Chapter 2: The Watching Begins
459 Words
Lila didn’t sleep that night.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the same words again.
“I saw you today.”
“You’re safe… for now.”
Morning came too fast.
Grey sky. Cold air. A normal world pretending nothing was wrong.
But Lila felt different.
She felt watched.
At school, she kept looking over her shoulder.
Once.
Twice.
Again.
Nothing.
Still… the feeling didn’t leave.
“Lila, are you okay?”
Her best friend Maya leaned closer during break time.
Lila forced a small smile.
“I’m fine.”
But her voice didn’t sound convincing.
Even she could hear it.
Maya frowned.
“You’ve been acting weird since yesterday. Did something happen?”
Lila hesitated.
Should she tell her?
About the messages?
About the feeling that someone was inside her life?
No.
They would think she was overreacting.
Or worse… crazy.
“I’m just tired,” Lila said finally.
Maya didn’t look convinced.
But she didn’t push further.
During class, Lila kept her phone under the desk.
No new messages.
That should have made her feel better.
It didn’t.
It made her more anxious.
Because silence now felt like waiting.
Like something was coming.
After school, Maya walked with her part of the way.
“You’re not going straight home, right?” Maya asked.
Lila shook her head.
“I might stop somewhere first.”
Maya nodded slowly.
“Text me when you get home.”
Lila smiled slightly.
“I will.”
But halfway home, Maya went in a different direction.
And Lila was alone.
That’s when her phone buzzed.
She stopped walking instantly.
Her fingers tightened around it.
One message.
Unknown number.
Unknown:
“You left school later than usual today.”
Lila’s heart dropped.
She looked up quickly.
The street was busy.
People everywhere.
But suddenly… none of it felt safe.
Lila:
“Stop texting me. How do you know my schedule?”
She pressed send.
Her hands were shaking.
The reply came instantly.
Unknown:
“Because I notice everything about you.”
Lila’s breath got stuck in her throat.
She looked around again.
A man standing near a shop glanced in her direction… then looked away.
Or maybe she imagined it.
Now she couldn’t trust anything.
Not even her own eyes.
She started walking faster.
Her heart beating louder with every step.
Unknown:
“You walk faster when you’re scared.”
Lila stopped.
Completely.
Her skin went cold.
That wasn’t a guess.
That was observation.
That was real.
Her fingers trembled as she typed:
Lila:
“Leave me alone.”
She pressed send.
But for the first time…
There was no reply.
Only silence.
And somehow…
That silence felt worse.
Because now she knew—
He wasn’t gone.
He was just watching.
- Writer
