ind on the figure which was so clearly seen in the shadows behind Austin in the picture he had shared with her. She coul

were elongated. She started approaching the building, and yet she was all not right. I saw that the

turn and flee, yet something, whether it was curiosity or stupidity, made her go on. Automatic

st sight, however, everything was as if she had stopped by just the other day. The brushes were arranged perfectly on her workbench, the work in progr

yes fell on he

ing sign was drawn across the cloth in bold, deep, red paint. They looked like a jagged circl

omach

ed an eyebrow at her, but she did not care; she simply moved closer, feeling the rush of blood in her ears.

ng of disgust, nauseousness to her. Finally, she hesitated, and, with her bony, emaciated hand, she touch

r breath catching

sn't

as b

ce Inves

jeans-but there was still blood, fresh and dark, on her ruined pants. Panic in her voice

dio cautiously. One of them was a tall man with a severely serious expression and a gra

id you notice any person out the

and looked at the ground. I snowlocked the d

oulder. "I have found that the door was not forced," he added. "The loc

ank. "Then how

head. As with many cases, if something is present on the canvas, it will be delivered to the laboratory for examination. Drawin

though she could hardly believe b

r statement and assured her they would come back once they learned more. However,

ngered, as if even the walls became blood'.' She bolted the door and shad

ot back into her apartment. He slept peacefully while she tossed and turned in bed. she could

She grabbed it, expecting another enigmatic get-well

you o

early sufficient to divert her from t

e replie

tely the phone

happ

her back. She would not again want him to come and "rescue" her like he h

ed, typing in what she said as, 'Nothing I c

ed her to endure it, she could not do

truder

e beats of footsteps jolted her back to consciousness from he

still and listened, she could hear the distant sound of th

as in her

aths. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed her phone and dialed Austin's number ev

voice was s

ry quietly. "Please don't move," he then said, in a vo

as startled. She gripped the handle of the phone tight

"Well?" "Hurry," she could utt

en, outside her bedroom door, the crea

or she was not in a

t raced faster and faster. Her gaze moved on the lamp on the stand across the nightsta

r creak

as a silhouette in the dark, was

was barely loud, but it was more gentle t

sn't

meone els