Chapter 6- A Strange Knock

Naeva Quinn

I heard a strange knock at around midnight. At first, I thought I was imagining things. Maybe it was a dream or just the house creaking again. But then it came again. It sounded sharper, more insistent. Someone was deliberately knocking against my windowpane.

I froze as a chill ran down my spine, my blanket suddenly felt paper-thin as I turned over, suddenly there was silence again, and for a second, I hoped that was the end of it. Maybe some bird flew into the glass or a branch got carried by the wind. But no… the knock came again, louder this time. A rhythm that meant one thing, it wasn’t nature. It was someone.

I sat up, heart pounding like I just had a nightmare. I wanted to ignore it, bury myself under the covers like a child and wait for it to stop. But my instincts wouldn’t let me. I was scared, sure—but fear has never stopped me before.

I tiptoed to my nightstand and quietly reached for the pepper spray I kept hidden in the drawer. Whoever was outside that window had picked the wrong girl. I wasn’t just anybody—I was Naeva. The girl who had once broken a boy’s nose for grabbing my wrist. The girl who never cried, never begged, never backed down. Whoever they were, they were about to regret this.

With my heart lodged in my throat, I crept to the window. My fingers trembled slightly as I unlocked it, pushing it open just an inch. 

I raised the pepper spray, ready to blind whoever was dumb enough to wake me up like this. But just as I was about to strike, a hand shot through the gap and grabbed my wrist.

I gasped.

Before I could scream, another hand clamped over my mouth, and in a swift motion, the pepper spray flew out of my grip and clattered somewhere on the floor behind me.

I struggled, but then I saw the face in the dark.

River.

My mind stuttered. For a few heartbeats, I couldn't move. My body remembered to breathe before my brain could catch up. His face was inches from mine, his eyes sharp and unreadable, lips pressed in a tight line. The shock kept my scream trapped inside me.

River?

He waited until my wild thrashing slowed, until I stopped fighting him with every ounce of strength I had. Only then did he slowly loosen his grip on me.

"Are you done?" he whispered, his voice low but calm, like this was normal. Like he hadn’t just broken into my room in the middle of the night and disarmed me in seconds.

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. I was too busy trying to process what was happening. My chest heaved as I stepped back, grabbing the edge of my desk for support.

When I finally caught my breath, I whispered, “What the hell are you doing?”

He didn’t answer. Of course he didn’t.

River never answered questions. Always watching , but never letting anyone read the pages.

I narrowed my eyes. “Do you realize how close I was to spraying your face off?”

His lip twitched. A half-smile, maybe. Or maybe I imagined it.

I crossed my arms. “Seriously, River. You better start talking. This isn’t a game.”

Still nothing.

He looked at me for a long second, really looked at me, like he was memorizing my face or searching it for something I couldn’t name. Then he turned away and walked towards the corner of the room, his eyes scanning like he was making sure we were alone.

A sick thought crept into my mind. Was someone after him? Was he after someone?

I stared at him, still trying to steady my breath. I stood up straighter, every muscle in my body tight with unease. “You need to leave,” I said firmly, pointing to the window.

He didn’t flinch. Didn’t speak. Just stood there, his dark eyes pinned on me, unreadable as ever.

“I’m serious, River,” I continued, more forcefully now. “You can’t just sneak into my house in the middle of the night like this. This isn’t... okay. I don’t care who you are or what’s going on.”

Still, no response. His silence was maddening.

And then he started walking toward me slowly. Each step made my heartbeat thunder louder in my ears. I wanted to step back, to run, to yell but I didn’t move. Couldn’t. My feet were glued to the floor as River crossed the space between us like a shadow sliding over the moon.

My breath caught in my throat. I hated how he made me feel. Like the air was too thin. Like the walls were closing in. Like I wasn’t in control anymore.

He stopped just inches from me. His hand reached up slowly, carefully and brushed a strand of hair from my face. My skin burned where his fingers touched. My mouth parted in a slight inhale, and I realized, in that moment, he was going to kiss me.

My heart was beating really fast. I didn’t know if I wanted to slap him or let it happen. I didn’t even have time to decide.

A sudden knock on my door startled me and we both froze. There was another knock, firmer this time, followed by the unmistakable sound of my father’s voice on the other side of the door. “Naeva? Are you alright?”

River’s eyes darted to the door, then back to me. I acted fast, grabbing his arm and yanking him toward the bathroom. He didn’t resist, he just moved with me like he’d already anticipated it. I shoved him inside and closed the door quietly behind him, just as my dad’s hand reached the doorknob.

I spun around, pulled on my best half-awake face, and opened the door a crack.

Dad stood there in his robe, eyes heavy with sleep but lined with concern. “I heard something. Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” I said quickly, giving him a small, tired smile. “Just... had a weird dream, I think. Knocked something over when I got up.”

His eyes shifted slightly past me into the room, scanning for anything suspicious. I stepped forward to block his view as casually as I could. “I’m fine, Dad. Really.”

He looked at me for a moment longer, then nodded. “Alright. Just wanted to make sure.”

He was about to turn away when the sound of running water echoed from my bathroom.

I blinked in disbelief. No. No no no.

The shower?

I turned back toward the bathroom door, Why—why would River turn on the shower?

Dad’s eyebrows lifted. “Is someone in there?”

“Wha—no!” I said too fast. I forced a laugh that felt like it belonged to someone else. “It’s the pipes! I told you they were acting weird earlier, remember? They’ve been turning on by themselves.”

His frown deepened. I rushed on, words tumbling out like loose marbles. “You know how old this house is. It’s probably just the plumbing again. I’ll tell Mom in the morning so she can call the guy.”

Dad didn’t look convinced. He stepped forward, glancing toward the closed bathroom door, and my entire body locked up. I thought I was going to faint. If he opened that door and saw River—

“I’ll take a look at it tomorrow,” Dad muttered, finally stepping back. “But Naeva... if there’s anything you’re not telling me—”

“There isn’t,” I said quickly.

He nodded, reluctantly. “Okay. Get some sleep.”

I waited until his footsteps faded down the hall and his door closed before I turned around, shut my own door, and slumped against it with a long exhale.

Then I marched to the bathroom and flung the door open. River stood there, fully clothed, one hand lazily twisting the faucet off with a faint smirk on his lips.

“You turned the shower on?”

He shrugged.

“I hate you,” I hissed.

His eyes twinkled, but he didn’t say a word.