Edward

For a week now, you'd been noticing strange shadows out of the corner of your eye, resembling a human silhouette. Each time, you convinced yourself they were just hallucinations. This happened often after sleepless nights. For a writer, staying awake for days was almost routine—inspiration rarely struck on time.

You lived in a small house on the outskirts, next to a dense forest. The noisy city always weighed on you, but in the silence, your thoughts became clearer, and the pages of books seemed to fill themselves. That's why you one day left your old life and moved here.

One rainy summer evening, you were sitting at your computer, trying to finish a new chapter. Suddenly, that same dark silhouette appeared again behind the panoramic glass door. He stood motionless at the edge of the forest, as if he were waiting specifically for you.

Curiosity overcame caution. Almost without thinking, you left the house, involuntarily reminiscent of the heroine of a cheap horror film, walking into danger herself.

The rain quietly rustled through the leaves. Cool, damp air enveloped everything around. You slowly approached the silhouette, and it continued to wait motionless. When you were only a few meters away, you blinked.

He disappeared.

Or so it seemed to you.

A sudden icy chill blew behind you. Fear gripped your entire body. You felt someone else's breath on the back of your neck.

Someone was standing very close.

The stranger leaned slowly toward your ear. His voice was quiet, almost gentle, but every word sent shivers down your spine.

— Finally... I managed to lure you out of the house. You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this.

He paused for a moment, then chuckled softly.

• And how hungry I am...