In still waters

The high school doors burst open as a teenage boy staggers out, his agonized screams piercing the air. His hands clutch at his face as he stumbles onto the rain-slicked grass, slipping and falling. A crowd of stunned classmates surge out after him, forming a circle around his writhing form. The teen lies on his back, his cries of pain echoing across the schoolyard. Slowly, he lowers his hands, revealing a horrifying sight to the onlookers – his face is a mask of blood, streaming down his cheeks and neck…

"Who did this to you?" someone in the crowd cries out, their voice quavering with fear and shock.

The injured boy's screams subside as he stares up at the turbulent sky, rain mingling with the blood on his face. After a moment of eerie silence, he utters in a low, haunting voice:

"It was him… The Outcast…"

The doors of the Green Vault bar swing open, spilling a cacophony of music, voices, and laughter into the quiet street. A petite brunette emerges, her shoulder-length hair damp from the misty air. She wipes tears from her eyes with the sleeve of her red turtleneck as she sets off down the sidewalk, passing by streetlights that cast long shadows across modest middle-class homes. The road ahead stretches out, deserted and dark. Suddenly, a taxi's horn blares, startling her. Without turning, she steps aside, allowing it to pass. Lost in thought, she trudges on through the drizzle, oblivious to the figure that has begun to follow her. It's only when she glances back that she notices – a tall silhouette in black, face obscured by a hood. Her pace quickens; the shadowy pursuer matches it. Heart racing, she looks back once more, realizing with growing dread that her follower is a man. For a moment, she hesitates, nearly stopping in her tracks. Then, with a burst of desperate energy, she breaks into a run. Without looking back, she veers into an unpaved alley, hoping to lose her pursuer in the darkness.

Her hopes are dashed as she finds herself facing a dead end. Panic rising in her chest, she presses herself against the rough bark of an oak tree, willing herself to disappear into its shadows. She doesn't understand what this stranger wants, but her mind races with terrifying possibilities. She strains to listen, hearing only the soft patter of rain on leaves. Then, barely a few steps away, a twig snaps. Her heart pounds so loudly she fears it might give her away. Sweat mingles with raindrops on her palms. A paralyzing fear grips her, choking off any chance of screaming for help. In this moment of terror, her life seems to flash before her eyes. She can sense the stranger nearby, searching, closing in. Suddenly, the silence is shattered by the shrill ring of her cellphone. With trembling hands, she fumbles in her jeans pocket – it's her mom calling. The phone slips from her rigid fingers, clattering to the ground as it continues to ring. Realizing the sound has betrayed her location, she makes a desperate dash into the unknown. But in her haste, she loses her footing on the slick ground and falls hard. Fear escalates to blind panic as her throat constricts, stealing her breath away. She can't scream, can't call for help – she's trapped.