Strange Feeling

Lyra is now sixteen. Her father, after a seven-year hospital stay, had returned home when she was fourteen. 

She vividly remembered the frantic call from the hospital, the surge of hope, and then the jarring reality of her father's return. He woke up a changed man, his eyes wide with terror, scanning the room as if searching for a hidden threat. He'd become violent when the doctors tried to restrain him, only calming down when he saw her mother, Sarah. He clung to her, muttering incoherently, a broken man seeking solace.

The diagnosis was post-traumatic stress disorder. Sarah, initially furious and disbelieving, eventually accepted the reality. Bringing him home was a challenge. He'd constantly ask about Lyra, refusing to believe the fourteen-year old, young woman before him was his daughter. He'd accuse Sarah of lying, claiming she'd lost their child to "the thing," a phrase he uttered with a shudder. 

It took months for him to accept that the fourteen-year-old Lyra was indeed his daughter. But even then, the nightmares began, haunting him and, in turn, haunting Lyra.

Now, a sixteen-year-old Lyra dozed in class, the weight of her father's trauma pressing down on her.

"Lyra!" Mrs. Lighthood's sharp voice jolted her awake. "Please answer the question." Lyra stared at the textbook, then at the teacher, then down at her desk in shame. "Detention," Mrs. Lighthood declared. Shit, Lyra thought, cursing her fatigue.

Finally, lunchtime arrived, and Lyra escaped the classroom. In the cafeteria, she found her two best friends, Maya and Sky.

"Hey, bad girl! I heard you got detention today," Sky teased.

Lyra rolled her eyes. " It's not my fault Dad's been having nightmares again."

Maya looked at her with concern. "You guys really need to get him to a psychiatrist, you know."

Lyra sighed. "I know, but he… he has a hard time letting go of his fear." They all understood what she meant. 

They shared a laugh, a brief respite from the heaviness of their lives.

School ended, and the trio walked together, chatting excitedly about the party that night. At a fork in the path, they parted ways. Lyra arrived home and told her parents about the party. 

Her mother gave her permission, but her father's reaction was unsettling. He muttered about "the thing" and the dangers lurking in the night, his eyes filled with a familiar fear. Lyra promised she'd be careful, kissed his cheek, and went to her room to get ready.

As she dressed, a nervous flutter settled in her stomach. She couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had been growing since her father's relapse. It wasn't just his fear, it was a feeling, a prickling on the back of her neck, as if she were being watched. 

But it wasn't a normal feeling of being watched. It was…different. More intense. More knowing.

She chose a simple but stylish dress, applied light makeup, and headed out.

At the party, the music pulsed, the air thick with the scent of sweat and cheap perfume. She met up with Maya and Sky, and they joined the throng of dancers. Maya pulled her aside. "Remember what I told you," she whispered, her eyes serious. "Don't trust any of these guys, and definitely don't go off alone with them."

They danced and sang along to their favorite songs until they were overheated. They decided to head outside to the pool. They were laughing at the antics of some drunken party goers when Maya suddenly stopped. 

She sniffed the air, her eyes narrowing. She looked across the pool and focused on a nerdy guy from Sky's class, who was sitting alone, reading a book. Who reads a book at a party, Maya thought. A low growl rumbled in Maya's throat. "Mate," she breathed, the word sending shivers down Lyra's spine.

Sky, surprisingly, didn't seem at all surprised. Lyra looked from Maya to Sky, confused. The nerdy guy looked up, his eyes widening in shock as he met Maya's gaze. He slowly walked towards her, as if approaching a wild animal. Maya met him halfway, and they embraced tightly.Weird, Lyra thought.

Maya pulled back, a blush creeping up her neck. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. They chatted for a few minutes, exchanging numbers. Lyra turned to Sky, who was watching them with a strange, longing expression. "Whats wrong?" she asked.

Sky blinked, seeming to snap out of a trance. "Nothing," he said, too quickly.

Maya returned, beaming. "What's got you so happy?" Lyra asked.

Maya just blushed harder. "Nothing," she repeated.

The night continued, but Lyra couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. It was more than just paranoia, it was a cold, unsettling certainty. It felt… intentional. 

Like the watcher knew her, understood her, was toying with her. She felt it in the way the shadows seemed to deepen around the edges of the party, in the sudden lulls in the music, in the way some of the party goers' eyes lingered on her just a little too long, not with lust or interest, but with something darker, something knowing. 

She decided it was time to go home. As she walked through the quiet streets, the feeling intensified. 

She glanced into the woods bordering the path and saw two glowing red eyes staring back at her. They weren't just animal eyes, they were intelligent, predatory, ancient. And they held a secret, a promise of something terrible to come.

She froze, unable to move or scream, paralyzed by fear. 

Then, the creature lunged. 

This time, the feeling wasn't just unease or terror. This time, it was a chilling certainty. She was hunted.