Sarah stood frozen on the porch, her hand still on the doorknob, watching John disappear down the street.
The stranger's voice echoed in her headlow, commanding, and dangerously certain.
"Williams! Step away from him."
Step away? From John?
Her mind replayed the look on his face not guilt… but fear. Real fear.
She shut the door, heart pounding against her ribs, and backed away from the window.
Her phone was still in her pocket. She yanked it out and tried to call Naomi back. Straight to voicemail.
That's when she heard it.
A faint crunch of gravel. Right outside her house.
---
The Unwelcome Guest
Sarah's throat went dry. She moved toward the window, keeping low, and peeked through the curtains.
A man stood under the streetlight.
Tall. Broad shoulders. Face hidden under the brim of a baseball cap.
He was looking straight at her window.
Sarah's stomach flipped. She stepped back and her elbow knocked into the side table, sending a picture frame crashing to the floor.
The man tilted his head at the sound.
Her phone buzzed again. Naomi's text lit up the screen:
> Naomi: Do NOT talk to anyone about John. Not until I get to you. It's bigger than you think.
Sarah's fingers trembled as she typed back: What's going on? Who is that outside?
Three dots appeared… then disappeared.
No reply.
---
Midnight Knock
The knock this time was softer. Almost polite.
Sarah's instincts screamed to ignore it.
"Sarah Williams," the voice was smooth now, almost coaxing, "we just need to talk."
Her breath caught.
We?
She gripped her phone and asked, "Who are you?"
"You can call me Mason," the voice replied, "and I'm here to warn you. About him."
"John?" she asked.
A pause.
"Yes… and no."
Her pulse thudded in her ears. This was insane. This wasn't some teen romance anymore—it felt like she'd stumbled into the middle of something dangerous.
---
The Shatter
Before Sarah could respond, the sound of footsteps broke the tension. Fast ones.
Coming from the side of the house.
Mason turned his head sharply—and then something hit the window.
Glass spiderwebbed from the impact, shards scattering to the floor.
Sarah gasped and stumbled backward. Mason didn't flinch. He simply said, "It's already started," before walking away into the dark.
She didn't sleep that night.
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Voice Memo – Entry: "Shadows and Shattered Truths"
> "Tonight, I learned that the line between trust and danger is paper-thin. John's running from something… and now, apparently, so am I."
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