The Watcher

CHAPTER 2

Lena woke up to the sound of her alarm blaring in her ear. She groggily reached over to turn it off, but her hand knocked against something unexpected - a camera.

She sat up, rubbing her eyes. What was a camera doing on her nightstand? She didn't remember putting it there.

As she looked closer, she saw that it was her old webcam, the one she used for video calls. But why was it facing her bed?

A shiver ran down her spine. She didn't like this one bit.

Lena tried to shake off the feeling, telling herself she must have set it up herself and forgotten. But as she looked around the room, she realized that something was off.

The window was open, and the curtains were blowing in the wind. She was sure she had closed it before going to bed.

A sense of unease crept over her. Had someone been in her room while she was sleeping?

Lena's heart racing, she decided to check the camera's footage. Maybe it would reveal what had happened during the night.

She connected the camera to her laptop and started playing back the recording. At first, it showed her sleeping peacefully. But then, something strange happened.

Lena's eyes widened as she watched herself get out of bed, walk to the camera, and smile. But it wasn't her usual smile - it was a creepy, knowing smile.

And then, she walked out of the room.

Lena's mind reeled. What was going on? She had no memory of getting up or smiling at the camera.

She felt a chill run down her spine. Something was very wrong.

Lena's eyes were fixed on the screen, her mind racing with questions. What was she doing in the video? Why did she smile like that? And where did she go after leaving the room?

She watched the footage again and again, trying to find answers. But there were none.

Suddenly, she heard a knock on the door. It was Rachel, her roommate.

"Hey, Lena, what's up? I saw your light on and thought I'd check in."

Lena hesitated, unsure if she should share what she had just seen. But something about Rachel's friendly face put her at ease.

"Come in," Lena said, gesturing to the laptop screen. "You need to see this."

Rachel walked over and watched the footage with Lena. Her expression changed from curious to concerned.

"What is this?" Rachel asked, her voice low. "You don't remember getting up or smiling like that?"

Lena shook her head. "No, I don't remember anything. It's like I was sleepwalking or something."

Rachel frowned. "But you're not a sleepwalker. And that smile... it's creepy."

Lena felt a shiver run down her spine. "I know. I don't know what's going on."

Rachel put a hand on her shoulder. "We'll figure it out, Lena. Together."

But as they sat there, trying to make sense of the footage, Lena couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off. Something was watching her, waiting for her to uncover the truth.