Marcus
By Sunday, I knew I needed a distraction.
Not the fake kind.
Not the kind where I stared at my phone for three hours pretending memes were enough to keep my brain from spiraling.
That clearly wasn't working.
Every time things got quiet, my thoughts circled back to the same things:
The bracelet.
The dreams.
The red-eyed figure.
Callie's face every time she looked at my wrist like she was trying not to panic.
I was tired of feeling like my own thoughts were stalking me.
So I did the most normal thing I could think of.
I invited everyone over.
Noah was the first to react.
"Wait," he said over the phone, dragging out the word like he'd just heard I was moving to Antarctica. "You're hosting?"
I rolled my eyes even though he couldn't see it.
"It's not that weird."
"It is that weird," Riley cut in immediately. I could practically hear her judgment through the speaker. "Marcus, you don't host. You show up late, steal food, make one sarcastic comment, and disappear."
"That is slander."
"It's accuracy," Noah said.
I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling.
"Well, maybe I'm evolving."
There was a beat of silence.
Then Noah said, very seriously, "That's actually terrifying."
I laughed before I could stop myself.
And just like that, some of the tightness in my chest loosened.
This.
This was what I needed.
Something normal.
Something loud.
Something that didn't involve shadow creatures and prophetic Italian whispers.
By the time everyone arrived that evening, the house was already alive with noise.
Mum had gone full host mode the second I told her people were coming.
There were snacks on every available surface, drinks in the fridge, and enough food in the kitchen to feed an army.
"You could've warned me this was a whole event," I muttered as she arranged another plate of cookies.
She gave me a look over her shoulder.
"Marcus, sweetheart, you invited your friends over. Did you expect me to serve them crackers?"
"That would've been fine."
She gasped dramatically.
"Who raised you?"
"Clearly not me," Dad said from the couch.
Mum threw a dish towel at him.
He dodged it with a grin.
The doorbell rang.
Noah and Riley came in first.
Noah stepped inside, looked around, and gave a low whistle.
"Wow. This is… domestic."
"Shut up."
"No seriously," he said, shrugging off his jacket. "You live like this every day? Warm house, food, emotional support? Must be nice."
Riley nudged past him.
"Don't listen to him. He's just jealous your house doesn't smell like protein powder."
"It smells athletic."
"It smells tragic."
Noah clutched his chest like she'd stabbed him.
I snorted.
Mum came over and instantly hugged Riley.
"There's my favorite girl."
Riley smiled in that soft way she only did around my family.
"Hi, Mrs. Cole."
Then Mum turned to Noah.
"And my second favorite."
Noah looked offended.
"Second?"
"Don't push it."
He laughed.
Dad stood up just in time to shake Noah's hand dramatically.
"Good to see you, son. Come in. If Marcus tries to make conversation, don't encourage him."
"Dad."
"What?" he said innocently.
"He's right though," Riley said.
"Traitor."
The doorbell rang again.
And somehow, before I even got there, I already knew it was her.
Callie stood on the porch in a dark coat, snow melting in her hair.
For a second, I just looked at her.
She looked different here.
Softer.
Less untouchable.
More real.
"Hey," I said.
She smiled.
"Hey. Thanks for inviting me."
"No problem."
Her eyes met mine.
Then, like always lately, they dropped.
Straight to the bracelet.
It only lasted a second.
But I caught it.
Again.
A tiny knot tightened in my stomach.
Still, I stepped aside.
"Come in before you freeze."
She laughed softly and walked past me.
And for reasons I couldn't explain, the sound of it settled something restless inside me.
The evening started easy.
Music played low in the background.
The living room was scattered with blankets, snacks, and too many people arguing over what movie to watch.
Noah had somehow taken over the recliner like it belonged to him.
"This is the seat of champions," he declared.
"You sat down first," Riley said.
"That's what makes me a champion."
She threw popcorn at him.
He caught it in his mouth.
"Still got it."
"Ew," Ella said, walking in.
She froze halfway into the room.
Her eyes moved across everyone lazily—
Until they landed on Callie.
Then she stopped completely.
Like someone had hit pause.
"Who's that?"
I groaned immediately.
"Ella—"
"What?" she said, completely serious. "I'm asking."
Callie looked amused.
I sighed.
"That's Callie."
Ella walked forward slowly, studying her with the same intensity she usually reserved for suspicious cartoons and cheating board games.
Most people would've been uncomfortable.
Callie didn't move.
She just watched Ella right back.
Like she was waiting.
After a few seconds, Ella tilted her head.
