The shadowy figure had already lunged at Mrs. Herd, and Scarlett Glenn watched as the cold light of the knife in its hand disappeared.
Scarlett's pupils dilated sharply and all sounds seemed to become distant, everyone's movements seemed to slow down.
She heard Ethan Herd cry out: "Mum..."
She saw Mrs. Herd's body slowly sink to the ground, like a kite whose string has been abruptly cut.
At that moment, Scarlett's mind went blank, and it felt as if she was cut off from the world.
Ethan rushed forwards to catch Mrs. Herd and kicked the shadowy figure away with one foot.
The hotel's security guards ran over, held down the assailant, dialed 911, and called an ambulance.
The usually chilly hotel entrance suddenly burst into chaos in the dead of the night.
The subdued assailant was ranting frantically: "She's dead, dead.... I really killed her...."
