the shadows. The muffled sound of rushing water filled her ears as her fingers brushed against the thick fabric of the baby stroller sitting at the very bottom of the pool.
Working frantically in the dim light, Elena unbuckled the safety strap that held the infant locked inside the drowning seat. She pulled the baby free, wrapping his tiny body tightly against her chest with her left arm while using her right arm to claw her way back toward the surface. Air was running out fast, and her chest felt like it was going to burst open from the pressure. She could see the bright lights above her flickering through the water, promising life and safety for the innocent child in her hands. With one final, desperate kick against the smooth tile bottom of the pool, Elena broke through the surface of the water, gasping loudly for air as she held the crying baby high above her shoulders.
Elena: I saved him! I got him! He is alive!
Elena kicked her way to the low edge of the shallow end, coughing up cold pool water while clutching the shivering child tightly against her shoulder. The infant was coughing and screaming, his tiny face red but his lungs full of air. Elena pulled herself up onto the slippery concrete deck, shivering violently from the cold and the sheer horror of what had just happened. But as she wiped the water from her burning eyes, she did not find safety waiting for her on the deck. Instead, she looked up to see Victoria standing directly above her, her eyes wild with malice and her bright green dress entirely dry. Victoria was waving her hands frantically in the air, her voice piercing the night like a shrill whistle as heavy footsteps pounded across the patio toward them.
Victoria: Help! Someone help us! The maid pushed him in!