SOON SERIES 1: Whispers In The Shadows

Chapter 3: Unwelcome Guests

The man's cryptic words replayed in Sarah's mind as she paced her living room, clutching the note in her trembling hand. "You need to be ready. You can't stop him." She had no idea what to make of the encounter—who he was or why the man seemed so frightened—but one thing was clear: this was no prank.

She stared out the window. The woods, usually a source of peace, now looked menacing, the trees casting long shadows as the evening grew darker. The isolation that had once comforted her now felt like a trap. A sudden, irrational thought crossed her mind: What if he's watching me right now?

Her phone buzzed on the coffee table, and Sarah nearly jumped out of her skin. She grabbed it, her heart racing. It was Jason.

"Hey," his voice was calm, a stark contrast to her frayed nerves. "I'm on my way. Should be there in about thirty minutes."

"Jason..." Sarah's voice trembled, and she realized just how scared she was. "Someone else came by."

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line. "Who?"

"I don't know," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "Some guy. He knocked on the door and... he told me I needed to get ready for something. He said someone's coming for me."

"Wait, what? Did he say who?"

"No," she said, glancing out the window again. "He just said I needed to prepare. That I can't stop whoever it is, but I might survive if I do something. I don't understand, Jason. It felt real—he looked.......scared."

Jason was quiet for a moment, and Sarah could almost hear the gears turning in his head. "Sarah, listen. Lock all the doors and windows. Don't let anyone else in. I'll be there soon, okay? We'll figure this out."

"Okay," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Just hurry."

After hanging up, Sarah did as Jason instructed, double-checking every lock in the house. Her fingers fumbled with the deadbolts as her nerves frayed further with each passing second. The house felt too quiet now, as if the world outside had paused, waiting for something to happen.

By the time she returned to the living room, her eyes were darting to every shadow, every corner. She could feel her fear bubbling up to the surface, and no matter how much she tried to calm herself, it only grew stronger. What was happening to her?

She glanced at the note again. That single word—*soon*—mocked her from the page. A chill ran down her spine. She didn't want to admit it, but there was something sinister about it. Not just the word itself, but the way it was written. It was almost too perfect, too deliberate. Like someone had taken great care to send her a message, a warning.

The minutes dragged on, and the house felt colder, the darkness outside creeping closer to the windows. Sarah couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. Her eyes kept drifting toward the trees at the edge of her property. She knew there was no one out there—at least, she hoped there wasn't—but the feeling of being observed was undeniable.

Then came the knock.

It was soft, almost hesitant, but it cut through the silence like a gunshot. Sarah froze, her heart pounding in her chest. For a moment, she thought she had imagined it, but then it came again—two short, precise knocks.

She didn't move. The fear that had been simmering in her gut now spiked into full-blown panic. Who would be knocking at this hour? Jason wasn't supposed to arrive for another twenty minutes, and he'd have called first.

Slowly, Sarah made her way to the door, her hands shaking as she reached for the handle. She peered through the peephole.

Nobody was there.

Her pulse raced. She waited, holding her breath, praying she wouldn't hear the knock again. But after a few seconds of silence, she backed away from the door. It's nothing, she told herself. It's just the wind or an animal. But deep down, she didn't believe that.

The knock came again—this time louder, more insistent.

Sarah's breath caught in her throat. She rushed to the kitchen, grabbing a knife from the block, the cold metal grounding her slightly. She stood in the middle of the room, listening intently. The knock didn't come again, but she was sure she could hear faint footsteps outside, circling the house.

Her phone buzzed on the counter, and she nearly dropped the knife in surprise. It was Jason.

"Jason, where are you?" she whispered frantically into the phone.

"Almost there," he replied. "What's going on? You sound freaked out."

"Someone's knocking on the door," she said, her voice shaking. "But there's no one there when I check. And now I think I hear footsteps outside."

Jason's voice sharpened with concern. "Stay inside. Don't open the door for anyone, even if they knock again. I'm just a few minutes away."

Sarah clutched the phone tightly, nodding even though Jason couldn't see her. "Hurry," she whispered.

As she waited, Sarah kept her eyes trained on the windows, her heart pounding in her ears. Every rustle of leaves, every creak of the house, sent a fresh wave of terror through her. She glanced down at the note once more, now crumpled slightly in her hand.

Soon.

The word took on a new meaning now, a promise rather than a vague threat. She wasn't sure who—or what—was coming, but she knew it wouldn't be good.

A loud crash from outside jolted her from her thoughts. Sarah rushed to the window and peered through the curtains, her breath catching in her throat.

Her car, parked in the driveway, had been smashed. The windshield was shattered, glass littering the ground like broken diamonds. But there was no one there. No sign of who—or what—had done it.

Panic surged through her veins. She grabbed her phone again, ready to call Jason, but just as she was about to dial, headlights cut through the darkness, illuminating the driveway. Relief flooded her as she recognized Jason's truck pulling up.

She ran to the door, unlocking it just as Jason stepped onto the porch.

"Sarah, what the hell happened?" he asked, his eyes wide as he took in the sight of her car.

"I don't know," she stammered, her voice shaky. "It just... happened. I didn't see anyone, but someone's been knocking on the door, and there were footsteps outside."

Jason's face darkened. "Let's get inside," he said, his voice tense.

They went inside, and Jason immediately began checking all the windows and doors, ensuring everything was locked tight. Sarah hovered near the kitchen table, her heart still racing. She handed Jason the note, her hands trembling slightly as he took it.

Jason frowned as he read the single word. "What the hell is this?"

"I don't know," Sarah said, running a hand through her hair. "That guy in the van dropped it off earlier. Then the other man came to the door, warning me about something. And now..." She gestured toward the shattered car outside. "Now this."

Jason rubbed the back of his neck, his face troubled. "Okay, this is getting out of hand. We need to call the police."

Sarah hesitated. "What are we going to tell them? That some guy knocked on my door and gave me a note that says 'soon'? They won't take it seriously."

Jason sighed. "They'll take the car seriously. Someone vandalized your property. That's enough to get them involved."

He pulled out his phone and dialed, his jaw clenched as he waited for the dispatcher to pick up. Sarah paced the room, the weight of the note heavy in her pocket. She couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning.

TO BE CONTINUED