Whispers of The Unseen

Aftermath

The moment I stepped into my house, I collapsed against the door, my hands trembling as I fumbled to lock it behind me. My breath came in shallow, ragged bursts, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't seem to catch it. Jenna's face was burned into my mind, her scream echoing over and over. The blood-so much blood.

I should have done something. I should have saved her. But all I did was stand there, frozen, while Ghostface butchered her. And then he looked at me-stared at me like he knew something, like he was waiting for something.

But he didn't kill me. Why didn't he kill me?

I sank to the floor, my back pressed against the door. The house was dark, the only sound the pounding of my heart in my ears. I knew I needed to call Theo or Max, but my hands wouldn't stop shaking. What was I supposed to say? How could I explain that Ghostface had killed Jenna right in front of me-and let me walk away?

It didn't make sense.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, making me jump. For a second, I thought it might be him again-Ghostface. But when I pulled it out, Theo's name lit up the screen.

I hesitated, my thumb hovering over the answer button, before I finally hit it. "H-Hello?"

"Aria?" Theo's voice was tight with concern. "Where are you? Max and I went by your house, but you weren't there. Are you okay?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but the words caught in my throat. No, I wasn't okay. I didn't know if I would ever be okay again.

"Aria?" Theo's voice was more urgent now, and I could hear Max in the background asking what was going on. "Talk to me. What happened?"

"I..." My voice cracked, and I swallowed hard, forcing the words out. "Jenna. She's dead. Ghostface... He killed her."

There was silence on the other end of the line, the kind that stretched on just long enough to make my skin crawl. I could hear Theo breathing, but he didn't say anything right away. When he finally spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. "Where are you right now?"

"I'm at home," I said, my voice small. "I- I didn't know where else to go."

"Stay there. Don't move. We're coming over right now."

He hung up before I could respond, leaving me alone in the silence of my house again. My body felt numb, like I wasn't really in it anymore. Like this was all happening to someone else, and I was just watching from a distance.

I stayed on the floor by the door, my arms wrapped around my knees as I rocked back and forth. Jenna's last moments played on a loop in my mind-the way Ghostface had stood over her, the way he had watched me, like he was waiting for something.

That feeling I'd had when he looked at me... It was back. That strange mix of fear and excitement, that twisted rush of adrenaline that made me feel more alive than I had in weeks. It was sick and wrong, but I couldn't deny it. There was a part of me that had wanted to run, to survive, but there was another part that had been frozen in place-not by fear, but by the thrill of it all.

I was still trying to make sense of it when the door flew open, and Theo and Max came rushing in.

Theo knelt down beside me, his eyes wide with concern. "Aria, what happened? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," I mumbled, my voice hollow. "He didn't touch me."

Max hovered nearby, his jaw clenched tight. "Where was this? Where did it happen?"

"On Crestview, by the park." I rubbed my hands together, trying to warm them up, but the cold had settled deep into my bones. "We were walking home, and he came out of nowhere. He... killed Jenna. But he just stood there, staring at me."

Max exchanged a glance with Theo, his expression dark. "Did he say anything? Did he do anything to you?"

I shook my head. "No. He just... left."

Theo looked at me like he was trying to figure something out, like there was a piece of the puzzle he couldn't quite place. "You said he just stared at you?"

I nodded, swallowing hard. "Like he was waiting for something."

Max ran a hand through his hair, his face twisted in frustration. "This doesn't make sense. Why would he kill Jenna but leave you alone?"

"I don't know," I whispered, my voice cracking. "I don't know why he didn't kill me."

For a moment, none of us said anything. The weight of what had just happened hung in the air between us, heavy and oppressive. Theo reached out and took my hand, his grip firm but gentle. "You're safe now, okay? We're not leaving you alone. We'll figure this out."

I nodded, though deep down, I wasn't sure I believed him. Nothing felt safe anymore.

Max paced across the room, his fists clenched. "We need to call the cops. Report what happened."

"I know," I said softly, still feeling dazed. "But will it even matter? He's still out there, and no one can leave the town. We're trapped."

Theo squeezed my hand. "We'll deal with this together, Aria. We're not letting him get to you."

But even as he said the words, I couldn't shake the feeling that Ghostface was still watching, lurking somewhere in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike again.

And the worst part was-I wasn't sure I wanted to run from it anymore.