Page 26 of He Sees You When You’re Sleeping

As I change into my pajamas, I can’t shake the feeling of being watched. I double-check the locks on my windows and look outside one last time. My Christmas lights are off. Were they always off?

Sliding into bed, I pull the covers up to my chin, feeling like a child afraid of the monsters in the closet.

Sleep eludes me. I toss and turn, my thoughts a jumbled mess of Tyler, Jack, and WinterWatcher. Every creak of the house makes me start, my heart leaping into my throat.

Around three a.m., I give up on sleep. I reach for my phone, telling myself I’ll just scroll through social media to distract myself. But my fingers betray me, opening the Dark Secrets app instead.

WinterWatcher has been active. He’s left comments on my older posts now, innocuous things like “Beautiful” and “Stunning.” But there’s one comment that makes my heart stop: “I wonder what other dark secrets you have.”

Something inside of me wants to respond. But I never speak to any subscribers. I never interact. I never comment. I’m not going to start now...

My thumb hovers over the reply button, twitching in suspense. I’ve never broken my rule of nonengagement before, but something about this situation feels different. Dangerous. Maybe if I respond, I can get more information, figure out if this really is Tyler or just some random guy.

It can’t be Tyler. Why am I thinking it’s Tyler? In fact, why do I think I know WinterWatcher at all? He could be anyone. He could even be a she. Why am I overreacting?

I turn off my phone and roll over. I toss and turn for another hour, my mind racing with possibilities. Every shadow seems to move, every noise amplified in the stillness of the night. Finally, as the first hints of dawn start to creep through my curtains, I drift into a fitful sleep.

My dreams are a confusing jumble of images: Tyler’s too-wide smile, Jack’s intense gaze, and a shadowy figure standing outside my window, watching. Always watching.

I wake with a start, my alarm blaring. For a moment, I’m disoriented, the events of last night feeling like a distant nightmare. But as I reach for my phone to silence the alarm, reality comes crashing back. It’s time to be Chloe. Cute, bubbly, admired by many Chloe Hallman, jewelry influencer.

BlackAsChlo needs to go back into the shadows where she belongs.

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