I gripped the steering wheel, my knuckles white as I stared out at the empty parking lot. My mind was spinning, trying to make sense of what I'd just seen. There had been no one around me when I parked. I was sure of it. But now... the figure in the photo—the same figure from my apartment—was here, following me.
I slowly reached for the door handle, my breath shallow as I scanned my surroundings. The sun was creeping higher, casting long shadows across the lot, making everything feel distorted and wrong. I couldn't tell where the shadows ended and the figure might begin.
As I stepped out of the car, I half-expected something to lunge at me, but there was nothing. Only silence. The only sound was the faint hum of the diner's neon sign and my own erratic breathing. My instincts screamed at me to run, but run where? Whatever this was, it had followed me here. It could find me again.
I looked back at the diner. The windows were foggy, the few early-morning customers oblivious to my panic. For a moment, I considered running inside, locking the door, and staying among people, but something told me it wouldn't matter. The figure had already made its move.
With shaking hands, I reopened my laptop, desperate to find something—anything—that might help. I pulled up the new photo again, this time forcing myself to study it. The figure, once again blurry and indistinct, seemed to be getting closer, its form slightly more defined than it had been in the first photo. Its posture was strange—almost like it was leaning forward, as if about to step out of the shadows and into the light.
Then, I noticed something else. In the corner of the photo, reflected in the glass of the diner's front door, was my car. And in the reflection, sitting in the backseat, was a shadow.
My stomach flipped. It was in the car with me.
A cold rush of panic shot through my body, and I stumbled backward, away from the vehicle. My mind screamed at me to run, but my legs felt like they were made of lead. I turned my gaze toward the car window, half-expecting to see something moving inside, but there was nothing. The shadow in the photo hadn't manifested in reality. Not yet.
I couldn't just stand here. I needed help. I needed answers.
Gripping the laptop tightly, I made a decision. I raced toward the diner, my feet pounding the pavement. Bursting through the doors, I looked wildly around at the small group of customers and the tired-looking waitress behind the counter. They stared at me, confused, but none of them had any idea what was following me. I didn't care how crazy I sounded anymore—I needed to talk to someone who could help me figure out what this thing was.
I approached the counter, my voice barely steady as I asked, "Is there anyone here who's seen something... strange? Something that doesn't belong?"
The waitress frowned at me, clearly concerned. "Strange how, honey?"
Before I could answer, the bell above the door jingled.
I turned, my heart hammering in my chest.
But no one had entered.
The door swung gently on its hinges, the shadows behind me lengthening as if something had come inside without being seen.
