A whole week slipped by in a blur, but the unsettling feeling never left Mia. Every time she stepped outside, a shiver crawled down her spine, the distinct sensation of being watched clinging to her like a second skin.
The only reprieve came when she visited Eliza at home. In her presence, the oppressive feeling lifted, leaving Mia with a fragile sense of peace. But the moment she stepped away, it crept back, relentless and cold.
Today, as Mia sat on one of the benches near the school gate, her head on a swivel, she suddenly perked up. Her eyes caught sight of Eliza, walking through the gates with a bandage wrapped neatly around her arm. Aside from that, she looked almost entirely healed.
"Eli!" Mia called out, waving her over.
Eliza's head snapped up, her eyes locking onto Mia. A warm smile spread across her face as she approached, though her steps seemed slower than usual.
When she reached Mia, she plopped down beside her, exhaling deeply.
"Are you sure you're feeling well enough to come back?" Mia asked, her tone laced with concern. She remembered vividly how pale and injured Eliza had looked when she'd visited her after the accident. Eliza hadn't been thrilled to see her there but hadn't turned her away either.
"I'm feeling better, thanks," Eliza said, brushing off the concern with a wave of her hand. "Well enough to be here."
Despite her words, Mia could see the exhaustion etched into her friend's face.
Mia studied Eliza for a moment, then glanced around. The air felt... lighter. The constant chill that had plagued her for the past week was gone, replaced by a rare sense of normalcy.
"I'm so thankful you're here," Mia murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, more to herself than Eliza.
Eliza's head snapped toward her, her expression shifting to one of alarm.
"What do you mean?" she asked, her voice tight. "You've never been this happy to see me before."
Mia hesitated, suddenly self-conscious. She let out a nervous laugh, scratching the back of her neck.
"You're going to think I'm crazy—honestly, I feel a little crazy myself—but ever since my talk with Matt, I've felt like someone's been watching me."
She side-eyed Eliza, gauging her reaction.
Eliza's expression shifted, her lips pressing into a thin line as her gaze sharpened. The warm, easy smile from moments ago was gone, replaced by something unreadable.
"Watching you?" she echoed, her voice calm but edged with something that made Mia's stomach twist. "What makes you think that?"
Mia hesitated, suddenly unsure if she should have said anything. The last thing she wanted was for Eliza to think she was losing it. But the words were already out, and the weight of the past week was too much to keep bottled up any longer.
"I don't know," Mia admitted, her voice shaky. She glanced away, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her sleeve. "It's just... this feeling. Like someone's there, even when there's no one. Especially when I'm alone."
Eliza stayed quiet, her expression unreadable as she studied Mia.
"And it's not just that," Mia continued, the words spilling out now.
"I keep finding these... these feathers. At school, on my balcony—" She broke off, glancing at Eliza nervously. "I know it sounds insane, but they're not normal. They're huge, and—"
"What kind of feathers?" Eliza cut in, her voice low and deliberate.
Mia blinked, taken aback by the sudden intensity in her tone.
YOU ARE READING
Secrets
VampireMia thought her life couldn't get any worse-until a deadly encounter leaves her marked by a venomous bite and bound to an ancient, dark power. Plagued by strange visions and hunted by creatures she once believed were myth, Mia is pulled into a hidde...
