Two Sounds in the Dark

Mark visited his retired father every Sunday evening, bringing groceries to the isolated cabin. This time, the house was pitch black. Mark called out, but there was no response. In the dim moonlight filtering through the window, he spotted his father sitting perfectly still in his favorite rocking chair, facing away. Relieved, Mark walked over and gently tapped his father on the shoulder. Instantly, two distinct sounds broke the silence as things hit the floorboards simultaneously. One was a sharp, metallic *clink*. The other was a heavy, sickening *thud*. Mark stood frozen, the blood draining from his face, before slowly backing out of the room to dial 911.