Alone In the Shadows

The overlapping voices echoed in my head, a cacophony that left my brain buzzing.

A wave of weakness surged through my legs, an electric numbness crawling up my spine and pooling at the base of my skull. My body felt like it might give out any moment.

I didn't have the strength to keep up with Wayne on the phone.

"I'm busy. I'll hang up now. Thank you," I managed, my voice flat, drained.

"I'll come up—"

I ended the call.

The sounds vanished abruptly, leaving a vacuum behind, filled only by the ticking of a clock mingling with the relentless pounding of my heartbeat.

Bang, bang, bang.

"Property management here, ma'am. Could you open the door?"

Another wave of panic hit me, sharp and consuming. I held my breath, rooted to the floor, unwilling to make a sound.

After a moment, I regained some composure and, moving cautiously, pressed my face against the peephole.

Outside, someone stood too close for me to make out their face—just a smudge of gray and yellow.

"Are you from property management?" I asked, my voice steadying despite the storm within.

"Yes, ma'am," came the reply. "We're here to accompany you to check the car windows."

The figure took a step back, revealing the full uniform.

Relief washed over me, loosening the tight coil of fear in my chest. Whatever Wayne or that man and woman were planning, I couldn't imagine them trying anything with two other men by my side.

Grabbing my umbrella, I prepared to open the door. But just as my hand reached the lock, an odd feeling seized me.

Acting on instinct, I glanced through the peephole once more.

And that's when I noticed it.

The rain outside was a torrential downpour, yet their clothes were bone dry. Not a single drop marred the fabric—it looked as though they had just changed into them indoors.

My hand froze on the lock. Slowly, I leaned against the doorframe, taking a deep breath to steady my nerves.

"Oh, just a moment," I called out, forcing a casual tone. "I need to change first."

I stepped away from the door and headed to the bathroom. Once inside, I quickly dialed the property management office.

This time, they picked up almost immediately. The background noise was chaotic, the kind of din that only a busy office could produce.

"Hello, haven't you sent someone yet?" I asked, keeping my voice neutral.

"Hello? Oh, it's you," the man on the line said, sounding distracted. "Sorry, we've had an emergency here. It might take a while longer for us to get to you."

They hadn't sent anyone.

So who was outside my door?

My heart tightened, a vise squeezing harder and harder until the pressure became unbearable. It pounded against my ribs, wild and unrestrained, as if it wanted to escape.

Bang, bang, bang.

The knocking came again, sharper this time, with a hint of irritation bleeding through.

"Ma'am, how much longer are you going to take? Could you hurry up?"

The voice—it sounded like Wayne.