SHADOWS OUTSIDE THE WINDOW
1350 Words
Isla barely slept.
Adrian's warning echoed in her mind.
"The people who tried to kill me may have seen you."
Every sound outside her apartment made her jump.
A car passing.
A door closing somewhere in the building.
Footsteps on the stairs.
Even the wind tapping against her window was enough to make her open her eyes.
She had never been a nervous person.
But tonight was different.
For the first time in her life, she felt as though someone was watching her.
She turned over in bed and looked at the clock.
3:17 a.m.
She sighed and pulled the blanket closer.
"Get some sleep, Isla."
She closed her eyes.
Five minutes later, she opened them again.
Her mind refused to cooperate.
Eventually, exhaustion won.
But only for a few hours.
When her alarm rang at 6:00 a.m., Isla immediately sat up.
For a moment, she forgot everything.
Then she remembered Adrian.
The accident.
The men at her apartment.
The anonymous message.
Her stomach tightened.
She got dressed quickly.
She decided to leave earlier than usual.
Maybe being surrounded by people would make her feel safer.
The streets were already filling with commuters when she stepped outside.
Cars moved along the road.
People hurried toward buses and train stations.
Shop owners opened their doors.
Everything looked normal.
Too normal.
Isla adjusted her bag and started walking toward the café.
After a few minutes, she glanced over her shoulder.
Nothing.
She continued walking.
Then she looked again.
A man in a black hoodie stood across the road.
He was tall.
His face was partially hidden beneath the hood.
Isla slowed.
The man looked directly at her.
Their eyes met.
Then he looked away.
Isla frowned.
Maybe it was nothing.
She continued walking.
One block.
Two blocks.
She looked behind her again.
The man was still there.
Her heartbeat quickened.
He hadn't moved much.
He was following the same direction.
Isla increased her pace.
The man did the same.
She turned another corner.
He followed.
Her breathing became faster.
She didn't want to panic.
Maybe he was simply going the same way.
Maybe she was imagining things because of everything that had happened.
She crossed the street.
The man crossed too.
That was enough.
Isla turned into a crowded convenience store.
A bell rang above the entrance.
"Good morning," the cashier called.
"Morning."
Isla forced a smile.
She walked toward the shelves and pretended to browse.
Her hands trembled slightly.
She picked up a bottle of water.
Then another item.
She didn't need either.
She simply wanted to look normal.
A minute passed.
Then she saw him.
The man in the black hoodie walked past the entrance.
He didn't come inside.
He stopped outside.
His head turned slowly.
He looked through the glass.
Straight at her.
Isla's stomach dropped.
He wasn't shopping.
He was looking for her.
She lowered her head.
"Please don't see me."
The cashier noticed her expression.
"Miss?"
Isla looked up.
"Yes?"
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
She glanced toward the entrance.
The man was gone.
She waited.
Thirty seconds.
One minute.
Nothing.
Maybe he had left.
She took a deep breath.
Then her phone vibrated.
Isla nearly dropped the bottle in her hand.
She looked down.
An unknown number.
One message.
You shouldn't have gone to Adrian's house.
Her blood ran cold.
She immediately looked toward the glass doors.
The street outside was busy.
People walked past.
Cars moved along the road.
But she couldn't see the man.
Her phone vibrated again.
We told you to stay away.
Isla's fingers tightened around the phone.
She didn't know what to do.
She considered calling Adrian.
Then she remembered his warning.
If you ever feel unsafe, call me.
She opened her contacts.
Her thumb hovered over his number.
Before she could press it, someone touched her shoulder.
Isla gasped and spun around.
The cashier stood behind her.
"Sorry."
Isla placed a hand over her chest.
"You scared me."
The cashier smiled apologetically.
"I was just wondering if you wanted to pay for those."
Isla looked down.
She was still holding the bottle and a packet of biscuits.
"Oh."
She walked toward the counter.
Her hands were still shaking.
She paid quickly.
Then she stood near the entrance and looked outside.
The man was nowhere.
She stepped outside.
The morning crowd had grown larger.
That should have made her feel safer.
Instead, it made everything worse.
There were too many people.
Too many places for someone to hide.
Isla started walking again.
She kept her phone in her hand.
Every few seconds, she glanced behind her.
Nothing.
She reached the next intersection.
Then she heard footsteps.
She turned.
Nobody.
She continued.
The footsteps continued.
She stopped.
Silence.
She started again.
Footsteps.
Her heart raced.
She turned sharply.
A man in a gray jacket was walking behind her.
Not the man in the hoodie.
Isla breathed out.
"Calm down."
She kept walking.
The man passed her.
She watched him disappear into the crowd.
Maybe she really was imagining things.
Maybe fear had made her suspicious of everyone.
She finally reached the café.
Her manager looked surprised.
"You're early."
"Couldn't sleep."
Her manager studied her face.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah."
"You look pale."
"I just need coffee."
Her manager laughed.
"That I can fix."
Isla walked behind the counter.
For the next few hours, she tried to focus on work.
She made drinks.
Took orders.
Cleaned tables.
Smiled at customers.
But every time the café door opened, she looked up.
Every time someone entered wearing dark clothes, her stomach tightened.
Around noon, she finally relaxed.
Maybe the man had really been nothing.
Maybe the messages were just a coincidence.
Then she saw something through the café window.
Across the street.
A black SUV.
Parked near the curb.
Isla stopped moving.
She recognized it.
Her breath caught.
It looked exactly like the vehicle she had seen near Adrian's accident.
She stared at it.
The windows were tinted.
She couldn't see the driver.
Then the driver's window lowered slightly.
Isla stepped backward.
Someone was inside.
A phone was raised.
A camera flashed.
The SUV drove away.
Isla's hands went cold.
She grabbed her phone.
This time, she didn't hesitate.
She called Adrian.
The phone rang once.
Twice.
Then he answered.
"Isla?"
His voice sounded different.
Alert.
"Adrian..."
"What happened?"
"I think someone is following me."
Silence.
Then his voice became serious.
"Where are you?"
"The café."
"Stay inside."
"I saw an SUV."
"What color?"
"Black."
Another silence.
"Isla, listen to me carefully."
Her heart pounded.
"Don't leave the café."
"Why?"
"Because if it's the same vehicle, they may know where you work."
She looked toward the window.
The street looked normal again.
But she no longer believed in normal.
"Adrian..."
"Yes?"
"Who are these people?"
His voice lowered.
"I don't know."
"You keep saying that."
"I know."
"Then tell me something you do know."
He was silent.
Finally, he said,
"I know they won't stop."
Isla swallowed.
"What should I do?"
"I'm sending someone."
"Who?"
"Someone I trust."
She almost laughed.
"You trust someone?"
"Very few people."
"That's comforting."
Despite the situation, she heard a faint smile in his voice.
"Stay there."
The call ended.
Isla stared at her phone.
For the first time, she realized something.
The danger wasn't outside her life anymore.
It had entered it.
It knew where she lived.
It knew where she worked.
It knew who she was talking to.
And now...
It knew that Adrian Hale cared enough to protect her.
Outside the café, a black SUV disappeared into traffic.
Inside it, the man in the black hoodie removed his hood.
He looked at the phone in his hand.
A photograph of Isla was displayed on the screen.
Underneath it were two words:
TARGET CONFIRMED.
The man smiled.
Then he made a call.
"She's with Adrian now."
A voice answered.
"Then we move to the next stage."
The man looked back toward the café.
"And what about Adrian?"
The voice on the other end was cold.
"Let him think he's protecting her."
A pause.
"That's exactly what we want."
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