CHAPTER2
1625 Words
THE THINGS WE DON'T SAY
Karly didn’t move.
The knock upstairs echoed inside her head long after the sound disappeared.
Three slow knocks.
Not loud.
Not rushed.
Deliberate.
The rain outside continued tapping softly against the windows while the darkness inside the house seemed to grow heavier around her.
"Karly stared at the staircase, her fingers tightening around her keys until the metal edges pressed painfully into her skin.
No one should’ve been upstairs.
Jayden was supposed to be at his friend’s apartment studying for exams, and Lily always slept in her room downstairs whenever storms got too loud.
Which meant....
“Karly?”
The soft voice behind her nearly made her scream.
She spun around too quickly, heart slamming painfully against her ribs.
"Lily stood near the hallway entrance rubbing her eyes sleepily, clutching her stuffed rabbit against her chest.
“Karly?” she repeated quietly. “Why are you standing there?”
Karly forced herself to breathe.
“It’s nothing.”
Lily frowned immediately.
That was the problem with children.
They noticed everything.
“You look scared.”
“I’m not.”
A lie.
A terrible one.
Lily glanced toward the staircase before lowering her voice.
“I heard something.”
Karly’s stomach tightened.
“What kind of something?”
“I don’t know.” Lily shrugged nervously. “Like… movement.”
The hallway suddenly felt too cold.
Karly swallowed carefully before walking toward her sister.
“It’s probably the storm.”
“Buh”
“Go back to bed, Lily.”
The sharpness in her tone surprised both of them.
Lily looked down instantly.
Guilt twisted inside Karly’s chest.
Softening her expression, she gently touched her sister’s shoulder.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m just tired.”
Lily nodded slowly.
“Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?”
Karly glanced once more toward the dark staircase.
Silence.
Nothing moved.
Nothing happened.
Still…
Something about the house felt wrong tonight.
“Okay,” she finally said.
Lily smiled faintly before leading her toward the downstairs bedroom.
Karly stayed beside her sister until nearly two in the morning, listening to the storm outside while fighting the constant urge to look toward the hallway.
She never went upstairs.
The next morning felt unreal.
Karly stood motionless in front of the bathroom mirror staring at the dark circles beneath her eyes.
She looked exhausted.
More than exhausted.
Haunted.
The thought made her uncomfortable immediately.
“You’re being dramatic,” she muttered softly to herself.
But even as she said it, her gaze shifted toward the hallway behind her reflection.
Empty.
Still.
She hated how paranoid she’d become lately.
After splashing cold water against her face, Karly pulled on an oversized gray sweater before heading downstairs.
Jayden was already in the kitchen scrolling through his phone while eating cereal straight from the box.
“You look terrible,” he said casually.
“Good morning to you too.”
“I’m serious.”
Karly ignored him while reaching for the coffee pot.
Jayden watched her carefully.
“You didn’t sleep again?”
“Barely.”
“You should quit one of your jobs.”
Karly let out a quiet laugh.
“With what money?”
Jayden didn’t answer.
Because they both already knew the answer.
None.
Karly grabbed a mug before noticing Lily unusually quiet at the table.
“Hey.” Karly sat beside her gently. “You okay?”
Lily hesitated.
Then nodded.
Too quickly.
Karly recognized that kind of nod.
It was the same fake one she used every day.
“I had a weird dream,” Lily admitted quietly.
“What about?”
Her sister looked down at the table.
“I don’t remember.”
Another lie.
Karly felt it instantly.
But she didn’t push.
People only spoke when they were ready.
And sometimes…
Not even then.
The entire morning carried an uncomfortable tension no one acknowledged aloud.
By the time Karly left for campus, her chest already felt tight with anxiety she couldn’t explain.
The sky above the city remained gray from last night’s storm, cold wind rushing through crowded sidewalks as students hurried across campus.
Karly kept her headphones in without playing music.
It discouraged conversation.
Usually.
