Soulmate Run

Alive

I didn't move.

Not when the bedroom door closed.

Not when the footsteps disappeared down the stairs.

Not when I heard the front door open.

Or close.

I stayed exactly where I was.

Pressed between the wardrobe and the wall.

My body refused to believe it was over.

What if he came back?

What if this was some kind of trick?

I couldn't trust the silence anymore.

It had lied to me before.

Seconds passed.

Or maybe minutes.

Time didn't feel real anymore.

Every muscle in my body ached from staying perfectly still.

My legs were numb.

My back burned against the wall.

Still...

I didn't move.

Then...

An engine started outside.

Another one followed.

The sound grew quieter.

Then disappeared completely.

Silence.

Real silence.

Slowly...

Very slowly...

I let my hands fall away from my mouth.

My breathing came out in shaky gasps.

I was still alive.

The thought didn't comfort me.

It confused me.

Why?

Why hadn't he killed me?

He saw me.

I knew he did.

I heard his thoughts.

"If I were you... I'd have picked somewhere else."

He knew exactly where I was.

He could have reached behind the wardrobe.

He could have dragged me out.

He could have ended everything.

But he didn't.

Why?

My legs finally gave out.

I slid down the wall until I was sitting on the floor.

The tears came before I even realized I was crying.

One second I was trying to stay strong...

The next, I was sobbing into my hands.

Everything hit me at once.

This morning...

I had been laughing with my best friend on my way to class.

I was worried about something as stupid as never hearing my soulmate.

Now...

I'd spent the entire day running from the very person fate had chosen for me.

A broken laugh escaped my lips.

It sounded wrong.

Almost painful.

"What kind of soulmate tries to kill someone?"

The words hung in the empty room.

No answer came.

Of course not.

My eyes drifted to the floor beside me.

The envelope.

The small silver key.

I picked them up with trembling hands.

Whoever had left these...

Had changed everything.

And yet...

They had given me no answers.

Only more questions.

I closed my fingers around the key.

For a long moment, I simply sat there.

The house felt different now.

Too quiet.

Too empty.

Too...

Wrong.

I wiped my eyes with the sleeve of my hoodie and took a slow, shaky breath.

Crying wasn't going to save me.

Hiding forever wasn't an option either.

For the first time since the voice had entered my head...

I forced myself to accept one terrifying truth.

This wasn't going to end today.

Whatever had started...

Was only just beginning.