TURNING SOON

I don’t know what it is about the walk home after work maybe it’s the quietness of the road or maybe it’s the fact that the whole city feels like it’s holding its breath but there’s always a moment when my brain decides to be dramatic. And tonight, that moment came the second I turned down the alley.

It was colder than usual today not sweater-weather cold just bone-prickling, skin-goosebumping cold. The kind that crawls under your jacket and settles there like it plans on staying forever and that didn’t make sense. We hadn’t had so much as a breeze all week, and suddenly the air felt like November decided to pay an early visit.

“Okay,” I muttered to myself, hugging my arms a little tighter. “That’s weird. But not horror-movie weird, Just… weather weird.”

I kept walking,my sneakers echoed on the cracked pavement. The alley was narrow and long, framed by rusting fire escapes and graffiti-covered walls. Trash cans lined the sides, their lids rattling softly whenever the wind picked up. Usually, I didn’t even think twice about it but tonight, everything felt just slightly off am sure of it.

Like the city was watching meor something.

Halfway through, I stopped in my tracks not because I wanted to because I swore I saw something, a flicker of movement. It looked like a shadow darting across the far end of the alley,it was too quick and very much silent to belong to anything normal.

I spun around Immediately, my heart hammering but I didn't see nothing.

The alley was empty like completely and totally empty.

“Okay…that’s weird” I whispered, scanning every inch of darkness. “Okay, Lilian. You’re officially losing it.”

I turned back around and started walking again faster this time. My footsteps sounded louder now, echoing off the walls like someone else’s were matching them. The air felt heavier, too, like the night itself was pressing down on me.

Don't be stupid, I told myself. It’s nothing, Just your cute little imagination being an asshole.

Except my imagination didn’t usually make the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Am actually exaggerating the situation hehe.

I adjusted my backpack strap and kept my head down, walking faster. Then faster again, My heartbeat synced with the rhythm of my steps, each thud louder than the last. I resisted the urge to look back because if I did and someone was there, I didn’t want to know, I might faint.

By the time I reached the end of the alley and stepped onto the main street, I was practically power-walking. I didn’t stopat all not even when I crossed the road or when I passed the flickering streetlight on the corner. Not even when I reached the stairs to my apartment building.

I didn’t breathe until I was inside.

The door slammed behind me with a metallic clack as I twisted the locks asap one, two, three. My hands were shaking. Not that am proud of that, I dropped my bag by the shoe rack and leaned against the door, sucking in a breath like I’d just run a marathon.

“Jesus,” I muttered. “You’re fine,You’re home, It’s fine.” I held onto my chest.

The silence pressed in on me, thick and heavy. My apartment had always been quiet one-bedroom, minimal furniture, more cozy than fancy. But tonight, the quiet felt different and louder, like something was hiding underneath it.

That was when my phone vibrated. good timing!

I screamed my lungs out like actually screamed in a little and Ugly way, And I don't care. It was the kind of sound you only make when your soul nearly ejects itself from your body.

My phone buzzed again on the counter, I stared at it like it had just threatened to kill me.

“Oh my God,” I hissed, clutching my chest. “I’m losing my damn mind, Jesus.”

I picked it up, ready to curse out whoever had the audacity to scare me at that exact moment and, of course, it was Mia, figures.

I swiped to answer. “What the hell, Mia?”

“Whoa, okay!” she laughed. “Good evening to you too, sunshine.”

“You nearly gave me a heart attack, here.” I said groaning as I pinched the tip of my nose in annoyance.

“I just called you, I didn’t sneak into your apartment and leap out of the closet like a dman skeleton, Why are you so jumpy?”

“Because!” I snapped, pacing a little as the adrenaline refused to settle. “Because I just got home and … ugh, forget it.”

“No, no, now you have to tell me.” I could practically hear the grin in her voice.

I sighed, dragging a hand through my hair. “It’s nothing actually, It’s just… I was walking home and I swear to God I felt like someone was following me.”

There was a beat of silence then Mia burst out laughing.

“Oh my God,” she wheezed. “Lilian, are you hearing yourself? You? Miss ‘Vampires Are Fairy Tales’? Miss ‘I’m Not Scared of Anything’? You think someone was following you?”

“Shut up,” I grumbled, even though my cheeks were burning. “I’m serious right now, The alley felt… kind of different and colderyou know and I thought I saw a shadow, whatever I just know I saw something.”

“You probably saw a raccoon.”

“Raccoons don’t move like that,” I said. “And they definitely don’t make my skin crawl.”

“Maybe you’re just paranoid.”

“Maybe you should fuck off,” I shot back. “You don’t get it, If you lived alone like I do, you’d understand how it feels when something’s off.”

“Okay, okay,” she said, still giggling. “I’m sorry alright, I didn’t mean to laugh at your misery, It’s just …. you’re usually so chill about everything, I’m not used to this version of you.”

“Yeah, well, this version of me is currently reconsidering her life choices,” I muttered to myself in particular.

“Look, if it makes you feel any better,” she said, softening her tone, “it’s probably nothing okay, maybe a trick of the light or cat, or just probably a guy walking home the same way and you are safe now, right?”

I glanced around my tiny apartment, I made sure to lock the door, closed the windows, the empty hallway, check.

“Yeah,” I said finally. “I’m safe.”

“Then stop freaking yourself out, weirdo. You’ll give yourself grey hair before you’re twenty.”

“Too late for that.”

“Seriously, though, If anything does happen, you call me, okay? Or the cops, Preferably the cops first.”

“Yeahyeah...I will.”

“Good.” She paused. “Now… tell me what you’re making for dinner because I need inspiration.”

“Nothing fancy,” I said, wandering into the kitchen. “Probably pasta again. Or cereal i haven’t decided how ambitious I feel.”

“Cereal for dinner if you believe in yourself.”

I snorted. “You’re an idiot.”

“Your idiot,” she reminded me.

“Unfortunately.”

We kept chatting while I rummaged through the fridge, pulling out a half-empty box of pasta and some tomato sauce that looked like it had survived the apocalypse. I set a pot of water to boil while Mia went off on a dramatic rant about some guy who texted her “hey” without punctuation. I just pity the guy though.

By the time the pasta was done and my stomach was no longer trying to eat itself, the conversation had drifted back to our usual nonsense just gossip, memes, complaints about teachers. It was comforting, grounding even Almost enough to make me forget about the chill in the alley.

Almost!.

“Okay,” I said finally, glancing at the clock. “I should probably go now, I still have homework to pretend to do.”

“Fine,” Mia sighed. “But if a vampire breaks into your apartment, I get your vinyl collection.”

“Ha-ha,” I said dryly. “You’re hilarious.”

“I try, Night, Lils.”

“Night, Mia.”

I ended the call and tossed the phone onto the counter. The apartment fell silent again back to that same heavy stillness. I cleaned up the dishes, double-checked the locks on the door, and flopped onto the couch with a long sigh.

Everything was normal boring even, it was Just another night.

So why did I still feel like I was being watched?