Sleeping Together

Logan awoke to the soft light of dawn filtering through the curtains. He blinked, momentarily disoriented, before remembering the events of the previous day.

He glanced over to see Evelyn still asleep, curled up against his chest like a contented cat. Her breathing was slow and steady, her lips slightly parted as she slept peacefully. Logan couldn't help but smile at the sight. Despite everything, the morning felt strangely peaceful.

Gently, he tried to extricate himself from her grasp without waking her. He needed to clear his head, to think about what the future held now that his life had taken such an unexpected turn.

But as Logan shifted, Evelyn stirred, her eyes fluttering open. She blinked sleepily up at him, a soft smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"Logan…"She murmured, reaching out to pull him back down beside her. "I'm still scared… Hold me a little longer."

"Boss, it's morning now. There's nothing to be afraid of,"Logan replied, though he let her pull him close again. He could hardly refuse her when she looked so vulnerable.

"I'm afraid you'll disappear…"Evelyn whispered, her voice barely audible as she snuggled into his warmth.

Logan sighed softly, wrapping his arms around her. "I'm not going anywhere."

They lay there for a few more minutes, the quiet morning stretching on. Logan's mind raced, thinking about the supernatural threats they faced and how he could protect Evelyn while hiding his secret.

After a while, Evelyn finally sat up, rubbing her eyes. She was still wearing Logan's oversized shirt, which hung loosely off her shoulders, giving her a look of casual allure.

"I need to buy some clothes. Will you come with me?"She asked, looking at Logan with an expectant smile.

"Of course, boss. I'm still your employee, so I'll follow your orders,"Logan replied with a grin, standing up and stretching. The idea of a simple shopping trip felt almost surreal after everything they had been through.

"Would you like to… watch me get dressed?"Evelyn teased, her tone playful as she began to unbutton the shirt, giving Logan a glimpse of her smooth skin.

"Uh, no thanks… I think I'll pass,"Logan stammered, quickly leaving the room before his self-control could slip any further. Behind him, Evelyn laughed, clearly enjoying the effect she had on him.

"Man, things are really messed up these days. I'm thinking of quitting. My parents told me that back home, a big tree turned into a monster and started killing people!"Liu Ming, a security guard at the mall, sighed as he spoke to his colleague, voicing his frustrations.

"That's not a monster, it's a supernatural entity!"His colleague, Wang Fengyang, corrected him. "But what good will quitting do? Didn't you see the news? People are getting killed in their own homes!"

"Then what are we supposed to do? It feels like we're screwed no matter what. How do we keep living like this?"Liu Ming threw up his hands, feeling hopeless.

"Just take it one day at a time. Whether the supernatural comes or not, we still need to eat and pay the bills. Let's just focus on getting through today,"Wang Fengyang advised, trying to keep his friend grounded as he turned back to watch the security monitors.

Their work in the mall was usually pretty relaxed. It wasn't a tough job, and on most days, it was even a bit boring.

There was a knock at the door, and Wang Fengyang called out, "Come in," without taking his eyes off the screens.

"Ah… ah… run… it's… the…"Liu Ming, who had been idly scrolling through his phone, suddenly looked up and froze. His phone slipped from his grasp and clattered to the floor.

His face drained of color as he pointed shakily at the doorway, unable to form coherent words. His body trembled with fear, and he instinctively backed away, nearly falling off his chair.

Wang Fengyang broke out in a cold sweat, every nerve in his body screaming in terror. He didn't dare turn around, terrified of what he might see.

Two withered, branch-like hands slowly rested on Wang Fengyang's shoulders, and a voice, cold and unnatural, spoke in deliberate, chilling tones."Your task now is to find Logan Blake."

"W-who is Logan Blake?"Wang Fengyang stammered, barely able to speak through his fear. Nearby, Liu Ming had lost all control, tears streaming down his face as he trembled uncontrollably, a puddle of urine spreading beneath him.

"You… are not allowed to ask questions! Only I can kill him!"The voice snarled, its fury evident. One of the hands on Wang Fengyang's shoulder suddenly morphed into a sharp claw and dug into his flesh, sending waves of excruciating pain through his body.

"I'll find him! I'll help you find him!"Wang Fengyang cried out, his desperation for survival overriding the pain.

"Hehehehehehehe…"The supernatural entity let out a spine-chilling laugh, the sound reverberating through the small room, filling it with an oppressive, terrifying atmosphere.

