Chapter 24: The Shadows Grow Closer
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A Morning of Uncertainty
The morning light filters through my window, but it feels… wrong.
Dimmer. Weaker.
Like it's struggling to reach me.
I stare at my reflection in the mirror, at the dark circles under my eyes, at the unease carved into my features. The events of yesterday still cling to me like a second skin. That thing. The way it vanished. The way it watched me.
I shake my head. No. Forget it. Move on.
Downstairs, the normal sounds of breakfast try to lull me into a sense of familiarity. The clinking of plates. The low hum of the TV. Mom's voice drifting from the kitchen.
"Derrick, did you sleep okay? You look tired."
I pause mid-step. The answer should be simple. A casual lie.
"Yeah. I'm fine."
Mark glances up from his phone, his eyes narrowing slightly. Too long. I took too long to answer.
"You sure?"
I force a small nod, moving toward my chair, grabbing my spoon. Act normal. Just act normal.
Lily, oblivious, hums between bites of toast. "Hey, Derrick, can you help me with my history homework later?"
"Yeah. Sure."
I barely hear what she said. I don't even process it.
Because I'm not really here.
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A Walk Filled with Paranoia
The air outside should be crisp. Fresh.
Instead, it feels thick. Suffocating.
I walk, my feet moving on autopilot, my senses sharp, stretched too thin. Every step echoes in my ears, too loud. My own shadow feels wrong, stretching unnaturally against the pavement.
I tell myself it's nothing. That I'm imagining it.
But the feeling won't go away.
The weight of something pressing against the back of my skull.
I stop.
Turn.
Nothing.
The street is normal. Cars passing. People walking.
But normal doesn't feel normal anymore.
I exhale, forcing my pulse to slow. It's fine. Just go to school. Focus.
I keep walking.
But I don't shake the feeling.
Because I know.
It's still there.
Watching.
---
The Sightings Begin Again
At first, they're just glimpses.
A flicker at the edge of my vision.
A shape shifting between the crowd.
A presence just beyond my reach.
I try to ignore it. Try to focus on class, on the steady rhythm of school, on the ordinary flow of the day.
But the glimpses get worse.
More frequent.
More real.
A reflection in the window.
A silhouette at the end of the hallway.
A dark figure in the crowd—
Gone the moment I try to focus.
My pulse spikes. My breath hitches.
It's closer.
I freeze in place, the noise around me fading to static. My hands clench at my sides.
A classroom door swings open.
Serena steps out.
She stops mid-step, eyes locking onto mine.
"Derrick?"
I blink. Force my expression to relax.
"Yeah?"
Her frown deepens. "Are you okay? You look like you just saw a ghost."
My throat tightens.
If only it were just a ghost.
I could tell her. But how?
"Hey, Serena, I think I'm being followed by something that shouldn't exist. Also, it might be watching me right now."
Instead, I force a smirk. "Just tired."
She doesn't look convinced.
But she lets it go.
For now.
---
A Performance of Normalcy
I force myself to act normal.
To pretend I don't see it.
To pretend everything is fine.
But it's exhausting.
Every class. Every conversation. Every second of the day.
A performance.
A delicate illusion held together by sheer willpower.
I laugh at jokes that don't reach me. I take notes without registering the words. I answer when spoken to.
But deep down—
I know.
This isn't in my head.
This isn't a hallucination.
Something is here.
And it's getting closer.