Then smiled.
"You're really pretty."
Noah made a choking sound in the corner.
I shot him a glare.
Ella ignored all of us.
"And you look familiar."
The room went quiet.
Not dramatically.
Not enough for anyone else to notice.
But I felt it.
Callie's whole body went still.
Just for a second.
Then she smiled.
Soft.
Controlled.
"I get that a lot."
Ella nodded like that made perfect sense.
Then plopped down beside me like nothing weird had happened.
I stared at her.
"What?"
"You're weird."
"Says you."
Fair.
The room relaxed again.
But I couldn't shake the strange feeling curling in my stomach.
Callie looked calm.
Too calm.
Like she was hiding something behind every smile.
The next hour was almost painfully normal.
And I loved it.
Noah told the story of how he slipped in the school parking lot last winter and blamed black ice even though everyone saw him trying to moonwalk.
"That's fake news."
"It's footage," Riley said.
Dad laughed so hard he nearly spilled his drink.
Mum made hot chocolate and forced everyone to take mugs.
Ella kept switching teams depending on who was winning whatever argument was happening.
At some point, Noah and Riley started fighting over music again.
"This playlist is awful," Riley said.
"It has range."
"It has crimes."
"Your music sounds like sad rain."
"At least mine has taste."
Noah looked at me.
"Marcus. Back me up."
"I'd rather walk into traffic."
Riley high-fived me.
Noah looked betrayed.
"This house is hostile."
I smiled so much my face hurt.
For the first time in weeks—
Maybe months—
I felt like myself again.
Not the guy haunted by dreams.
Not the guy hiding panic attacks in school hallways.
Just Marcus.
Just a normal guy sitting on his couch with his family and his best friends.
And Callie.
I glanced toward her without meaning to.
She was sitting a little apart from everyone else.
Smiling when appropriate.
Laughing softly at jokes.
But her eyes—
Her eyes kept drifting.
To me.
To Ella.
Back and forth.
There was something in her expression I couldn't place.
Something sad.
Like she was watching something precious from behind glass.
Like she wanted to reach for it but couldn't.
"Callie?"
She blinked, pulled back into the room.
"Yeah?"
"You okay?"
For a second, something vulnerable flashed across her face.
Gone almost instantly.
"I'm fine."
Lie.
I knew it because I'd been saying the same thing for weeks.
Still, I let it go.
Because whatever was happening with her—
She clearly wasn't ready to talk.
It happened an hour later.
Subtle at first.
A faint warmth curled around my wrist.
So slight I almost thought I imagined it.
My smile faltered.
My gaze dropped.
The bracelet looked the same.
Dark.
Still.
But I knew better now.
My pulse kicked up.
No.
Not here.
Not now.
I kept my face neutral.
Didn't move.
Didn't want anyone to notice.
But someone already had.
Callie.
Her head snapped toward me so fast it was almost frightening.
Her eyes locked on my wrist.
Sharp.
Alert.
Every trace of softness vanished.
My stomach dropped.
There it was.
Confirmation.
She knew.
Maybe not everything.
But enough.
Enough to look scared.
"Callie—"
She stood up so suddenly Riley jumped.
"I should go."
Everyone looked at her.
"Already?" Mum asked.
She gave a quick apologetic smile.
"I just remembered something."
Weak excuse.
Too fast.
Too rehearsed.
We both knew it.
Still—
I stood.
"I'll walk you out."
She hesitated.
Then nodded.
The cold hit us the second we stepped outside.
The porch light cast long shadows across the snow.
For a second, neither of us said anything.
Then I held up my wrist.
The bracelet was still faintly warm.
"Tell me what this is."
Her face changed instantly.
Not surprise.
Not confusion.
Fear.
Real fear.
But not for herself.
For me.
Snow drifted between us in soft silence.
Callie swallowed hard.
Her voice, when it came, was barely above a whisper.
"You're running out of time."
Every part of me went still.
"What?"
She stepped back.
Eyes shining with something dangerously close to heartbreak.
"I'm sorry."
Then she turned and walked away.
Fast.
Like if she stayed another second, she'd tell me everything.
I stood there in the cold long after she disappeared.
The snow settling on my shoulders.
My heart pounding so hard it hurt.
Behind me, I could hear laughter from inside.
Noah yelling about popcorn.
Ella arguing with Riley.
My family.
My life.
Warmth.
Normal.
Everything I knew.
And for the first time—
I realized how fragile it all was.
Because whatever was coming—
It was already here.
And somehow…
Everyone seemed to know except me.