The morning light poured through the half-drawn curtains, casting long shadows across the room. Lisa sat at the kitchen table, nervously sipping her coffee. Her mind kept circling back to Liam, to the strange visions he'd been having. Shadows, whispering figures. She wanted to believe it was just his mind playing tricks, but the unease in his voice had been too real to ignore.
She glanced at her phone. No messages from him yet. It was unlike him to sleep in this late—especially after everything that had happened. She felt a pang of worry and pushed it aside. He'd been through a lot lately; maybe he just needed rest.
But as the clock ticked on, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.
Suddenly, her phone buzzed, breaking her thoughts. It was a text from Liam. "They're here again."
Lisa's stomach dropped. The shadowy figures. She had hoped that maybe—just maybe—it had all been in his head. But no. It was happening again. And this time, she wasn't sure if she could reassure him with words alone.
She quickly grabbed her jacket and rushed out the door, her heart pounding with every step. The drive to his house felt longer than usual, her mind racing with possible explanations, none of them comforting. What could it be? What did these shadows want from him?
When she arrived, Liam was waiting outside, pacing back and forth like a trapped animal. His eyes were wide, pupils dilated, as if he'd seen something terrifying just beyond her sight.
"Liam," Lisa said, rushing over to him. "What's going on?"
"I saw them again," he whispered, his voice shaking. "In the hallway. They're getting closer."
Lisa took a deep breath, trying to steady her own nerves. "I told you before—just stay calm. It's probably nothing. Just... shadows. Your mind's probably playing tricks."
But as the words left her mouth, she felt a cold shiver creep up her spine. This wasn't just his mind. There was something off about the way he was acting. His usual calm demeanor was gone, replaced by a raw panic that she hadn't seen in him before.
"They don't feel like normal shadows, Lisa," Liam continued, his voice desperate. "They're... watching me. They want something. I don't know what, but I feel it. I feel them."
Lisa swallowed hard. She could see the terror in his eyes, and for the first time, she didn't know how to comfort him. What if he was right? What if these shadows were something more than just a figment of his imagination?
"Okay," she said, her voice firm. "We'll figure this out. You're not alone in this. I'll stay with you."
Liam nodded, his shoulders slumping with relief. "Thank you," he murmured, as if he'd been waiting for her to say those words.
They stepped inside together, and the moment the door clicked shut behind them, a strange stillness settled over the house. It was too quiet. Too empty. As if the air itself was holding its breath.
Lisa led Liam into the living room and motioned for him to sit. "We need to think this through," she said, sitting beside him. "You've been through a lot these past few days, right? A lot of new changes. Maybe you're just... overwhelmed. Stressed out."
"I know what I saw, Lisa," he replied, his voice low, almost a whisper. "It's not stress. It's real. And they're getting closer. I—I can't... I can't escape them."
Lisa's heart tightened in her chest. She wanted to believe him, but what could she do? How could she protect him from something she couldn't even see?
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. The sound was sharp, too sudden, and it made Lisa jump. Liam's face went pale. His body stiffened, as if he was expecting something terrible.
"I'll get it," Lisa said, standing quickly. She didn't want Liam to have to deal with it. Not now. She walked cautiously to the door, her mind racing.
When she opened it, there was no one there. Just the cold night air. But something felt... off. She looked down, and her heart skipped a beat. There, on the doorstep, was a small, handwritten note.
It read: We see you.
Lisa's hand trembled as she picked it up, her mind whirling. Who had left this? And why? Was this connected to Liam's visions? She glanced over her shoulder at him, standing by the window, looking as though he had seen a ghost.
Liam's eyes locked onto the note in her hand, and he stepped toward her, his face pale. "They know," he whispered.
Lisa swallowed. "We need to talk. I think you're right. Something's not right here. Something's watching us."
"Watching you," Liam corrected, his voice steady but filled with an edge of fear. "They're only interested in me. But you're in danger, too. I can feel it."
Lisa shook her head, trying to push away the fear creeping into her chest. "No, this isn't just about you. Whatever's going on... we're in this together. I won't let anything happen to you."
Liam's gaze softened for a moment, and then he stiffened again. "They're close," he muttered. "I can feel them, Lisa. They're waiting."
There was a sudden shift in the air, as if the room itself was holding its breath. Lisa turned toward the hallway, and her heart raced as the temperature seemed to drop. The shadows in the corner seemed deeper, more sinister. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.
And then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw it—a figure, tall and dark, moving slowly toward them.
The room seemed to go silent, even the air itself still. Lisa's breath hitched. The figure was unmistakable. It was one of the shadows Liam had described.
Liam took a step back, his eyes wide with terror. "Lisa..."
The figure grew closer, and Lisa could hear the faintest whisper, as if the shadow was speaking to them. She tried to reach for Liam, but her hand passed right through the figure. It wasn't real. It couldn't be.
But Liam was frozen in place, his fear palpable.
"I don't know how to stop it," Liam whispered, almost to himself.
Lisa gripped his arm, trying to keep him grounded. "We'll figure it out. But we need to face this together."
And as the shadow moved closer, Lisa knew that whatever was happening, they had no choice but to face it head-on—before it consumed them both.