The hospital room was eerily silent, save for the faint beep of the heart monitor and the soft hum of distant hallway lights. Amadeo sat slouched in a chair, his gaze heavy and distant, fixated on the floor. The events of the past days weighed on him like a crushing force, his mind a chaotic storm of unanswered questions.
A sharp ding pierced the quiet, breaking him from his trance. He looked up to see Elle's phone screen light up on the bedside table. The notification glowed in the darkened room, taunting him. Before he could react, he heard the rustle of sheets. Elle stirred, her eyes wide with alarm as she sat up abruptly.
Still connected to her IV line, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Amadeo quickly rose to his feet. "Hey! What are you doing?" he asked, concern lacing his voice as she moved.
Elle didn't reply. Her focus was fixed solely on the phone. Her unsteady steps made Amadeo rush to her side, catching her arm to steady her. "Calm down," he said, his voice softening. "What happened? What do you want? Tell me, I'll get it for you."
She still said nothing, her eyes darting between him and the phone. The intensity of her gaze was enough to silence him. "Phone?" he guessed, his voice cautious. Her unblinking stare gave him the answer.
Amadeo released her and turned toward the phone. "Alright, I'll get it—" He barely managed to pick it up when Elle lunged forward, snatching it from his hands in a swift motion that startled him.
"What's gotten into you?" he asked, his voice tinged with frustration. "I was bringing it to you—what's so important—"
"It's none of your business," Elle cut him off, her voice sharp and defensive.
Amadeo blinked, caught off guard. "What?" he asked, his tone incredulous.
"The kidnapping, the masked man, the phone, and me," Elle said, her words deliberate and cold.
"None of this is your business. It's not your fault, so you don't have to feel guilty. Now go, and never come back here again."
The finality in her voice hit him like a punch to the gut. "But—" he began, trying to protest.
"I said leave, right now," she snapped, her voice firm and unyielding.
Amadeo stood frozen for a moment, her words echoing in his head. Then, slowly, he turned and walked out of the room, the sound of the door closing behind him reverberating through the hallway.
Elle collapsed back onto the bed, clutching her phone tightly. Her hands trembled as she unlocked it, only to find a text from her mother. Her chest heaved as she let out a shaky sigh of relief. The phone slipped from her hand, and she closed her eyes, exhaustion overtaking her.
Amadeo returned to his apartment in a haze, her words replaying in his mind like a relentless drumbeat. He couldn't shake the image of her trembling hands, her eyes filled with a mix of fear and determination. What was so urgent about that phone? What secrets was she hiding from him?
Sleep came reluctantly, an uneasy surrender to exhaustion. The shadows of the room seemed to dance, their movements unsettlingly familiar but impossible to place.The room grew dark, the only light spilling in from the streetlamp outside. The shadows shifted almost imperceptibly, casting shapes on the walls that seemed to move when he wasn't looking.
A faint creak echoed through the apartment. Amadeo stirred slightly in his sleep, his face twitching as if he were sensing something—someone. In the corner of the living room, barely visible in the gloom, stood a figure cloaked in darkness. They didn't move, didn't make a sound, but their presence was palpable, like a weight pressing down on the space.
Amadeo's dreams were restless, filled with fragmented images of Elle, Cecil, and the masked figure. His subconscious replayed the cryptic warning scrawled across the fleeing car's window: "The Devil."
Hours later, the faint sound of glass shattering jolted him awake. He sat up in bed, his heart pounding, his eyes scanning the darkness. Did I just imagine it? he wondered. The apartment was silent, save for his ragged breathing.
Summoning courage, he stepped out of the bedroom and into the living room. His bare foot brushed against something sharp. Looking down, he saw the broken shards of his large window scattered across the floor. The chill of the night air seeped into the room.
His stomach dropped when his eyes landed on the walls. What he saw left him stunned with utter shock and fear. It might be one of the creepiest things he has ever seen in his entire life.