STRANGER IN THE DARK
235 Words
Every instinct in my body told me to move.
To run.
But I couldn’t.
Not like this.
Not with the weakness still weighing me down.
“Relax,” he said, noticing my tension.
“I am relaxed,” I replied, even though it was far from the truth.
He chuckled softly.
“Lying doesn’t suit you.”
I said nothing.
Instead, I studied him more carefully.
Tall.
Broad shoulders.
Dark clothing that blended too easily with the night.
And his eyes—
Sharp.
Observant.
Dangerous.
“You’re far from your territory,” he said.
“I could say the same to you.”
“That’s because you don’t know who I am,” he replied.
Something about that made my chest tighten.
“And should I?” I asked.
He tilted his head slightly, studying me in return.
“Maybe,” he said. “Maybe not.”
That wasn’t an answer.
But it told me enough.
He wasn’t here by accident.
“You’ve been following me,” I said.
“Yes.”
No hesitation.
No denial.
That made it worse.
“Why?”
Another pause.
Another moment of silence that stretched just long enough to make my nerves tighten.
“Because someone wants to know where you’re going,” he said.
My heart skipped.
“Who?”
He smiled slightly.
“You already know.”
And just like that—
Everything inside me went cold.
- Writer
