PSLE: An Intruder

I chanced upon this in an English comprehension passage.  I love the way it builds terror and suspense in the mind of the reader.

David jumped when he heard a loud noise downstairs, above the sound of the howling wind. He stopped reading and went to the top of the stairs. "Dad, is that you?" he called. David waited but there came no answer.

"The wind must have blown open the front door again," David mumbled to himself, as he headed downstairs. He probably had not closed it tight enough when he was calling his dog in.

Suddenly, the lights went out! David was startled.  It was pitch-dark and David had to grope his way around towards the front door. Just before he reached it, the light from a flash of lightning silhouetted a hulking figure just outside. David stood there, frozen in fright. A few seconds later, there was another flash of lightning. This time, the figure was aggressively trying to break down the door as he waved something desperately in the air. David's scream was drowned out by a long roll of thunder.

David ran for the stairs in the darkness, stumbling on the first step and cracking his knee. He cried out as he limped up the stairs and. hobbled into the living room. His heart was pounding and he knew he definitely needed to find a way to escape. Just then, he heard something - thump, thump, thump - the heavy tread of someone coming up the stairway. As David felt around the room in search of the telephone, he wished with all his heart that this nightmare would come to an end soon.

Adapted from Murder Comes to Ufe by Richard Brightfield