𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐌𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐒

Ep 4. Something in the Shadows

ྐ❤︎

The next few days passed in a blur. School, homework, the usual routine. But everything felt... off. It was like the air around me had changed, charged with something I couldn't name. And no matter what I did, my thoughts kept drifting back to him.

I hadn't seen him again since that brief, tense encounter outside of school, and part of me wondered if I should be relieved. He seemed to want to stay away, but I couldn't stop thinking about him. About the way he looked at me like there was something he wasn't saying. Like he knew something I didn't.

Mia, of course, hadn't let it go. Every day, she asked about him, about when we were going to "accidentally" run into him again. But I had a feeling that even if I wanted to, he wouldn't let it happen.

A Late Night Visit

It was Friday night when it happened again.

I had been lying in bed, headphones on, music blaring to drown out the noise in my head. But something made me stop. A strange feeling—a sense that I wasn't alone. I sat up, pulling the headphones off, and listened.

The house was quiet. Too quiet.

Then I heard it. A soft thud from outside, like something—or someone—was moving around near the house. My heart skipped a beat, and I tiptoed to the window, peering through the curtain.

There was someone standing on the sidewalk.

My breath caught in my throat. It was him.

He was standing there, half-hidden in the shadows, staring up at my house. His face was unreadable, his body still as if he was waiting for something. For me.

I quickly grabbed my hoodie and slipped outside, my footsteps almost silent against the grass. As I got closer, I could see his expression more clearly now—he looked tense, like he wasn't sure if he should be here.

"What are you doing?" I whispered, crossing my arms, feeling both nervous and annoyed.

He didn't answer right away, his eyes scanning the street around us as if he were searching for something... or someone.

"You shouldn't be out here," he said finally, his voice low. "It's late."

"You're the one standing outside my house in the middle of the night," I shot back, trying to hide the unease creeping up my spine.

He looked at me, and for a moment, I saw something different in his eyes—something almost... scared. But it was gone just as quickly as it appeared.

"I didn't mean to come," he muttered, almost to himself. "I just—"

I waited, my heart pounding in my chest.

"It's not safe," he said finally, his eyes meeting mine. "I told you before. You need to stay away from me."

His words hung in the air between us. You need to stay away from me.

I stepped closer, refusing to let the fear or confusion stop me. "Why do you keep saying that? You're the one who keeps showing up. First outside the school, now here." My voice was sharper than I intended, but I needed answers.

He ran a hand through his dark hair, looking frustrated. "I didn't mean for this to happen."

"For what to happen?" I pressed, not letting him get away with vague warnings anymore. "Why do you keep showing up like this? If you want me to stay away, then stop coming around."

He shook his head, as if arguing with himself internally. For a moment, he looked like he might actually tell me something, but then his expression hardened again. "I'm trying to protect you. That's all you need to know."

"From what?" I took another step closer, searching his face for any clue. "You keep saying I'm not safe, but you never tell me what's going on. Why is it dangerous to be around you?"

He exhaled sharply, his jaw tight. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

I narrowed my eyes. "Try me."

He hesitated for a long moment, his eyes locked on mine. Then, he took a step back, shaking his head again. "Just... stay inside. Lock your doors. Don't go out at night anymore."

And with that, he turned and disappeared into the shadows, leaving me standing there, frustrated and more confused than ever. I watched him go, my heart pounding.

What was he hiding? And why did it feel like he wasn't just protecting me from something outside—but from himself?

The Next Day: Strange Behavior

Saturday morning, Mia came over, as usual, for what was supposed to be a relaxing day of watching movies and doing absolutely nothing. But my mind was far from relaxed. I still couldn't shake what had happened the night before.

Mia noticed almost immediately.

"Alright, spill," she said, grabbing a soda from the fridge and flopping down next to me on the couch. "You've been acting weird all morning. What's going on?"

I debated for a second. I hadn't told Mia the full story about the boy, just the basics. The whole truth would sound insane.

"I saw him again," I said, finally breaking the silence.

Her eyes widened with excitement. "The guy from the other night? Tall, dark, and mysterious? Oh my god, what happened?"

I bit my lip, not sure how to explain. "He was outside my house last night. Late. And he keeps saying I shouldn't be around him, that it's dangerous."

Mia's smile faltered slightly. "Dangerous? Like, in what way?"

"I don't know," I said, shaking my head. "He won't tell me. He just keeps showing up and then pushing me away."

Mia frowned, her curiosity turning into concern. "That's... kind of weird, don't you think? I mean, maybe he's got issues or something. Are you sure he's not, like, stalking you?"

"I don't think so," I said quickly. "It doesn't feel like that. It's more like he's trying to keep me away from something."

Mia raised an eyebrow. "Something, or someone?"

I shrugged. "I don't know."

We sat in silence for a minute, Mia clearly processing everything. Finally, she leaned forward, her eyes bright with determination. "Okay, so we'll just have to figure it out. We can't let some brooding mystery guy freak you out like this. I say we get some answers."

"How?" I asked, genuinely curious.

Mia grinned. "Simple. Next time you see him, we follow him."

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Soooo what do you guys think??

Any opinions so far about the characters?

And not to mention, the girl with platinum blond hair and icy blue eyes.