“Karly!”
Too late.
Maya caught up beside her carrying an iced coffee and an expression full of concern.
“You ignored my texts.”
“I was working.”
“At two in the morning?”
Karly shrugged.
Maya studied her face carefully before speaking again.
“You look exhausted.”
“Everyone keeps saying that today.”
“Maybe because it’s true.”
Karly forced a small smile.
Maya had been her closest friend since freshman year, but even now Karly kept her at a distance.
Not because she wanted to.
Because some truths felt impossible to explain once spoken aloud.
“You doing anything tonight?” Maya asked.
“Work.”
“You always work.”
“Bills exist.”
“You’re twenty-two, not forty.”
Karly laughed softly despite herself.
For a moment, things almost felt normal again.
Then she noticed it.
That feeling.
The strange sensation of being watched.
Her steps slowed slightly.
“What?” Maya asked.
Karly looked around the crowded sidewalk.
Students.
Cars.
Rainwater dripping from rooftops.
Nothing unusual.
And yet…
Across the street, a black car sat parked near the curb.
Expensive.
Dark tinted windows.
The engine running quietly.
Karly’s stomach twisted uneasily.
Something about it felt familiar.
Before she could think further, the passenger window lowered slightly.
Just enough.
A man stepped out.
Tall.
Broad shoulders beneath a charcoal coat.
Sharp features.
Dark hair slightly damp from the weather.
Older than everyone around him.
Definitely not a student.
Karly instantly recognized him.
The man from yesterday’s lecture hall.
Her pulse quickened unexpectedly.
He looked up briefly.
Their eyes met for half a second.
And something about his expression made her immediately look away.
Not threatening.
Not friendly either.
Just…
Observant.
Like he was trying to understand something.
“Karly?”
Maya’s voice snapped her back.
“What are you staring at?”
“Nothing.”
When Karly looked again, the man had already turned away, speaking to someone beside the car.
Weird.
Very weird.
The rest of her classes passed in a blur.
She couldn’t focus.
Every little sound made her tense.
Every vibration from her phone made her anxious.
By late afternoon, exhaustion settled heavily into her bones again.
Work at the diner was worse.
Customers complained constantly.
Coffee spilled twice.
And around nine o’clock, Karly nearly dropped an entire tray after hearing someone knock unexpectedly against the restaurant window beside her.
The sound instantly dragged her mind back to last night.
Three slow knocks.
Her breathing faltered.
“You okay?” her co-worker asked.
Karly nodded quickly.
“Yeah. Sorry.”
But she wasn’t okay.
Not even close.
By the time her shift ended, rain had started falling again.
Of course it had.
Karly wrapped her sweater tighter while walking home through dimly lit streets.
The cold air bit against her skin as she unlocked the front door quietly.
The house was silent again.
Jayden’s shoes sat near the entrance.
Lily’s backpack rested beside the stairs.
Everything looked normal.
Too normal.
Karly locked the door carefully behind her before heading upstairs for the first time since yesterday.
Every step creaked beneath her feet.
Her chest tightened harder with each one.
Nothing looked disturbed.
Nothing looked strange.
And somehow…
That scared her more.
She slowly pushed open her bedroom door.
Darkness greeted her.
Karly reached for the lamp beside her bed.
Click.
Warm light filled the room.
Everything looked exactly the same.
Her blanket.
Desk.
Closet.
Window.
Karly froze.
The curtains moved slightly in the cold night breeze.
The window was open.
A small crack.
Barely noticeable.
But Karly knew.
She always locked it before leaving.
Always.
Her pulse began pounding violently inside her ears.
Slowly, she stepped further into the room.
Then stopped.
Something on her desk had moved.
Not much.
Just enough.
The framed photo beside her lamp now faced slightly toward the bed instead of the wall.
Karly stared at it silently.
Every nerve in her body screamed.
Someone had been inside her room.
And deep down…
She already knew this wasn’t the first time.
- Writer
