They’re Watching
853 Words
We didn’t go far.
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Zayden stopped in front of a narrow building tucked between two others.
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No lights.
No movement.
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Forgettable.
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“Inside,” he said.
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I hesitated.
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“This is safe?”
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“No.”
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A beat.
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“But it’s quiet.”
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That was enough, apparently.
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I followed him in.
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The door shut behind us with a dull click.
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The air inside felt stale.
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Like it had been sitting untouched for too long.
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Zayden moved ahead, checking corners, windows, shadows.
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Like he expected something to already be there.
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I leaned against the wall, trying to steady my breathing.
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My body still felt wrong.
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Not hurt.
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Just… off.
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Like it didn’t fully belong to me anymore.
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“You knew they’d come,” I said.
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Zayden didn’t look at me.
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“I suspected.”
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“That’s not the same.”
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“No,” he replied. “It’s worse.”
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Silence stretched.
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“They called me a subject,” I said.
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That got his attention.
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“They also said ‘reactivation.’”
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Zayden’s expression didn’t change much—
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But something behind his eyes did.
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A recognition.
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Faint.
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But real.
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“You’ve heard that before,” I said.
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He didn’t deny it.
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“…Something like it.”
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My chest tightened.
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“Then say it.”
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Zayden exhaled slowly.
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“You don’t just get labeled like that,” he said. “Not unless you were already part of something.”
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A cold feeling settled in my stomach.
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“I don’t remember being part of anything.”
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“That doesn’t mean you weren’t.”
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I looked away.
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Didn’t like that answer.
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Didn’t like how possible it sounded.
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A faint sound broke the silence.
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Soft.
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Sharp.
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A click.
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Zayden froze.
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So did I.
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“Did you hear that?” I whispered.
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“Yeah.”
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His voice dropped instantly.
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Low.
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Focused.
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He turned his head slightly, scanning the room again.
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Slower this time.
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More careful.
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“What is it?” I asked.
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He didn’t answer.
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Instead, he stepped closer to the wall near the ceiling.
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There—
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Something small.
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Easy to miss.
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A tiny black dot.
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No bigger than a screw head.
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I frowned.
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“What is that?”
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Zayden stared at it.
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Then—
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His expression hardened.
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“…That wasn’t here before.”
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My chest tightened.
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“What do you mean?”
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“I checked this place.”
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A pause.
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“Twice.”
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Silence dropped hard.
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The small dot blinked.
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Once.
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Red.
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My stomach twisted.
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“That’s not normal,” I said.
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“No,” Zayden replied quietly.
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“It’s not.”
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The light blinked again.
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Slower this time.
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Deliberate.
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Like something had just noticed us noticing it.
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A low hum followed.
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Barely there.
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But enough to feel.
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Not hear.
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Feel.
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My head throbbed slightly.
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“That sound…” I whispered.
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Zayden stepped back.
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“Don’t get close to it.”
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“Why?”
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He looked at me.
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Because it already found what it needed.
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The hum shifted.
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Subtle.
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But different.
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My chest tightened again.
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Not fear.
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Recognition.
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*They see us.*
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My breath caught.
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“Us…?” I whispered.
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Zayden’s gaze sharpened.
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“What did you just say?”
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“Nothing.”
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But it wasn’t nothing.
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Because I could feel it.
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That same pressure from before.
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Watching.
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Measuring.
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The red light blinked again.
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Faster now.
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More certain.
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Then—
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A faint distortion passed through the air.
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Like heat bending light.
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Zayden grabbed my arm.
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“We’re leaving.”
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“What—right now?”
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“Yes.”
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“Why?”
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He didn’t hesitate this time.
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“Because we’re not alone anymore.”
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The words hit differently now.
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Not a guess.
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Not a warning.
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A fact.
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The hum deepened.
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And for a split second—
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I thought I saw something move in the corner of the room.
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Not a person.
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Not a shape.
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Just…
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Wrong.
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I pulled my arm back slightly.
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“They’re watching, aren’t they?”
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Zayden didn’t answer.
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But his grip tightened.
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And that was enough.
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Because I understood now.
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This wasn’t random.
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This wasn’t coincidence.
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Someone knew I existed.
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Someone was looking for me.
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And whatever I had become—
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It mattered.
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More than I wanted it to.
- Writer
