CHAPTER 1

I've always loved the quiet of this old house. The creaking floorboards, the faint scent of aged wood, the way the sunlight filters through the dusty windows—it's all so familiar, so comforting. Or at least, it used to be.

Lately, the silence feels different. Heavier. Like the house is holding its breath, waiting for something. And the shadows? They seem deeper now, stretching into corners they've never touched before, curling around the edges of my vision like they're alive.

I was sitting by the window, staring at my laptop, though I barely registered the blinking cursor mocking me. My unfinished essay loomed like a weight in the back of my mind, but I couldn't focus. My eyes kept drifting to the woods beyond the yard—dark, tangled, and uninviting. The setting sun cast a dull orange glow across the treetops, but beneath them, the shadows were thick and impenetrable.

Something wasn't right.

For the third time this week, I felt it. That strange, suffocating sensation of being watched. It wasn't just paranoia, and it wasn't just my imagination. I knew someone was out there.

My chest tightened, and I gripped the edge of the desk, my fingers curling into the worn wood as if it could somehow anchor me. My voice broke the silence, shaky and uncertain. "Get it together, Sophia," I muttered, trying to sound braver than I felt.

But then I saw it. Movement. A shadow, slipping between the trees.

I froze, my breath catching in my throat. My stomach twisted into a knot as I leaned closer to the window, pressing my forehead against the cold glass to get a better look. My pulse pounded in my ears, so loud it drowned out everything else.

But whatever it was—or whoever it was—had disappeared.

A shiver ran down my spine, and I took a step back from the window, my gaze darting around the yard as if the shadows themselves were alive. My fingers brushed over my phone on the desk, and I hesitated. Should I call someone? The police, maybe?

But what would I even say? That I'm a college student living alone in my grandmother's old house and I think there's someone creeping around in the woods? They'd probably laugh. Or worse, they'd brush it off and tell me to get better locks.

Still, I couldn't just ignore it. My instincts screamed at me to do something. Anything. Grabbing my phone, I made my way to the front door, my steps slow and deliberate.

The cool night air hit me as I stepped onto the porch. It smelled like rain and damp earth, the kind of crispness that lingers after a storm. For a moment, I almost convinced myself I was overreacting. Maybe it was just an animal. Or maybe my mind was playing tricks on me after days of poor sleep.

But then I heard it—a twig snapping in the distance.

My blood ran cold. I froze mid-step, my breath catching in my throat.

"Hello?" My voice came out weaker than I'd intended, barely audible over the sound of my own heartbeat.

The silence that followed was deafening.

I took another step forward, the gravel beneath my sneakers crunching loudly in the stillness. "Is someone there?"

And then I saw him.

He was standing at the edge of the woods, just where the trees cast their deepest shadows. At first, he was nothing more than a silhouette, a dark figure against an even darker background. But as my eyes adjusted, I could make out his shape—broad shoulders, tall and imposing, and an eerie stillness that made my stomach churn.

I didn't need to see his face to feel the weight of his gaze. It was suffocating, pressing down on me like a physical force.

I took a step back, then another, my heart pounding louder with each movement. My instincts screamed at me to run, and I didn't need to be told twice. Spinning around, I bolted back into the house, slamming the door shut behind me.

My trembling fingers fumbled with the lock, twisting it into place after what felt like an eternity. I pressed my back against the door, chest heaving, my mind racing as the weight of what I'd just seen sank in.

Whoever that was, he wasn't just wandering around aimlessly. He wanted me to know he was there. He was playing some kind of sick game.

My hands shook as I grabbed my phone and dialed 911. The ringing felt endless, each second stretching into a lifetime. Finally, a calm voice answered on the other end.

"911, what's your emergency?"

"There's someone outside my house," I said, my voice shaky but clear. "He was standing in the woods, watching me."

"Are you inside the house now?" the operator asked, her tone steady and professional.

"Yes, I'm inside. I locked the door."

"Good. Stay where you are. Officers are on their way. Can you describe the person you saw?"

"I couldn't see his face," I admitted, swallowing hard. "He was tall… broad shoulders. Just standing there at the edge of the woods, watching me. He didn't say anything."

"All right. Keep the doors and windows locked, and stay on the line until the officers arrive."

I nodded, even though she couldn't see me. I paced back and forth in the living room, every creak of the floorboards beneath my feet making me flinch. The shadows stretched long and thin in the dim light, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I wasn't alone, even though I knew the doors were locked.

Minutes felt like hours, but finally, I saw the flashing red and blue lights cut through the darkness outside. Relief flooded through me as two officers approached the porch, their flashlights sweeping across the yard.

"Ma'am, we received your call," one of them said, his voice calm and authoritative. "Can you tell us exactly where you saw the person?"

I pointed toward the tree line. "He was right there, just standing at the edge of the woods."

The officers exchanged a glance before nodding and heading toward the spot I indicated. Their flashlights sliced through the darkness, illuminating the tangled underbrush.

I watched them from the window, my breath fogging up the glass as I leaned closer. Every second felt like an eternity as they combed through the area.

Finally, they returned to the porch, their expressions unreadable.

"We didn't find anyone," one of them said.

I blinked, the words not fully registering. "What? But I saw him. He was right there."

"There's no sign of anyone now," he continued, his tone careful, almost hesitant. "No footprints, nothing disturbed. Are you sure it wasn't an animal or a shadow?"

"No," I said firmly, my frustration bubbling to the surface. "It was a man. I know what I saw."

The other officer gave me a small, sympathetic smile. "It's possible whoever it was left before we got here. We'll patrol the area tonight, but we recommend keeping your doors locked and calling us again if you see anything unusual."

I nodded numbly, watching as they returned to their car and drove away. They didn't believe me. Not really.

I stood by the window long after the flashing lights disappeared, staring out into the dark woods. He was out there. I knew it.

I sighed heavily and sat down on my bed, the springs groaning under my weight. My room was dimly lit, the only light coming from the small lamp on my nightstand. The shadows danced on the walls, twisting and stretching like they were mocking me.

I thought about sleeping, but the idea seemed laughable. How could I possibly close my eyes, knowing that someone had been out there, watching me?

Or worse… knowing that he might still be out there, watching me even now.