Not Safe

Chapter 3

By the time the final bell rang, I had almost convinced myself that the morning had been a dream.

Almost.

I packed my books slowly, watching the other students flood out of the classroom.

Nia stood beside my desk, swinging her bag over one shoulder.

"You coming?"

"In a minute."

She frowned.

"You've been saying that for five minutes."

"I know."

"You okay?"

I looked at her.

She was studying my face.

I smiled.

"I'm fine."

Nia narrowed her eyes.

"You've been weird all day."

"I have not."

"You have."

"I slept badly."

"That's your excuse for everything."

"Because sleep is important."

She rolled her eyes.

"Come on."

I shoved my notebook into my bag.

As I stood, my eyes drifted toward the classroom window.

The street outside was mostly empty.

But across the road,

A black car was parked beneath a tree.

I stopped.

"Elara?"

I stared at it.

Something about the car made my stomach twist.

"Elara."

I blinked.

"What?"

Nia followed my gaze.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

I picked up my bag.

"Let's go."

We walked out together.

The moment we reached the school gate, I looked back.

The black car was gone.

I exhaled.

Maybe I was imagining things.

Maybe the man from that morning hadn't been following me.

Maybe my parents were just being paranoid.

Maybe.

My phone vibrated.

Mum.

I answered immediately.

"Hello, Mum?"

Her voice came through the phone, quiet and tense.

"Elara, where are you?"

"I'm leaving school."

"Are you alone?"

"Nia is with me."

There was silence.

Then my mother spoke again.

"Don't go home."

I stopped walking.

"What?"

"Elara, listen to me carefully."

Her voice dropped to a whisper.

"Don't come home."

My heart started beating faster.

"Mum, what happened?"

"I'll explain when I see you."

"You literally just told me not to come home."

"I know."

"Then where am I supposed to go?"

"Stay at school. Stay somewhere crowded."

"Mum, you're scaring me."

"I know."

A loud crash suddenly sounded through the phone.

My mother gasped.

"Mom?"

I heard something move in the background.

"Mum?"

Her breathing became shaky.

"Where are you now?"

"Outside school."

"Good. Stay there."

"Why?"

"Don't leave with anyone."

"Mum..."

"Elara, please."

The call ended.

I stared at my phone.

Nia touched my arm.

"What happened?"

"My mum told me not to go home."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"Did she say where you should go?"

"No."

My phone rang again before I could say anything else.

This time, the screen showed Dad.

I answered immediately.

"Dad?"

His breathing was heavy.

"Elara."

"What's happening?"

"Where are you?"

"At school."

"Good."

"Why is Mum telling me not to come home?"

He didn't answer.

"Dad?"

"You need to leave the school."

My stomach dropped.

"What?"

"Go somewhere crowded."

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't go home. Don't go anywhere quiet. Stay around people."

"Dad, you're scaring me."

"I know."

His voice sounded different.

My father never sounded afraid.

Not when I was sick.

Not when our car broke down on the highway.

Not even when my grandmother died.

But now...

He sounded terrified.

"Where are you?" I asked.

"Home."

"Is Mum with you?"

There was a pause.

"Your mother is safe."

That wasn't an answer.

"What happened?"

"Listen to me."

His voice became firmer.

"If anyone approaches you and tells you they know us, run."

I stared at the school gate.

"Run where?"

"Anywhere."

"Dad."

"Elara, whatever happens, do not let them take you."

The line went dead.

I stood frozen.

Nia grabbed my shoulders.

"Elara?"

I looked at her.

"I think something's wrong."

"With your parents?"

I nodded.

"Very wrong."

We stood outside the school gate for several seconds.

Then I saw him.

A man standing on the opposite side of the street.

Black jacket.

Dark hair.

The same man from that morning.

My blood went cold.

"Nia."

"What?"

"Don't look."

She immediately looked.

"At who?"

"The man across the road."

Her eyes found him.

"That's creepy."

He wasn't moving.

He was simply watching us.

Then; he smiled.

I grabbed Nia's wrist.

"We're leaving."

"Where?"

"Anywhere."

We turned and hurried back toward the school.

Behind us, I heard footsteps.

Fast.

Nia looked over her shoulder.

"He's following us."

"Don't run."

"What?"

"Running will make it worse."

"That is terrible advice!"

"I know!"

We hurried through the school gates.

Students were still everywhere.

Teachers stood around the entrance.

The man stopped outside.

He didn't come in.

He simply watched.

Then he turned and walked away.

I let out a shaky breath.

Nia looked at me.

