Amara had never liked walking home alone at night.
There was something about the way the shadows moved when the sun dipped too far below the horizon—how they stretched and whispered like they had secrets she wasn’t supposed to hear.
She’d stayed behind after school, waiting for Becky who’d gone to grab something from the art room, but when Beck didn’t show up after ten minutes, she’d decided to go ahead. It wasn’t far anyway. Just a few turns, past the narrow alley, through the quiet street, and then home.
She held her bag close, earbuds in, music low. The wind brushed past, making the trees whisper. Everything looked normal. Too normal.
Until it didn’t.
There was a sound behind her. Soft. Like a footstep.
Amara froze. Slowly, she turned around.
Nothing.
She exhaled and shook her h
