I rushed toward my classroom, my mind racing, my heart still unsteady from what had just happened. The moment Alice had whispered those words "Found you" a cold dread had settled deep in my bones, refusing to fade. I needed space, a quiet place where I could gather my thoughts, where I could breathe without the weight of unseen eyes pressing down on me.
But as I reached the classroom door and stepped inside, I realized I had made a terrible mistake.
The room was anything but quiet.
Laughter echoed off the walls, conversations overlapped, and the energy was electric with the kind of restless excitement that came with the first day of college. Students moved between desks, greeting old friends, making new ones, completely lost in their own worlds. The air felt thick, suffocating, filled with voices that clashed together in an endless hum.
For a second, I hesitated, the noise slamming into me like a wave.
This isn't what I need right now.
But what choice did I have? Leaving would only draw attention. I had to stay, to act normal like I wasn't unraveling inside, like my entire world hadn't just been thrown off its axis by a single girl with piercing blue eyes.
So I did the only thing I could. I swallowed my anxiety, locked it away in the deepest part of me, and forced my feet forward.
Keeping my head low, I weaved through the chaos, ignoring the groups of students laughing, joking, filling the space with their easy presence. My goal was simple: reach my seat, sit down, and disappear into the background.
I slid into my chair near the window, gripping the edge of my desk as if it could anchor me. Outside, the sun hung high in the sky, its light too bright, too normal, mocking the storm raging inside me.
I let out a slow breath, steadying myself.
But even as I tried to push everything away the smoke-filled lab, the weight of Alice's gaze, the haunting words that wouldn't stop repeating in my head I couldn't shake the feeling that no matter how much I wanted to escape…
…I had already been caught.
After what felt like an eternity of forcing myself to sit through class, pretending to listen, pretending to be fine, the moment the lecture ended, I was the first to leave. My mind was exhausted, my body heavy with the weight of thoughts I couldn't shake.
I just wanted to go home.
The only place where I could be alone.
Stepping out of the building, I inhaled the crisp evening air, letting it cool the heat still simmering beneath my skin. The campus had begun to empty, students heading off in groups, their laughter trailing behind them as they disappeared down the streets. I walked toward the front gate, eager to leave it all behind.
But then I saw her.
Alice.
She stood motionless against the outer wall, bathed in the golden hues of the setting sun. The soft, dying light caught in her hair, turning it into strands of liquid fire, the deep orange blending with the dusk like a scene from a painting. But it wasn't just the sight of her that sent a shiver down my spine. It was the way she stood so still, so eerily patient, as if she had all the time in the world.
Ah… it's like that day.
My pulse quickened. I clenched my fists, forcing the memories back. Forget it. It's in the past. It doesn't matter anymore.
With a deep breath, I shut my eyes for a brief moment, trying to calm the storm within. But the second I opened them—
Alice was right in front of me.
A startled gasp caught in my throat. I instinctively stepped back, but she remained where she was, close enough that I could see the faintest curve of amusement tugging at her lips.
Then, she smiled.
"I was waiting for you," she said.
A cold chill ran down my spine.
I didn't reply. I couldn't. The words stuck in my throat like thorns.
Alice's eyes held me there, unwavering, as if she were studying me, waiting for something—some kind of reaction. But I refused to give her one.
I swallowed hard and forced a shaky breath.
"I… I have to go," I muttered, barely audible, my voice betraying the unease clawing at my chest.
Alice's expression didn't change. She simply watched me, an unreadable smile playing at the corner of her lips.
Then, before she could say anything else, before she could reach for me or whisper something else that would burrow into my mind, I turned on my heel and walked away. Fast.
Each step felt like an eternity, the weight of her gaze burning into my back. The urge to look over my shoulder gnawed at me, but I refused to give in. I kept my head down, fists clenched, breath shallow.
The campus was quieter now, the energy of the day fading into the stillness of the evening. The few students who remained were lost in their own conversations, oblivious to the invisible battle raging inside me.
I just needed to get home.
My pace quickened as I reached the outer gate of the college, stepping onto the dimly lit street beyond. The sky had deepened into hues of violet and navy, the last traces of sunlight slipping below the horizon. The world around me felt surreal, like I was moving through a dream.
Or a trap.
No. Stop thinking like that. It's over. Just go home.
I forced my thoughts into silence and kept walking, my footsteps echoing against the pavement. The familiar path leading to my house stretched ahead, lined with flickering streetlights and the occasional passing car. But no matter how normal everything seemed, I couldn't shake the feeling crawling up my spine.
The feeling that I was still being watched.
I gritted my teeth and picked up my pace, almost breaking into a jog. My hands felt clammy, my pulse erratic. The weight of Alice's presence lingered in the back of my mind, refusing to fade even though I had left her far behind.
I reached my neighborhood, taking the last few turns with hurried steps, until finally, I was there.
Home.
The moment I stepped through the front door, I slammed it shut behind me and locked it. The sound of the bolt sliding into place echoed in the silent house, a small reassurance that I was safe.
I pressed my back against the door, exhaling shakily.
For a moment, I just stood there, letting the quiet settle around me, grounding me.
The house was dark, eerily still, as if no one had lived here for years. A cold emptiness pressed against the walls, stretching into every corner, swallowing the last remnants of warmth.
I exhaled slowly, rubbing my temples. Of course. I should've expected this.
Dad wasn't home.
Work. Again.
Somewhere between the chaos of today and my desperate need to escape, I had forgotten just how empty this house really was. It wasn't just the silence—it was the weight of it, the kind that seeped into your bones and made the air feel colder than it should.
I reached for the light switch and flicked it on. The bulb buzzed faintly before casting a dim, yellow glow over the living room, barely pushing back the shadows.
Everything was exactly as I had left it—neat, lifeless, untouched. A place where things existed, but no one truly lived.
I shut my eyes for a moment, trying to shake the hollow feeling creeping in.
Maybe I should eat. Maybe I should do something to keep my mind from drifting back to Alice, to her voice, to that unsettling smile.
Or maybe I should just sleep and hope that, by tomorrow, everything would feel normal again.
But deep down, I already knew the truth.
There was no going back to normal.