Whispers In The Dark
1160 Words
I woke up the next morning feeling like I hadn’t slept at all. My dreams had become weird and strange with flashes of headlights, whispers, and the sound of a motorcycle fading into darkness. The image of that black car wouldn’t leave my mind.
At breakfast, Mom was humming softly, flipping pancakes. “You look pale, sweetheart,” she said, glancing at me. “Rough night?”
“Just tired,” I muttered, forcing a smile. “Had trouble sleeping.”
She frowned. “You’ve been distracted lately. Everything okay at school? With… that boy?”
I blushed instantly. “Mom!”
She laughed lightly. “I’m just asking. You light up when you talk about him.” Then her tone softened. “Just remember, darling, love can be beautiful, but it can also blind you.”
Her words stayed with me the whole walk to school.
Bradley was already waiting by the gate like he always did, leaning on his motorcycle. He looked… different today. His usual calm smile was there, but his eyes held something restless, like he hadn’t slept either.
“Morning,” I said softly.
“Hey,” he said, handing me my usual coffee. “Extra sugar, right?”
I smiled faintly, but when our fingers brushed, his hand was cold.
“Brad, are you okay?”
He hesitated. “Yeah. Just… didn’t get much sleep.” Then, after a pause, “Did you see that car again last night?”
I froze. “You mean… You saw it?”
He nodded slowly. “Yeah. I came back around to check. It was still there, parked near your house, until after midnight.”
“Bradley…” my voice dropped, “that’s not funny.”
“I’m not joking,” he said firmly. “Something’s not right, Mari.”
Before I could say anything else, the school bell rang. The day passed in a blur, every shadow in the hallway making my heart jump.
At lunch, Ana was unusually quiet. Finally, she leaned in. “So… there’s a rumor going around.”
I groaned. “About me and Bradley?”
“Not exactly.” She hesitated. “Someone said he transferred because of trouble at his last school. Like, serious trouble.”
My fork stopped halfway to my mouth. “What kind of trouble?”
She shrugged. “No one knows for sure. Some say he got in a fight. Others say there was… an accident. I didn’t want to believe it, but—”
“Stop.” I set my fork down. “Ana, he told me. It wasn’t his fault.”
Her eyes softened. “Okay. I just don’t want you to get hurt, Mari.”
“I know,” I said, though the knot in my stomach tightened.
After school, Bradley was waiting again, but his expression was unreadable.
“Walk with me,” he said.
We didn’t take the motorcycle this time. Instead, we walked down a quiet road lined with trees, the air heavy with the scent of rain. For a while, neither of us spoke. Then he said, almost to himself, “They’re watching me.”
I stopped. “Who?”
He looked around, his jaw tense. “Back in Chicago, the guy who got hurt… his family. They never believed it was an accident. I think someone followed us here.”
My breath caught. “Bradley, that’s impossible. You’re probably just”
“Paranoid?” he interrupted with a bitter laugh. “Maybe. But that black car? It’s the same one that used to follow me there.”
I felt my chest tighten. “You’re scaring me.”
He turned to me then, his eyes softer. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to. I just… don’t want anything to happen to you.”
The sincerity in his voice melted the fear a little. “Nothing will,” I said quietly. “We’ll figure this out.”
He smiled faintly. “You believe in me too much.”
“Someone has to,” I said.
Rain began to fall lightly, dotting his hair and jacket. He reached for my hand, his touch warm despite everything. We stood there, the world fading around us, just the sound of rain and our breathing. For a moment, the fear disappeared.
Later that night, after a long shower, I sat by my window watching the street below. The rain had stopped, leaving puddles that shimmered under the streetlights. Everything looked calm, very calm.
My phone buzzed.
Bradley: You home safe?
Me: Yeah. Just watching the rain.
Bradley: Stay inside tonight. Promise me.
Me: Why? What’s wrong?
Bradley: Just a bad feeling.
Before I could reply, headlights flashed across my window. My heart skipped. Slowly, I peeked through the curtains.
The black car was back. Parked in the same spot. Engine off this time.
A shadow moved slowly, deliberately. Watching.
My hands trembled as I typed.
Me: Brad, it’s here again.
Bradley: I’m on my way. Don’t open the door for anyone.
I ran downstairs, peeking through the front window. The car’s windows were tinted, impossible to see inside. My pulse thundered in my ears.
Ten minutes later, the roar of a motorcycle cut through the night. Bradley pulled up fast, his jacket glistening with rain. He didn’t even take off his helmet before running toward me.
“Mari!” he called. “You okay?”
I nodded, voice shaking. “It’s still there.”
He turned toward the street, eyes scanning the darkness. But when we looked again, the car was gone. Just a few drops of water where the tires had been.
Bradley cursed under his breath. “They’re toying with us.”
I stepped closer. “Who are they, Bradley? Tell me the truth.”
He hesitated. Then, finally, “Someone I used to know. Someone who thinks I owe him something.”
“What do you mean?”
He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. “There was more to what happened in Chicago. Money was involved. Someone got hurt because of it, and now they want payback.”
I stared at him, unable to find words. “Bradley… what did you get yourself into?”
He looked at me, his voice trembling. “Something I can’t undo.”
The silence stretched. Then, softly, he reached for me. “But I swear, Mari, I’ll keep you safe. No matter what it takes.”
I wanted to believe him. I really did.
When he finally left that night, I stood by the window until his taillight vanished into the mist. The street was quiet again, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that we weren’t alone, that someone was still out there, watching, waiting.
And as I turned off my lamp, I noticed something on the ground just outside my window, a small, black leather bracelet.
The same one Bradley had given me.
Only this time… it was torn clean in half.
- Writer
