Ethan quickened his pace, shedding the feeling of being watched. Julian's gaze lingered in his mind. Why had Julian been watching him?
As he approached his house, Ethan noticed the same figure standing by the porch. The mysterious figure from the alley. Ethan's heart skipped a beat. Why was it back?
"Who are you?" Ethan demanded, trying to hide his fear.
The figure remained silent, its piercing green eyes fixed on Ethan. Ethan felt that creepiness he always did when he watched horror movies. Trying to know the mysterious figure's intentions, he further asked:
"What do you want?", trying to sound braver than he felt.
The figure glanced around cautiously, and so did Ethan. Ethan maintained the figure's gaze, trying as much as he can to hide his fear. After what felt like hours of silence, the figured murmured, with a voice enough to kill you with fear
"You're in danger, Ethan."
Ethan froze.He was numb as fuck.
Maintaining his confidence, he scoffed,
"What do you mean?"
The figure leaned in, its voice barely audible. "You have a crucial role to play. Be cautious of those around you. They may not be what they seem."
Ethan's heart pounded. What did it mean?
The figure's eyes locked onto Ethan's. "Trust no one, Ethan. This is not an advice, it's a warning ".
Suddenly, the figure vanished into thin air, leaving Ethan stunned and bewildered.
Ethan stumbled backward, as his heart had skipped twice. Grasping the porch railing,he did in order not to fall. What had just happened?
Shaking his head, Ethan looked around once more, and took a deep breath. The cool evening air filling his lungs.
"What's all this ", Ethan murmured to himself. " Why me? ".
Ethan stood frozen, his thoughts swirling. The encounter left him with more questions than answers. Where was he to get these answers from.
As he walked through the porch to head inside, Ethan noticed a small piece of paper on the porch step. He picked it up, and it bore a cryptic message:
"The truth is hidden in plain sight. Look closely."
Ethan's heart sank, skipping twice, Ethan falling on his knees. " What is this? ", Ethan murmured in frustration.
He wrinkled the paper and threw it away, feeling a chill run down his spine.
As Ethan straightened up to head inside, he felt another chill down his spine. Something was off. " What's this feeling? ", he murmured.
Suddenly,the air seemed to thicken, and Ethan sensed something evil approaching.
He spun around, but there was no one there.
Shrugging it off, Ethan took a step forward, but the feeling intensified. The idea of rushing into the house came to his mind. So he decided to count down.
[5]
[4]
[3] ...
He turned to face the darkness, all of a sudden a hand tapped his shoulder.
Immediately, Ethan's reflexes kicked in. Fist clenched, he struck the person hard in the face.
The person stumbled back, clutching their nose. Ethan went for another attack when his eyes suddenly adjusted to the darkness.
" Julian? ", he said out loud.
" Yeah man, it's me ", he said still struggling with his nose.
"Julian! Oh, man, I'm sorry!" Ethan exclaimed, helping Julian up.
Julian's eyes narrowed with pain and surprise etched on his face.
"What's wrong with you, Ethan?" Julian asked, rubbing his nose.
" What's wrong with me...? ", he asked," ... You're the creepy one here. What are you doing out this late? You should be at home and how in hell did you know my house? ".
Before Julian could answer, Ethan's mind had already flashed back to the mysterious figure's warning: "Trust no one."
He studied Julian's face, and for a moment, he saw something different. Something that didn't quite add up.
Julian's eyes seemed... darker.
His smile, once charming, now seemed... sinister.
Ethan's heart sank. What was going on?
"Nothing's wrong with me," Julian said, trying to sound calm. "Just jittery. Plus, I just wanted to drop by and ask a few questions ".
Julian's gaze lingered, as if searching for something.
"You sure you're okay?" Ethan asked, his voice low and even.
Juliay nodded, but he knew his intentions.
What secrets was the mysterious figure hiding? Did Julian have something to do with it?
Why did Julian seem... different?
Ethan's thoughts went wild once more, but he realized one thing: he couldn't trust Julian.
Not anymore.