LENA'S POV:
I jolt awake in the middle of the night, my breath catching in my throat as I sit up. Sweat clings to my skin, dripping from my forehead and making my nightshirt stick to my back. My heart pounds, its frantic beat filling the silence of the room. For a moment, I try to calm myself, to tell myself it was just a dream, just my mind playing tricks on me again. But then I see it—movement. A shadow outside the window, sliding past in the darkness.
I freeze, my pulse roaring in my ears. This isn’t a dream. I can feel it, deep in my bones. The air is thick with something that lurks just beyond the edge of my sight. I don’t know what it is, but I know it’s getting closer. My body tenses as fear surges through me.
I glance at my child, still sleeping peacefully. His small chest rises