In the mall, Evelyn clung to Logan's arm as they walked through the stores, picking out new clothes. She had initially wanted to go to her usual high-end boutiques, but Logan had persuaded her to opt for something more practical. With the world as dangerous as it was now, it made sense to wear something comfortable and durable—clothes that wouldn't hinder their movements if they needed to run.

Suddenly, the mall's PA system crackled to life."Logan Blake, please come to the third-floor security office. We've found something of yours. Please come retrieve it."

The announcement repeated itself three times. Logan's eyes narrowed as he listened. He hadn't brought anything with him that could have been lost, and the few items he had were still safely in his pockets. Something wasn't right.

"Did you lose something? Let's go get it,"Evelyn suggested innocently, unaware of the potential danger.

"Don't ask questions. Just run with me!"Logan's instincts kicked in, and he grabbed Evelyn's hand, pulling her toward the mall exit.

"Okay!"Evelyn didn't hesitate. She trusted Logan completely and matched his pace as they ran for the exit.

But when they reached the mall's main doors, Logan's heart sank. The doors were stuck, locked in place, with several staff members working frantically to fix them. The customers who had been trying to leave turned back, resigned to continuing their shopping.

The mall appeared normal on the surface, with shoppers chatting and browsing the stores. But Logan knew better. The supernatural often hid behind a facade of normalcy, waiting to strike.

Logan's instincts were screaming at him—something was terribly wrong. It was the same feeling he'd had back at the gym, right before the entity revealed itself.

"Stay close to me, and don't leave my side,"Logan said urgently to Evelyn, who nodded seriously, understanding that the situation was dire.

"We'll try the other exits,"Logan decided, leading Evelyn toward the back of the mall. They moved quickly but carefully, conserving their energy in case they needed it later.

When they reached the back exit, they found it sealed shut with a heavy iron gate. Logan didn't waste time—he delivered a powerful kick to the lock, the force of the impact echoing through the corridor.

But the gate held firm, barely dented. Around them, other shoppers glanced nervously at Logan, muttering under their breath, clearly unsettled by his aggressive behavior.

"Logan, don't worry about them. Let's keep looking for a way out,"Evelyn said, trying to calm him down.

"I'm fine, boss. I'm just trying to keep us safe,"Logan reassured her, though he was growing more anxious by the second. They needed to find a way out, and fast. "Let's head back to the main entrance."

"Logan!!!!!!""Why aren't you coming to the security office!!!!!!"The supernatural voice suddenly shrieked over the PA system, filled with rage. The sudden outburst sent the mall's shoppers into a panic. People ducked down, covering their ears, their faces twisted in fear.

Some of the braver customers tried to flee, but the jammed doors trapped them inside. They began shouting at the staff, demanding to be let out.

"Let us out! Let us out!!!"Several men at the front of the crowd yelled angrily, but the staff, drenched in sweat, could only respond helplessly, "It's not working! We don't know what's wrong!"

"If you've got guts, come face me yourself, you fake coach!"Logan shouted back at the speakers, recognizing the voice from the gym. His heart raced with a mix of anger and fear, knowing the entity had found him again.

"Aaaaaargh!"The supernatural voice grew even more furious, the pitch of its scream becoming almost unbearable. Evelyn clutched her ears, sinking to the floor as her head spun with pain.

"If you don't come to me, I'll take away what's most important to you!"The voice cackled, and with a flicker, the mall's lights suddenly went out, plunging them into darkness.

Logan's heart skipped a beat as the lights went out, plunging the entire mall into darkness. The sudden blackout sent waves of panic rippling through the crowd. Shoppers began screaming, their voices echoing through the vast, now eerily silent space.

"Stay close to me!"Logan whispered urgently to Evelyn, his voice barely audible over the chaos. He tightened his grip on her hand, his senses heightened, every nerve in his body on edge.

The darkness seemed to press in from all sides, amplifying the fear that gripped everyone inside. Logan's mind raced, trying to figure out what the entity's next move would be. He knew they couldn't stay in one place for long—the supernatural entity was hunting him, and it had already shown it wasn't afraid to harm others to get to him.

"Logan, I'm scared,"Evelyn whispered, her voice trembling as she clung to him. Despite her usual confidence, the darkness and the supernatural presence had shaken her to her core.

"I know, but we'll get through this,"Logan reassured her, trying to keep his voice steady. He had to stay calm for both of them, even though fear gnawed at him too.

