SOON SERIES 1: Whispers In The Shadows

Chapter 4: Shadows in the Dark

The static crackle of Jason's voice filled the living room as he spoke with the dispatcher, explaining the situation. Sarah tried to focus on his words, but her mind was racing. Every corner of the house felt threatening, every shadow held a potential danger. The silence between Jason's sentences made her stomach churn with unease.

Jason's voice broke through. "Yeah, there's been a break-in attempt, and her car's been vandalized," he said, his tone firm but controlled. "We're pretty isolated out here. I don't think we can wait too long for someone to show up. You need to send someone now."

The dispatcher's voice was muffled, but Sarah could make out a promise of a patrol car being dispatched within the hour. It wasn't soon enough. She could feel it in her bones—something was coming. The sense of impending doom that had been simmering in her chest all day was about to boil over.

Jason hung up and turned to her, his face a mix of frustration and concern. "They're sending someone, but it'll take time. It's too far out."

"An hour?" Sarah shook her head. "That's too long. What if—"

"Hey," Jason interrupted, his voice softening. "I'm here now. I'm not going to let anything happen to you, okay?"

Sarah wanted to believe him. Jason had always been the protector, ever since they were kids. But this? This felt different. This wasn't just a broken window or a prank phone call. This was something far more sinister, and neither of them understood what they were up against.

She glanced out the window again, the shattered glass from her car glittering under the moonlight. "We need to figure out what this is. Who would do this, Jason? Who would send that note?"

"I don't know," he admitted, his brow furrowing. "But we're not dealing with this alone. Once the cops get here, we'll have more eyes on it."

Sarah wasn't so sure. A police patrol was comforting, but it felt like the wrong answer. Whoever—or whatever—was behind this didn't seem like someone the police could stop.

Suddenly, a loud thump echoed from the back of the house.

Sarah and Jason both froze, their eyes locking in mutual terror.

"What was that?" Sarah whispered, her pulse quickening.

Jason's face hardened. "Stay here."

Before Sarah could argue, Jason grabbed the kitchen knife she had left on the table and made his way toward the back of the house. Sarah wanted to follow, but her legs felt like they were rooted to the floor. Her heart pounded in her ears as Jason's footsteps grew softer and softer, disappearing into the hallway that led to the bedrooms.

She stood there, motionless, every second stretching into eternity. She strained to hear any sign of what had caused the noise, but the house was silent once more as if the sound had never existed.

Then, a voice. Faint, distant.

"Sarah..."

She blinked, her breath catching in her throat. It was barely a whisper, but it was unmistakable. Her name was spoken softly, almost tenderly, from somewhere deeper within the house.

"Jason?" she called out, her voice trembling.

No answer.

"Jason!" she tried again, louder this time, her voice cracking.

Still nothing.

Sarah's stomach dropped as she realized the voice hadn't sounded like Jason. It was different, softer, almost... familiar, but not in a comforting way. Her mind raced, grasping for some logical explanation, but all she could think about was the man who had come to her door earlier. You can't stop him. But you can survive if you prepare.

She swallowed hard, her eyes darting to the hallway where Jason had disappeared. Her legs moved before she could think, carrying her forward with the phone still clutched in her hand. She had to find him. She couldn't just stand there.

The hallway stretched before her like a dark tunnel. The shadows seemed to shift and crawl along the walls, and Sarah's breath quickened as she reached the door to her bedroom, the source of the noise. The door was slightly ajar.

She hesitated, her hand hovering over the door handle, but then she steeled herself and pushed it open.

The room was empty.

The window, which had been firmly shut earlier, was now wide open, the thin curtain billowing in the night breeze. A cold rush of air hit her face, sending a shiver down her spine. She stepped forward, her eyes scanning the room. Jason was nowhere to be found.

Her breath hitched. "Jason?" she whispered, her voice trembling.

A soft scraping sound came from behind the bed. Sarah's heart stopped. She tightened her grip on the phone, her finger hovering over the call button. She stepped closer to the bed, her pulse pounding in her throat.

As she rounded the corner, her breath caught in her throat. Jason was lying on the floor, his eyes wide open, staring up at the ceiling.

For a moment, she thought he was dead.

"Jason!" she dropped to her knees, grabbing his arm and shaking him. "Jason, wake up!"

His eyes flicked to hers, and she felt a wave of relief, but it was short-lived. Jason looked dazed, his face pale, and he groaned softly as if he was trying to speak but couldn't find the words.

"What happened?" she whispered frantically, her hands shaking as she helped him sit up. "Did you see anything?"

Jason blinked slowly, his gaze unfocused. "I... I don't know," he muttered. "I heard something and... then everything went dark."

Sarah swallowed hard, glancing around the room again. There was no sign of anyone else, no indication of how Jason had ended up on the floor. But the open window loomed large in her mind, like a gaping wound in the safety of the house.

"Someone's here," she whispered. "Someone's in the house."

Jason struggled to his feet, leaning heavily on Sarah for support. His head was still swimming, but his eyes sharpened at her words. "We need to get out of here," he said, his voice hoarse.

Sarah nodded, her heart racing. "But where? We can't just leave and wait for the cops. What if they're already inside?"

Jason shook his head, wincing as if the movement hurt. "We don't have a choice. We have to go."

They stumbled down the hallway together, Jason's arm slung over Sarah's shoulder as they made their way to the front door. Every creak of the floorboards, every whisper of wind against the house, felt like a threat lurking just out of sight.

They reached the front door, and Sarah fumbled with the lock, her hands shaking uncontrollably. She finally managed to unlock it and threw the door open, the cool night air rushing in.

Just as they stepped outside, Sarah's phone buzzed in her pocket.

She pulled it out, her hands trembling, and looked at the screen.

A new message. From an unknown number.

She hesitated for a moment before opening it.

The message contained just one word.

"SOON"

TO BE CONTINUED