pepper spray and paranoia

A soft, involuntary moan escaped Tracy's lips as her senses began to return. It felt like she'd been yanked out of a dark, suffocating abyss, and now the world around her was blurry and disorienting. She blinked rapidly, trying to shake off the heaviness weighing down her eyelids.

"Where… where am I?" she mumbled, trying to recall what had happened. Her brain was foggy, like she was waking up from a bizarre dream, but the tension in the air was real, and it wrapped around her like a tight coil.

Slowly, the room came into focus, its muted colors and unfamiliar shapes adding to her confusion. She took a deep breath, and immediately her heart began to pound again. The walls, painted in soft shades, seemed like they were closing in, making the space feel even smaller. Was she in danger?

Her body felt stiff, like she'd been frozen in place for hours. She ran her hands over the fabric beneath her, grounding herself in the texture, reminding herself she was still here, still alive. The last thing she remembered was… him. The stranger with those piercing eyes. The memory sent a chill up her spine.

"Did I… faint?" Tracy rubbed her forehead, feeling the tension lodged deep in her muscles. "I can't remember coming home."

Just as she said this, a creak shattered the silence of the night. The sound of the door slowly opening filled her with dread. Instantly, adrenaline kicked in. Her hand shot out to grab the pepper spray she always kept nearby, her fingers trembling slightly.

"You picked the wrong night to mess with me!" Tracy muttered under her breath, trying to sound brave as she moved behind the door to hide, positioning herself perfectly to attack whoever was coming through. A nervous smile crept onto her face, trying to psych herself up. "Let's see how you like being sprayed in the face."

The door opened ever so slowly, the long creak making her pulse skyrocket. Tracy held her breath, her mind racing. What if it was him? The man who had vanished without a trace earlier? The thought made her knees wobble, but she clung to her makeshift plan.

Finally, the figure stepped into view. Without a second thought, Tracy squeezed the pepper spray and aimed directly at their face.

"AHHH!!! WHAT THE HELL!!!" the voice screamed.

"JANET!?" Tracy blinked in shock, lowering the spray.

Janet was clutching her face, hopping around like a madwoman. "YOU FOOL! WHAT DID YOU JUST SPRAY ME WITH?!"

"Oh my God, Janet! I thought you were..." Tracy began, her mind struggling to keep up.

"A THIEF? A SERIAL KILLER? A BLOODY GHOST?!" Janet interrupted, still wincing and rubbing her eyes. "No, you insane lunatic! It's just me, your best friend, who, might I add, was trying to check on you!"

"Uh…" Tracy scratched the back of her neck, realizing how ridiculous the situation had become. "Well… you startled me, okay?"

"Startled you?!" Janet hissed, still half-blind. "You fainted earlier from a 'BOO!' and now you've pepper-sprayed me? Are you serious right now?!"

"Oh… the 'boo.'" Tracy's face reddened as she remembered how she'd fainted from Janet's dumb joke earlier. The man Lysander had freaked her out so badly, and then Janet had spooked her right after. Everything had spiraled from there.

"Yes, the 'boo!'" Janet spat, still wiping her eyes. "I say one word, and you drop like a sack of potatoes. Now, you repay me with chemical warfare?!"

Tracy felt a little bad but quickly crossed her arms and lifted her chin. "Well, you shouldn't sneak up on me. You know what I've been through!"

"Oh, don't even!" Janet huffed. "I didn't sneak! I walked in like a normal person! You're the one acting like a paranoid nutcase!"

"I'm not paranoid!" Tracy shot back. "I'm being cautious. I had a—an experience."

Janet gave her a blank stare, still rubbing her burning eyes. "What experience? You mean your overactive imagination? You think a vampire was chasing you or something?"

"It wasn't a vampire!" Tracy snapped, though the memory of Lysander's words about not being a vampire stung. "It was… a man. A creepy man. He was after me. Just me. He had no interest in others."

Janet raised an eyebrow. "Tracy? Are you secretly an international spy now?"

Tracy huffed. "No! It's… complicated. He said he wanted me."

Janet froze for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Oh, so he 'wants you,' huh? Sounds like someone's got a secret admirer. What's the problem?"

Tracy glared. "It's not funny! He appeared out of nowhere, and he can disappear just as fast. He's… not human."

"Oh great," Janet sighed, dramatically rolling her eyes. "You've finally lost it. Are we talking vampires again? Werewolves? Ooh, what about aliens?"

"Janet, I'm serious!" Tracy groaned. "You weren't there. It was… terrifying."

"Uh-huh," Janet replied, folding her arms. "Well, terrifying or not, you owe me. You sprayed me in the eyes with pepper spray! I'm in agony over here!"

Tracy folded her arms in defiance. "Well, you shouldn't have barged into my room like that."

Janet raised her hands in frustration. "Hello! It's my house! I don't need permission to walk into my own room! I came in to see if you were okay after you fainted like a drama queen."

Tracy smirked, enjoying the situation a little too much. "I guess you need another spray. Because why would you still be here justifying yourself. But if you ask for help politely, I'd help."

"Are you serious right now?" Janet squawked, her face a mix of anger and disbelief. "Polite? You want me to be polite after you nearly blinded me?"

Tracy leaned back against the wall, crossing her arms. "Yep. Politeness goes a long way."

Janet groaned loudly, her frustration palpable. "Fine! Fine, okay? Please help me get this stuff out of my eyes before I go blind and strangle you with my bare hands."

Tracy grinned. "Still sounds kinda rude, but I'll accept it."

"You..." Janet took a deep breath, clearly biting back a string of expletives.

Tracy finally moved to help, grabbing some tissues and dabbing at Janet's eyes. "There. All better."

Janet sighed in relief, blinking rapidly. "I hate you, you know that?"

"Love you too," Tracy replied cheekily, tossing the tissue in the trash. "You know, for someone who plays jokes on people, you're not great at handling it when they snap back."

"Snap back?!" Janet spluttered. "I didn't snap back! You assaulted me!"

"Same thing," Tracy shrugged, a smug look on her face.

Janet glared at her. "I swear, one of these days, I'm going to get back at you, and it's going to be glorious."

"Can't wait." Tracy chuckled. "But until then, thanks for checking on me. Even if you did freak me out."

"Freak you out?" Janet repeated, incredulous. "You freaked yourself out!"

"Details, details." Tracy waved a hand dismissively, the tension from earlier easing away. For now, she was safe, and Janet was the only one left to annoy her.

But somewhere in the back of her mind, Lysander's cryptic words still lingered, and Tracy couldn't shake the feeling that her troubles were far from over.