They’re hunting me
513 Words
I couldn't breathe.
My hands were still clamped tightly over my mouth as tears blurred my vision.
"She's fast... but not fast enough."
The words echoed inside my head long after the voice disappeared.
Silence.
Complete silence.
I stayed curled up behind the cold stone pillar, afraid that even the smallest movement would somehow give me away.
Seconds passed.
Maybe a minute.
I wasn't sure anymore.
My pulse was so loud it drowned out everything else.
Don't move.
Don't breathe.
Don't make a sound.
Slowly... carefully... I lifted my head.
Nothing.
Students wandered across the courtyard carrying backpacks and coffee cups. Someone laughed somewhere near the fountain. A group of girls walked past the library without sparing me a glance.
Everything looked... normal.
How could the world still be normal?
I wiped my eyes with the sleeve of my hoodie.
Maybe he lost me.
The thought felt ridiculous.
But I needed to believe it.
I pushed myself to my feet, my legs trembling beneath me. Every muscle in my body screamed at me to stay hidden, but hiding forever wasn't an option.
I took one cautious step away from the pillar.
Nothing.
Another step.
Still nothing.
Hope crept in before I could stop it.
Then—
"Moving again."
I froze.
The blood drained from my face.
No...
No, no, no.
He could still see me.
I forced myself to keep walking, pretending I wasn't panicking. If people noticed me, they'd think I was insane.
The library doors slid open as another student walked inside.
I slipped in right behind him.
Cool air hit my face.
The quiet inside was almost unsettling after the noise outside.
Rows upon rows of books stretched in every direction.
Students sat at tables typing on laptops, completely absorbed in their work.
I kept walking.
Don't run.
Running draws attention.
Just keep walking.
The voice returned.
"North side."
I frowned.
North side?
A few seconds later—
"Negative."
I stopped walking.
That...
That didn't sound like someone thinking.
It sounded like a report.
Like someone was talking to another person.
Before I could process it, another thought came.
"She's inside."
A chill spread through my entire body.
He wasn't alone.
He was talking to someone.
Or...
Someone was talking to him.
My eyes darted around the library.
Every face suddenly looked suspicious.
The guy reading by the window.
The woman organizing books.
The student wearing headphones.
Any one of them could be helping him.
I ducked into the nearest aisle and pressed myself against the bookshelf, trying to steady my breathing.
The silence returned.
I counted in my head.
One...
Two...
Three...
Maybe if I waited—
"Close enough to confirm."
Footsteps.
Slow.
Measured.
Not hurried.
Not searching.
Certain.
They echoed against the polished floor.
One step.
Then another.
They grew louder.
Closer.
Closer.
My throat tightened.
The footsteps stopped.
Right outside the aisle.
I stared at the floor, too terrified to look up.
Then...
A pair of black combat boots stepped into view.
I forgot how to breathe.
Someone was here.
And whoever it was...
Had found me.
- Writer