"Who is he?"

"I don't know."

"Does your family know him?"

"I don't know."

"Elara?"

"I really don't know."

My phone vibrated again.

A message.

From Mum.

COME HOME. NOW.

I stared at the screen.

My heart sank.

I showed Nia.

She read it twice.

"Didn't she just tell you not to come home?"

"Yes."

"Then..."

"I know."

Another message appeared.

Don't tell anyone.

Then another.

Trust nobody.

My fingers went numb.

Something was happening.

Something my parents had been hiding from me for eighteen years.

And whatever it was

it had finally found me.

---

By the time I got home, the sun was beginning to disappear behind the clouds.

I stood outside our house.

The front door was closed.

The curtains were drawn.

Every light inside was off.

I hesitated.

Mum had told me to come home.

Dad had told me not to.

I didn't know who to listen to.

I reached for the door.

It opened before I touched it.

I froze.

"Mum?"

No answer.

I stepped inside.

The house was silent.

Too silent.

"Mum?"

A sound came from upstairs.

A soft thud.

Then another.

I grabbed the nearest object I could find.

A wooden umbrella stand.

Not exactly a weapon.

But it was better than nothing.

I moved toward the stairs.

"Mum?"

A voice answered.

"Elara."

My father's voice.

I stopped.

"Dad?"

"Come upstairs."

I swallowed.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes."

Something was wrong with his voice.

I climbed the stairs slowly.

One step.

Then another.

The hallway was dark.

My father's bedroom door was slightly open.

"Dad?"

"Come in."

I pushed the door open.

My father stood beside the window.

His face was pale.

There was blood on his shirt.

I dropped the umbrella stand.

"Dad!"

I rushed toward him.

"You're bleeding!"

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not!"

He grabbed my shoulders.

"Listen to me."

I stared at him.

"What happened?"

"Where is your mother?"

I looked around.

"Isn't she here?"

His expression changed.

"What?"

"You told me she was safe."

"I said..."

He stopped.

A noise came from downstairs.

We both froze.

My father looked toward the bedroom door.

Someone was inside the house.

"Stay here," he whispered.

"What?"

"Lock the door."

"Dad!"

"Do it."

He stepped into the hallway.

"Dad!"

He turned.

For a moment, our eyes met.

There was something in his expression I'd never seen before.

Fear.

Real fear.

Then he whispered four words.

"If I say run, run."

He disappeared down the stairs.

I stood frozen.

Then...

A loud crash shook the house.

I jumped.

"Dad!"

No answer.

Another crash.

Then silence.

I unlocked the door.

I shouldn't have.

I knew I shouldn't have.

But I couldn't just stand there.

I ran downstairs.

"Dad!"

The living room was empty.

The front door was wide open.

Cold air rushed inside.

My father was gone.

I looked toward the kitchen.

Nothing.

Then I heard a voice behind me.

"Elara."

I spun around.

A woman stood in the doorway.

I didn't recognize her.

She was tall.

Pale.

Her dark hair fell loosely around her shoulders.

But it wasn't her appearance that frightened me.

It was her eyes.

Grey.

Almost silver.

Just like mine.

She stared at me as though she'd spent her entire life searching for me.

Her lips trembled.

"You're eighteen."

I backed away.

"Who are you?"

She took one step forward.

"Don't be afraid."

"Stay away from me."

Her expression broke.

"I know you're confused."

"Who are you?"

She swallowed.

Then she whispered a name.

"Elara."

My heart stopped.

"How do you know my name?"

She looked at me.

And for the first time, I saw tears in her eyes.

"Because I've been looking for you."

She took another step.

"For eighteen years."

I couldn't breathe.

"Who are you?"

The woman closed her eyes.

When she opened them again, they were filled with something that looked like pain.

"My name doesn't matter."

She reached toward me.

"But you do."

I stepped back.

"Who are you?"

Her voice cracked.

"I'm your mother."

The world seemed to tilt.

I stared at her.

"No."

She nodded slowly.

"Yes."

"No."

"Elara..."

"My mother is upstairs."

The woman went still.

Then she whispered,

"No."

Her face changed.

"They found you."

A noise came from outside.

Footsteps.

Several of them.

The woman's head snapped toward the door.

Her expression hardened.

"Listen to me carefully."

"What?"

"When they come in, don't let them touch you."

"Who?"

She looked back at me.

"The people who have been looking for you."

I heard the front door creak.

The woman grabbed my hand.

Her skin was freezing.

"Run."

The lights went out.

And somewhere outside the house,

something growled.