Whispers in the Dark

Ahiya's Tale: A Night of Fear Part 1

Chapter name : Can you hear my Whispers?

It was a typical day, or at least it was supposed to be.

I had finished my part-time shift at the bakery and was thinking about the butter cake cooling on the kitchen counter back home. I made it especially for Fia and Sean, my siblings. Fia, my 18-year-old sister, had been stressed with her upcoming college entrance exams, and Sean, my 12-year-old brother, had been withdrawn lately, spending more time in his room. Maybe the cake would lift their spirits.

Life had been hard since Mom died giving birth to Sean. Dad couldn't handle it. The grief and the loneliness turned him into a shadow of the man he used to be. He started using drugs, spiraling deeper and deeper into his addiction until one day, he was gone too. I was just 16 then, forced to grow up fast. From that moment on, I was the one responsible for keeping our family together. I've worked multiple part-time jobs since, trying to make sure my siblings never went hungry.

Tonight felt heavier though. I couldn't quite place why.

It was 11:28 p.m., and the bakery was quiet. Not a soul had come in for the last hour, and the soft hum of the refrigerator was the only sound breaking the silence. The night felt unnerving still, the kind of stillness that presses in on you, making you hyper-aware of every breath you take. I had been in the bakery late plenty of times before, but tonight the quiet felt different. More oppressive.

I sighed, reaching for the sign on the door to flip it from "Open" to "Closed." But just as my hand brushed the glass, the door flew open with a loud crash, sending me stumbling back. I hit the ground hard, my elbow knocking painfully against the floor. Before I could even process what was happening, a man stumbled into the bakery.

He was wearing a mask, his face hidden except for his eyes—wide, terrified eyes. His body was tense, like a spring about to snap, and in his trembling hand, he held a gun.

"Help me," he rasped, his voice hoarse and filled with desperation. "Please... help me..."

His voice faltered, and before I could move, before I could think, he collapsed to the ground, the gun slipping from his fingers and skidding across the floor.

Blood.

It was everywhere. His shirt was soaked, dark and sticky, and as I scrambled to get up, I saw it—my hands, smeared with his blood. My breath hitched. My heart pounded in my chest so hard it hurt.

What just happened?

The man lay there motionless, his breaths shallow and uneven. His eyes, now glazed over with pain, flickered to me. He reached out weakly, his blood-slicked fingers brushing my ankle.

"Please," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "They're coming..."

My body went cold. Who was coming?

I glanced at the door, my mind racing. I should call someone, the police, anyone—but what if they were already here?

Suddenly, headlights swept across the front of the bakery. A car. No, two cars. They screeched to a halt outside, and I heard the doors slam, and quick footsteps on the pavement. Fear seized me.

I backed away from the man, my breath catching in my throat. What if they saw me? What if they thought I did this?

The front door swung open, and I barely had time to duck behind the counter before I saw them. Three men, all wearing dark clothes, their faces hidden beneath hooded jackets. They moved quickly, scanning the room with sharp, practiced eyes. One of them spotted the man on the floor immediately.

"He's here!" one of them barked. "Get him!"

They rushed forward, surrounding the man who was now barely conscious. I held my breath, heart hammering so loudly I was sure they would hear it. I prayed they wouldn't see me hiding, crouched like a frightened animal behind the counter.

One of the men grabbed the injured guy by his collar, lifting him up effortlessly.

"You were told to keep quiet," the hooded man snarled. "But you had to run your mouth, didn't you?"

The injured man groaned, his head lolling to the side. "Please..." he whimpered. "I didn't..."

The man holding him laughed, a cruel, cold sound that sent a chill down my spine. "Too late for that, friend."

In one swift motion, he drew a knife from his jacket. My breath hitched in my throat. They weren't here to save him—they were here to finish him off.

I wanted to scream, to shout, to stop what was happening, but my body refused to cooperate. Every muscle was frozen in place, paralyzed by terror.

Then, something unexpected happened.

The injured man, with the last of his strength, grabbed the gun from the floor. He swung it wildly, and a shot rang out, deafening in the small bakery. One of the hooded men screamed, clutching his arm as blood spurted out from the wound.

Chaos erupted. The injured man tried to crawl away, but the others were on him in an instant. One of them kicked him viciously, sending the gun skidding across the floor again. This time, it landed near me.

My heart raced. Do I grab it?

I hesitated.

But then one of the men noticed the movement behind the counter. His eyes locked onto mine. "Hey! There's someone here!"

Before I could think, I grabbed the gun, my hands slick with the blood still coating them. My fingers fumbled with the cold metal, but I aimed it as best I could, my body trembling from head to toe.

"Stay back!" I shouted, my voice cracking. "I swear, I'll shoot!"

For a moment, they paused, their eyes narrowing as they sized me up. Then, without warning, the man closest to me lunged.

I pulled the trigger.

The sound was deafening, and the recoil nearly knocked me back, but the bullet hit its mark. The man crumpled to the ground, groaning in pain.

The others froze, uncertainty flashing in their eyes.

I didn't wait for them to make a decision. I grabbed the nearest object—a rolling pin from the counter—and sprinted for the back door, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might burst.

I burst out into the night, the cold air stinging my lungs as I ran. I didn't stop. I didn't look back.

All I could think was: I have to get home. Fia. Sean. They need me.

And I couldn't let them down—not now. Not ever.

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If you want to continue reading Suspenseful and thriller series. Continue from Ahiya's Tale part 2.