SOON SERIES 1: Whispers In The Shadows

Chapter 2: The Stranger

Sarah's breath caught in her throat as the knock echoed through the house. She froze, her heart pounding so loudly she could hear it in her ears. She wasn't expecting anyone, especially not so soon after that strange encounter with the man in the van. Her fingers tightened around the note, and she briefly considered not answering the door at all.

But then the knock came again—soft, deliberate.

With shaking hands, Sarah grabbed her phone, debating whether to call Jason again, but something compelled her to check the door first. 

She moved quietly toward the front of the house, her feet barely making a sound on the hardwood floor. Reaching the door, she hesitated for a long moment before finally peering through the peephole.

A man stood on her porch, but it wasn't Jason. He was tall, wearing a dark coat despite the heat of the late afternoon. His head was lowered, and the porch light cast shadows over his face, making it difficult to see him.

Sarah's heart skipped a beat.

"Who is it?" she called through the door, her voice shaky but loud enough to be heard.

The man didn't answer right away. There was a long pause before he finally spoke. His voice was low, almost a whisper. "I'm here to warn you."

Sarah blinked, confusion mingling with fear. "Warn me? About what?"

The man shifted slightly, his movements slow and almost deliberate. His face was still obscured, but now that she was closer, Sarah could make out the paleness of his skin, the way his hands twitched nervously at his sides.

"He's coming," the man said softly, his voice laced with urgency.

"Who?" Sarah asked, her pulse quickening. "What are you talking about?"

The man's breath hitched, and for a moment, she thought he might turn and leave without answering. But then he stepped back, just enough for the porch light to illuminate part of his face. His features were gaunt, his eyes dark and hollow. There was something deeply unsettling about the way he looked at her as if he knew something she didn't.

"You need to be ready," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "You can't stop him. But you can survive. If you prepare."

Sarah felt a cold chill run down her spine. Her grip on the door tightened. "What do you mean? Who's coming?"

The man didn't answer. Instead, he took another step back, his face disappearing into the shadows again. Without another word, he turned and started walking down the steps, his footsteps eerily quiet on the gravel path.

"Wait!" Sarah called after him, but he didn't stop.

She unlocked the door and stepped out onto the porch, watching as the man disappeared into the night, swallowed by the darkness. There was no car, no sign of how he had gotten here. It was as if he had appeared out of nowhere.

Sarah stood frozen for a moment, her mind racing. Who was he? What had he meant by his warning? And why did his words leave her with the overwhelming sense that something terrible was about to happen?

She turned and hurried back inside, locking the door behind her again. The house, once her sanctuary,

now felt oppressive, the walls too close, the shadows too deep.

The note was still in her hand. She glanced down at it, the word soon staring back at her.

Her heart pounded in her chest.

What did he mean by soon?

TO BE CONTINUED