Suddenly, a loud crash echoed through the mall, followed by the sound of glass shattering. Logan's head snapped in the direction of the noise, his heightened senses picking up the faint sound of something—no, someone—moving in the darkness.

"It's coming for us,"Logan realized, his heart pounding in his chest. "We need to move, now!"

He pulled Evelyn with him as they began to weave through the stores, trying to put as much distance as possible between them and the source of the noise. The mall's layout was familiar, but in the pitch-black darkness, it felt like a maze, every corner a potential trap.

"Logan! Logan Blake!"The supernatural voice echoed through the mall, now oozing with malevolent glee. "You can't run from me! You can't hide!"

Logan gritted his teeth, determined not to let the entity's taunts shake him. He had to stay focused, had to find a way to protect Evelyn and escape this nightmare.

Suddenly, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the darkness, growing louder with each passing second. Whatever was coming, it was big—and it was getting closer.

Logan's mind raced, calculating their next move. "We need to get to higher ground," he thought, his instincts screaming at him to avoid being cornered. "The escalators!"

He quickly changed direction, leading Evelyn toward the nearest escalator. Even in the dark, he could make out the faint outline of the metal steps. But as they approached, the sound of the footsteps grew even louder, echoing off the walls, filling the space with a sense of impending doom.

Just as they reached the base of the escalator, the lights flickered back on, revealing the source of the footsteps. Logan's blood ran cold as he saw the creature—twisted and monstrous—standing at the other end of the mall. Its eyes locked onto him, filled with a burning hatred.

"Go! Up the escalator, now!"Logan urged Evelyn, giving her a push to start her up the steps. He followed close behind, keeping his eyes on the creature as it began to move toward them.

The creature let out a guttural roar, the sound reverberating through the mall. It was a sound of pure rage, of a predator that had found its prey and wouldn't stop until it had torn it to pieces.

As they reached the top of the escalator, Logan quickly scanned the area, looking for something—anything—that could help them. His eyes landed on a large, heavy metal sign hanging from the ceiling by thick chains. An idea formed in his mind.

"Evelyn, keep moving! Don't stop until you find a way out!"Logan ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"But what about you?"Evelyn hesitated, her eyes wide with fear.

"I'll be right behind you, just go!"Logan insisted, pushing her gently but firmly forward. He couldn't afford to let the creature get to her.

Once she was out of immediate danger, Logan turned back to face the creature, which was now charging up the escalator, its massive form barreling forward with terrifying speed.

With a deep breath, Logan focused all his strength and leaped up, grabbing hold of the chain holding the sign. He pulled with all his might, the metal groaning under the strain as the chain began to give way.

"Come on, just a little more!"Logan grunted, his muscles straining as he gave one final pull. The chain snapped, and the heavy sign came crashing down, slamming into the creature with a thunderous impact.

The creature let out a deafening roar of pain and fury as it was crushed under the weight of the sign. Logan didn't wait to see if it was dead or just stunned—he turned and sprinted after Evelyn, his heart pounding in his chest.

As he ran, he could hear the faint echoes of the creature's pained growls behind him. But the sound grew fainter with each step, until finally, it was lost in the distance.

Logan caught up with Evelyn near an emergency exit. She was frantically trying to push it open, but the door wouldn't budge.

"It's stuck!"Evelyn cried, panic rising in her voice.

"Step back, let me try!"Logan ordered, taking over. He threw his shoulder against the door with all his might, feeling it give just slightly under the force. He took a step back and charged again, this time using his full werewolf strength.

With a loud crack, the door finally burst open, and fresh air flooded in. Without hesitating, they both bolted out of the mall and into the open, not stopping until they were a safe distance away.

Breathing heavily, they turned back to look at the mall, which now seemed quiet and deceptively peaceful under the morning light.

"We made it,"Evelyn whispered, her voice trembling with a mix of relief and exhaustion. She leaned against Logan, her legs threatening to give out beneath her.

"Yeah… we did,"Logan replied, though he couldn't shake the feeling that this was far from over. The supernatural entity might have been temporarily defeated, but it was still out there—still hunting him.

Logan knew they couldn't stay in the city much longer. The entity had found him twice now, and it was only a matter of time before it struck again. They needed to get out—find somewhere safe, somewhere it couldn't reach them.

But for now, they were alive, and that was enough.

As they walked away from the mall, Logan's mind was already racing, planning their next move. The fight was far from over, and he needed to be ready for whatever came next.