-

he air had been stolen from her. The shadows in her apartment seemed alive, sh

r heart hammering in her chest. The so

as r

to be

nd fought

, Amara.

gether logic. Maybe it was the wind. Or maybe she was losing her grip, her mind pla

he sound c

ic

ensed. Her hand, still gripping the

losing h

e confidence. His presence in her apartment, his

ead. He could be ma

this time. She swore she could feel it, the presence,

ar

sound pressed into her, cold fin

herself, tried to come up with a plan. Her thoughts were jagged f

ould

coul

at would mean exposing herself. What if he was already watching

ied to regain control, the more her body betrayed her-her

elt t

he want

it a

herself in something sh

rd the hallway. The shadows felt denser now,

open t

d other thought

u already

my, her fingers trembling. She tried to convince herself to think, to

pers cam

ar

ound anymore-it felt invasive, like someone was reach

elt sharper, but at the same time, distorted-too bright, too di

eyes and whispe

just in your he

ened her eyes, the so

ic

, her brea

e hallway now. She swore

body shaking. Her mind felt as though it were b

ve in. Don't

if it alr

st? Or was it

every whisper felt invasive, every step felt like an

felt too small, too broken. She could

rself teetering on the edge of som

nd came

ic

time, as though it

g to block it out, but her

lijah truly found a way

n emotion-it felt like a living thing, crawling into eve

t would n

ing was lo

ldn't s

hands clenched tightly into fists,

n't let th

sound ca

ic

seemed closer. She felt h

ew-there was no

she whispered, "What

le

me so fast it

isper returned,

ryth

gave out

new that this was

-