The Whistler In The Night

Chapter 45

I came back to my apartment that evening, feeling drained but glad I'd had some time with Elena at the library. I cooked some quick pasta and ate alone, feeling an odd sense of unease in the silence. It was probably nothing, just leftover nerves from the library dream. I tried to brush it off, hoping that some sleep might clear my head.

But as soon as I fell asleep, I was somewhere else.

The air around me was heavy, dark, and smelled faintly of mold. I was back in that barn where I'd last seen Scarlet, the same sick feeling churning in my stomach. Every detail was perfect, even down to the musty shadows clinging to the walls. I heard footsteps approaching slowly, the sound scraping against the silence, and then that familiar, mocking whistle. I froze. It was L's whistle, echoing in the darkness, each note taunting me.

I turned, and there he was—L, standing just a few feet away, his pale eyes glinting as if he'd never left. He stared at me, his lips curling into a smirk. "You're still alive?" he sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. The words felt like a punch, driving me back as everything faded to black around me. My chest felt tight, like I couldn't breathe.

I jolted awake, heart hammering, drenched in sweat. For a few seconds, I just lay there, catching my breath, trying to shake the nightmare. I fumbled for my phone and texted Elena: "I'm having a lot of nightmares, too many. They're getting worse."

Sending the message brought a small sense of relief, knowing she'd understand.

As I waited, my phone buzzed with Elena's response almost instantly. "I know what we need to do. Meet me tomorrow at 6."

Reading her message, a rush of relief washed over me. She seemed so certain, like she had some kind of plan. Maybe she'd been through something like this before—something that made her understand all of it better than I could.

I set my phone down, heart still racing from the nightmare, but now with a strange sense of hope. Whatever Elena had in mind, it felt like a step forward.