Page 89 of Undone

“Dotty?” I called.

No response.

The kitchen light was on, a dim glow spilling into the living room. I rubbed my arms against the chill and stood. Soft scrapes echoed through the quiet house as my feet carried me toward the kitchen.

“Gracie? Dotty? Walker?”

There was nothing but overwhelming silence, the kind that made my heart rate pick up. Something was wrong. I could feel it in the pit of my stomach.

As I stepped into the kitchen, something felt off. The back door was ajar, just enough for the faintest breeze to slip through, brushing the curtains in a lazy sway. The air felt cold. Too cold. I stepped closer, the floor creaking under my weight.

“Hello?” My voice was louder now, edged with panic.

A faint sound came from outside—a low, almost imperceptible rustle. My breath hitched as I approached the door, every instinct screaming at me to stop, to turn around and run.

It felt like my legs were sinking into the floor, as if the earth itself was holding me in space. But despite my uncertainty, my feet stepped closer.

Each step was a battle, my body begging me to listen, but my mind driven by some irrational, rabid curiosity.

The backyard was shrouded in darkness, the tall grass swaying gently in the wind. The faint silhouette of the tree line loomed in the distance, stark against the moonlit sky.

And then I saw it. A shadow, barely more than a ripple in the darkness. It lingered just beyond the edge of the light from inside, moving slowly, methodically—like it was watching me.

The shadow stopped, and for a moment, I thought it might have been my imagination. Then it stepped forward, the light catching just enough to reveal his face.

“John?” My heart seized in my chest.

Like a pillar of fear, John stood there, his hands sheathed in his pockets, his head tilted slightly, as if amused by my panic.

“Four,” he said. His voice was smooth, deceptively calm.

He took a step forward. I stumbled inside, my legs trembling, my back hitting against the counter. My hand fumbled for something—anything—to defend myself, but all I found was the cold, empty surface.

“How? How did you find me?” I asked, shaking my head.

He advanced, his steps unhurried.

“Three,” he murmured, his voice dropping to a chilling tone.

The air felt heavy, oppressive, and it was getting harder to breathe. I couldn’t move, couldn’t think, as he stepped toward me once again.

“Two,” he hissed, his body only a few feet from mine.

The room tilted. Shadows stretched and deepened, swallowing me whole. My body locked up, every nerve screaming at me to run, but I couldn’t move as he closed the final step between us.

He leaned down, his exhale brushing my ear. His voice was low and deliberate as he whispered, “One.”

I bolted upright with a gasp, my chest heaving, my body drenched in sweat. The room spun as I tried to make sense of my surroundings while the ghost of his breath still was burning on my ear.

It took a moment for everything to register—the soft glow of the TV, the blanket half-draped over me, Dotty and Gracie fast asleep on the sleeping bags beside me, Walker laying at our feet. Gracie’s little hand rested against her cheek, her curls spilling over the pillow, and Dotty’s sleeping breaths filled the room.

It was just a dream.

But it didn’t feel like one.

My hands trembled as I pushed the blanket off and stood, the room suddenly too warm, too stifling. I stumbled into the kitchen, gripping the counter for support as I tried to steady my breathing.

I reached for my phone. Before I could comprehend what I was doing, I scrolled to Dorian’s name with shaking fingers. I hesitated for a moment before hitting call.

---