Cassie couldn't breathe.
The world around her felt distant, like she was underwater, everything muffled except the sound of her own heartbeat.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Too loud.
Too fast.
"That's not me…" she whispered again, her voice shaking.
But the face on the stretcher didn't change.
It was still hers.
Still pale.
Still… dead.
"Hey! You're not allowed here!"
A sharp voice cut through the air.
Cassie flinched as a police officer stepped toward her, his expression hard.
"You need to step back."
She nodded quickly, stumbling away from the tape.
"I—I was just…"
Her words faded.
What could she even say?
I saw this before it happened.
They would think she was crazy.
Or worse.
Her eyes flickered around the scene.
Officers moving.
People whispering.
Phones out.
Watching.
Everyone was watching.
But then—
She felt it.
A different kind of stare.
Cassie turned slowly.
Scanning the crowd.
Faces.
Strangers.
Curious eyes.
Fearful ones.
But then—
She saw him.
Standing across the street.
Still.
Unmoving.
A man dressed in black.
Face partially hidden under a hood.
Too far to see clearly…
But close enough for her to feel it.
He was looking directly at her.
Cassie's stomach dropped.
Her fingers curled tightly at her sides.
"No…"
Something about him felt wrong.
Not just suspicious.
Not just creepy.
Familiar.
Her breath hitched.
"I've seen him…"
Where?
When?
Then it hit her.
The dream.
The alley.
The darkness.
The feeling of being watched—
Her eyes widened.
"No…"
The man tilted his head slightly.
As if acknowledging her realization.
Then he turned…
And walked away.
"Wait!"
Cassie didn't think.
She ran.
"Hey! Stop!" the officer shouted behind her.
But she ignored him.
Pushing past people.
Crossing the street.
Her eyes locked on the black figure disappearing into the crowd.
"Stop!" she yelled again.
Her voice cracked.
But he didn't slow down.
Didn't turn.
Didn't react.
He just kept walking.
Cassie followed.
Heart racing.
Mind spinning.
Her feet barely touching the ground as she chased him into a quieter street.
Then—
He was gone.
Cassie stopped.
Breathing hard.
Looking around wildly.
"No… no, he was just here…"
The street was empty.
Too empty.
A cold breeze passed by.
And for a moment…
Everything felt still.
Then—
"…Cassie…"
Her blood froze.
That voice.
Soft.
Low.
Right behind her.
Cassie turned sharply.
"Who's there?!"
No one.
Her chest tightened.
"I'm not imagining this…"
"…You saw it, didn't you?"
The whisper came again.
Closer.
Clearer.
Cassie backed away slowly, her eyes darting around.
"Show yourself!"
Silence.
Then—
A shadow moved.
Not in front of her.
Not beside her.
Behind her.
Cassie spun around—
And saw nothing.
But her heart refused to calm down.
Because she could feel it.
Someone was there.
Right behind her.
Watching.
Her breath became uneven.
"I need to go…"
She turned quickly and rushed out of the street, not daring to look back.
She didn't stop running until she reached home.
Slamming the door behind her, Cassie leaned against it, her entire body trembling.
"What is happening to me…?"
Her voice broke.
This wasn't normal.
This wasn't just a dream.
Someone knew.
Someone saw her.
And that man—
Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden vibration.
Her phone.
Cassie froze.
Slowly… she pulled it out.
An unknown number.
Her hands shook as she stared at the screen.
"…Should I answer?"
The phone kept ringing.
Loud.
Sharp.
Unforgiving.
Finally—
She picked up.
"…Hello?"
Silence.
"Who is this?"
Her voice trembled.
Then—
A slow… quiet breath.
And a voice.
Low.
Calm.
Cold.
"…You shouldn't have come."
Cassie's grip tightened on the phone.
"What do you mean—"
"Now they know."
Her heart skipped.
"Who knows?!"
A pause.
Then—
"…We do."
The line went dead.
Cassie stood there, frozen.
Her phone slowly slipping from her fingers.
"We…"
Not I.
We.
Her chest tightened painfully.
Her mind racing faster than ever.
She wasn't just being watched.
She was being hunted.
And somewhere… not far away—
Someone was already planning the next "dream."