"RUN!"
A split second later,
The bookshelf exploded outward, splintering into a shower of dusty old books and yellowed papers.
A hulking metal machine burst through, nearly scraping the ceiling—a nine-foot monstrosity of rusted metal and whirring gears, its faceless head swiveling with a red scanner beam.
"Intruder! Intruder! KILL! KILL!" Its mechanical voice boomed, reverberating through the cramped room as it locked onto Harris and Rhea's faces, targeting them with eerie precision.
"Timmy! Kill them!" the old man wheezed, his voice a shrill rasp as he gripped his cane. "They want to take you away from me!"
"KILL! KILL!" the robot roared, its arms clanking as they transformed. Joints clicked and whirred, reshaping into twin SMGs, barrels gleaming under the flickering bulb. It opened fire, a storm of bullets spraying toward them.
Harris dove, rolling behind the sagging sofa with a grunt, the upholstery shredding as rounds tore through it.
