Rayne's blood ran cold as he stood frozen in place.
He began to stagger backward, barely able to control his muddled legs.
*Maybe it's just a drug addict on a ladder...*
Rayne tried to comfort himself as he stumbled toward the door. He kept the thing in his peripheral vision, even though all he wanted to do was sprint out of the library.
He even began to regret his desire to read a book.
Rayne made it to the door and was about to exit when he accidentally made eye contact with the creature outside the window.
His heart leapt into his throat.
He burst through the exit and sprinted down the hall. He didn't look back. He didn't notice how the monster's eyes squinted in glee.
Rayne's thoughts raced even faster than his legs.
*I need to leave. I need to leave. But that thing is out there. I can't leave. What about everyone else? Is Mom okay? I can't stay here...*
His thoughts spiraled, all his emotions and fears colliding. He ducked into a random classroom, hoping to hide—but just when he thought things couldn't get worse, his heart sank even further.
Inside the classroom were Navia and Mark.
They were having sex on one of the tables—so engrossed in it they didn't even notice him enter.
Rayne didn't say a word.
He simply closed the door and walked away.
Though he was still as terrified as before, he now felt utterly empty. He didn't run anymore. He walked to the gym and sat down in his corner.
There were no tears on his face—just hollowness.
But inside, fear still gripped his heart.
Pushing aside his sadness and jealousy, Rayne urgently searched the internet, hoping to find anything that could give insight into what that creature was.
His search was interrupted by a call from his mom.
"Ray! I just saw something in my group chat—it said soldiers are being dispatched in the city!"
"Wait, what? Like, the actual army?"
"I think we might be at war! You need to be careful. Tell all your friends and teachers. They need to know this!"
"Who are we fighting against? Are you okay? Are you safe?"
"I don't know, but I'm fine. You need to be safe. I can't lose you..."
"I'll be fine, Mom. I'll tell my teachers now. Love you."
Rayne ended the call.
He didn't get up right away. He began to piece things together.
*What if the soldiers aren't at war with another country or humans... but with those monsters?*
The implications of that thought weighed heavily on him. It meant there were enough of those things to require military intervention.
Forcing himself up, Rayne approached the gym's supervising teacher, Coach Kirk.
He tried to bring it up—mentioned what his mom said—but Coach Kirk just offered vague reassurances.
Rayne's frustration built, along with his anxiety about the thing in the window.
He asked around, and a few students confirmed that their parents had said similar things. This only unsettled him more.
Right now, all Rayne wanted was to talk to Navia.
But he couldn't face her—not after what he'd seen.
So he went back to his corner and sat alone, wallowing in despair and self-pity.
---
Eventually, Rayne gritted his teeth and began to ask around for more information.
Three people had interesting responses.
Samuel, Nate, and Lila.
Just like him, they were scared—and they wanted to find their families.
For the first time all day, Rayne felt a strange comfort in knowing he wasn't alone.
They shared what they'd seen.
"I saw someone's reflection stare at me—even though the person didn't move," Nate muttered quietly.
"My friend Jessica's been acting really strange... It's terrifying," Lila admitted.
"Paul disappeared yesterday. No one remembers him but me," Samuel said, his voice shaking.
Rayne shivered at each story but told his own—from the shadow to the man-thing.
Their faces went pale.
"Do... do you think it's coming for you?"
Lila asked what they were all thinking.
Rayne said nothing.
"Not Rayne having friends," a teasing voice broke the silence.
It was Navia. Mark was with her.
"What were you guys talking about?" Navia asked.
No one answered.
But Rayne, too tired to care anymore, told them everything. He didn't care if they thought he was insane.
"Damn. Are you guys serious? I didn't notice anything... Are you sure?" Mark asked, surprisingly concerned.
Rayne was caught off guard by his sincerity.
"Rayne, I'm very disappointed in you. You know everyone's already tense. Why would you spread stuff like this?" Navia shook her head.
Rayne's heart broke a little more.
Navia turned and left. Mark looked conflicted but followed her.
Nate, Samuel, and Lila said nothing, and Rayne returned to his corner.
He didn't eat. He didn't shower.
He just sat there, head bowed, as the gym lights dimmed and everyone was called to sleep.
Rayne made a decision.
Tomorrow morning—before anyone woke up—he would leave.
Whether anyone came with him or not.
Still, he couldn't sleep. His mind kept drifting back to the creature.
He opened his eyes and scanned the windows.
Nothing.
He tried again.
Still nothing.
This pattern repeated for hours.
Until one time, when he opened his eyes—
There wasn't nothing.
There was a horrifyingly familiar face in one of the windows.
The same face he had seen in the library.
Except now... it was smiling widely.
A slender, emaciated hand—skin clinging to bone, every detail grotesquely defined.
It began to knock on the window.
Rhythmic. Unhurried. Even slightly playful.
Rayne hadn't taken a breath since he saw it.
But the knocking eventually stirred others awake.
Groggily, they searched for the source. When they found it—they screamed.
Chaos erupted.
People panicked. Some cried out, others stood frozen in place.
More began to notice.
Soon the entire gym was awake.
Rayne remained still, eyes locked on the creature. He watched as its smile grew even wider.
Some students and even teachers began forcing their way out of the gym.
And then, just as suddenly as it appeared, the creature vanished from the window.
Dread bubbled in Rayne's gut.
*We're all going to die.*
He finally stood.
The teachers shouted, trying to calm the crowd, but Rayne ignored them.
He pushed through the crowd and ran.
He ran to his Physics class.
And there, he hid inside a small closet meant for student's jackets.
Others came and went. Some stayed.
But Rayne didn't care.
Inside that dark closet, the glow of his phone lit his face—and on the screen was a picture of his mother.