Jennifer kicked off her shoes the moment the apartment door clicked shut behind her, her phone still buzzing in her hand with leftover party texts and blurry selfies. The night had been… fine. A little boring, maybe. That bar had been weird—too quiet, too moody—but her friends liked it, so she smiled and played along.
She padded barefoot through the kitchen, the tile cool under her feet. The hum of the fridge was louder than usual. Or maybe the silence just felt heavier here.
She caught her reflection in the hallway mirror and paused. Her hair looked off—flat somehow, like it had lost its shine since she’d left the bar. She ran her fingers through it, frowning. Must be the weather. She’d shower in the morning.
Jennifer tossed her bag on the couch and curled into her oversized hoodie, heading to her bedroom. She felt tired, more than usual. Not the good kind of tired. The kind that dragged, like something had sunk its teeth into her shoulders and wouldn’t let go.
By the time she brushed her teeth, she was dizzy. Not spinning, just… disconnected. Like the world had shifted half a second out of sync.
She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Her stomach fluttered, then clenched. Maybe it was something she drank. Or a migraine coming on. But there was something else, something she couldn’t name—like a thought at the back of her mind she couldn’t reach. A memory she didn’t remember making.
Her phone buzzed again. She didn’t bother checking it.
Instead, her eyes drifted toward the corner of her room. The shadows there felt thick. Intentional. Her breath caught.
She swore, just for a moment, she saw a flicker of movement. Like something pulling back, watching.
Her fingers curled around her blanket.
She wasn’t alone.
But when she sat up, heart pounding, the corner was empty.
Jennifer told herself it was stress. Maybe she was coming down with something. She lay back down and pulled the covers tighter.
The shadows waited. And somewhere, far away—or maybe closer than she’d ever guess—Kira smiled.