THE VAMPIRE NEXT DOOR

CHAPTER 3: 12:17am

Sienna didn't sleep well that night.

Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the figure between the trees. She tried telling herself it had been an animal, a person, anything ordinary, but the shape had been too still and too tall.

At 2:17 in the morning, Sienna woke suddenly.

She didn't know why.

The room was dark. Her phone sat beside her pillow.

2:17.

Then she heard footsteps.

Outside.

One step.

Then another.

The footsteps stopped beneath her window.

She held her breath.

A shadow appeared across the curtain.

Someone whispered her name.

"Sienna."

Her heart jumped.

She knew that voice.

Kieran.

She climbed out of bed.

"Kieran?"

No answer.

She approached the window.

The shadow disappeared.

Sienna pulled the curtain aside.

The garden was empty.

Then she saw him standing beside the gate.

"Kieran?"

He looked up.

"You shouldn't be awake."

"Neither should you."

"Go back inside."

"Why?"

"Because it's not safe."

Sienna opened the window.

"What's not safe?"

Kieran looked past her.

His eyes seemed to focus on something behind her. Then his face changed.

"Close the window."

"What?"

"Now."

Something in his voice made her obey.

The next morning, she found four long scratches across her back door.

She called Aria.

Aria arrived twenty minutes later and took one look at the door.

"No."

Sienna frowned.

"No what?"

"Nope."

"Could it be an animal?"

"Maybe."

"You're not convincing."

"I'm trying not to scare you."

Aria looked toward Kieran's house.

"Have you asked him?"

"I don't trust him."

That afternoon, Sienna decided to ask.

Kieran seemed to know she was coming before she reached the gate.

"What happened?"

"How did you know

somethinghappened?" He looked at the photograph in her hand.

"Where did you find those?"

"My back door."

His expression darkened.

"Stay away from the forest." "What?"

"Don't go near it." "Why?"

"Because I asked you not to."

Sienna's patience snapped.

"You don't get to tell me what to do." "I know."

"Then stop acting like you do."

Kieran looked at her.

For a moment, his expression softened.

"I'm trying to keep you safe."

"From what?"

He didn't answer.

Sienna stepped closer.

"You know something." "Yes."

"What?"

Kieran looked toward the forest, then back at her.

"Something followed me here." Sienna's anger disappeared.

"What followed you?"

His voice became almost a whisper.

"Something that should never have found you.