The night was heavy with tension, the kind that crept into the bones and made the skin prickle. Nowa leaned against the cracked stone wall of the abandoned building, his breath visible in the cool night air. He could hear the faint rustle of leaves, the whisper of the wind, and somewhere far off, the distant sound of a dog barking. The city seemed far away, and for a moment, he felt completely isolated, alone with his thoughts.
He checked his watch—8:50 PM. He had arrived early to scout the place, to make sure there were no surprises. The building, an old theater that had been left to decay years ago, was dark and dilapidated. It smelled of mold and dust, the roof partially caved in, casting eerie shadows along the cracked walls. Nowa felt a shiver run down his spine. He wasn’t superstitious, but he knew better than to ignore the stories—the whispered rumors of strange happenings here after dark. Still, he had chosen this place for a reason. He wanted Cessy cornered, with nowhere to hide.
He paced the length of the empty room, trying to keep his thoughts focused. Tomorrow, everything might be different. Either he’d find out Cessy’s secrets or confirm his paranoia had gotten the better of him. He needed to know, but he couldn’t deny the gnawing fear that gripped his gut.
A noise from outside snapped him to attention—a soft shuffle of footsteps. He froze, listening. The sound grew louder, approaching the entrance. Nowa clenched his fists, forcing himself to stay calm. Then, a silhouette appeared in the doorway.
It was Cessy.
She stepped inside, her face partly obscured by shadows, her expression unreadable. She wore a simple jacket, her hands tucked into her pockets as if she was trying to keep warm. For a moment, they stood there in silence, staring at each other, the air thick with tension.
“You came,” Nowa said, his voice low, almost a whisper.
Cessy nodded. “Of course, I did. You wanted to talk.” Her eyes flickered around the room, taking in the crumbling walls, the broken windows, and the graffiti that covered the surfaces. “Interesting choice of place,” she added, her tone casual but wary.
Nowa shrugged. “I thought we needed somewhere… private.”
Cessy’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Private for what, exactly? What’s this really about, Nowa?”
He took a step closer, his expression intense. “It’s about you, Cessy. And who you really are.”
She blinked, her face carefully neutral. “What do you mean? I’m exactly who I say I am.”
Nowa shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. I’ve been watching you, Cessy. You’ve been following me, too, haven’t you? Trying to get close, trying to learn things. Why?”
Cessy’s lips curled into a small, mysterious smile. “Maybe I’m just curious.”
“Curious?” Nowa echoed, his eyes narrowing. “Or is it something else? Something you’re not telling me?”
She took a step closer, her smile fading. “You’re paranoid, Nowa. Why would I be hiding something from you? What could I possibly gain from that?”
Nowa’s voice hardened. “I don’t know, but I intend to find out.”
Cessy sighed, her expression softening into something almost sad. “You’ve been keeping secrets too, Nowa. You’ve been watching me just as much as I’ve been watching you. Why?”
For a moment, Nowa hesitated, unsure how to respond. “Because you’re not… normal,” he finally said. “You’re different. And I don’t know if I can trust you.”
Cessy laughed softly, the sound echoing off the walls. “What’s normal, really? Everyone has secrets, things they don’t want others to know. Including you.”
Nowa’s jaw tightened. “That’s different.”
“Is it?” she challenged, stepping closer. “We’re not so different, you and I. We both have things we hide, things we fear others will find out.”
Nowa felt his pulse quicken. She was too calm, too confident. “Then tell me your secret,” he pressed. “Why have you been watching me?”
Cessy’s expression shifted, a flicker of something like fear passing through her eyes. “Maybe I wanted to know if you were like me,” she murmured. “If you felt the same… pull.”
Nowa frowned. “What pull?”
Cessy hesitated, her gaze piercing his. “The pull to the unknown, to the shadows, to the things most people are afraid to look at, to understand. I’ve seen it in your eyes, Nowa. You’re searching for something, just like me.”
He stared at her, his mind racing. “And what is it you think I’m searching for?”
Cessy’s smile returned, faint and knowing. “The truth.”
Nowa’s heart pounded in his chest. “And you? What truth are you looking for?”
Her eyes softened, almost tender. “The kind that answers questions you don’t even know you have yet.”
Nowa felt a chill run down his spine. Her words were vague, cryptic, but there was something in them that resonated with a part of him he didn’t like to acknowledge. “You’re speaking in riddles,” he said, frustration lacing his tone. “Why can’t you just be straightforward?”
Cessy took a deep breath. “Because the truth is never straightforward, Nowa. It twists and turns, and sometimes, it’s buried so deep, you have to dig through a lot of darkness to find it.”
Nowa studied her, his mind spinning with questions. “Then help me understand,” he urged. “Why me? Why this place? What are you hiding?”
Cessy’s expression grew serious, and for a moment, she seemed to consider his words carefully. “I’m not hiding, Nowa. I’m just waiting… for you to be ready to see.”
“See what?”
Before she could answer, a loud creak echoed through the room, and a door in the far corner, one Nowa hadn’t noticed before, slowly began to swing open, revealing a dark hallway beyond. They both turned, startled by the sudden noise.
“What is that?” Nowa asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Cessy’s eyes were wide, her breath shallow. “I don’t know,” she replied, and for the first time, she looked genuinely afraid.
Nowa’s instinct screamed at him to leave, to turn and run, but his feet stayed planted. “Come on,” he said, his voice tight. “Let’s see where it leads.”
Cessy hesitated, then nodded, her face tense with apprehension. Together, they moved toward the darkened hallway, the air growing colder with each step. The shadows seemed to stretch and shift as they approached, and Nowa felt his heart hammering in his chest.
The truth was out there, waiting in the dark. And whether it was what he feared, or something entirely different, he knew there was no turning back now.
YOU ARE READING
Obsessed with you
Mystery / Thriller"POV of Cessy Cessy was an ordinary girl in her final year of college, but her life was consumed by an extraordinary fixation. She was captivated by Nowa, a classmate who seemed to embody everything she desired. Every glance he cast, every word he s...
