Part One: "The Shadow in the Street"

Part One: "The Shadow in the Street"

Raindrops tapped against the windows of the old apartment in the city center. Ana sat by the table, staring at an empty cup of coffee. In her mind echoed a sentence she had heard a few hours ago:

"Don't look behind you when the lights go out."

The creak of the door broke the silence. She turned - no one. Just a shadow, long and thin, that disappeared when she turned on the lamp. Her heart began to race.

She picked up the old diary she had found in the attic the previous weekend. The pages were yellow, and specks of dust danced in the air as she opened the book. On one page, a handwritten message:

"If you want to know the truth, follow the signs."

Ana looked out the window. The rain had stopped, but on the wet street, there lay a single shoe - black, shiny, completely unexpected. Her heart skipped a beat.

Someone whispered her name from behind the door: "Ana..."

The air froze. She was alone... or was she?