Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Amelia woke up with a jolt, her heart pounding as she scrambled to check her phone. The screen read the time—7:45 AM.

"Damn it!" she huffed, throwing off her blanket. She was sure she had set an alarm, but she must have slept through it.

She stumbled out of bed, her limbs weighed down with exhaustion. The night had been restless, her mind twisted up in thoughts she couldn't dispel. She'd finally gone to sleep around 4 AM, and now she was paying the toll.

Skipping the breakfast hour, Amelia rushed to get dressed, hardly giving a glance to the wrinkled blouse she yanked out of the closet. She combed her hair, jammed her things into her bag, and sprinted out the door.

The bus stop was only a block ahead, and she prayed that she hadn't missed the last morning bus. She sprinted breathlessly, glancing up and down the street. Nothing. The street was eerily empty except for a few passersby who hurried to their destinations.

"Of course," she growled, shaking her head.

She had no choice but to walk. It was not so far, but time was not on her side. She accommodated the large bag and moved more quickly, making her way through the morning crowd.

Her heels clicked on the sidewalk as she rushed by, elbowing through people in their own morning haze. Her mind rushed through the work ahead of her—messages to respond to, deadlines looming, and the usual fight with her boss over being late.

As she approached the corner, the traffic light began to flash red. Timing couldn't be better. She slowed down, preparing to cross.

And then, suddenly, was the roar of a revving engine.

Her heart pounded as a power bike, black and shiny, zoomed down the road at full speed. The rider wore a dark helmet, face hidden behind a tinted visor.

He wasn't slowing down.

She felt panic run through her veins. Her feet were frozen, her body standing still as the bike zoomed towards her. Everything was blurred. A scream was building in her throat, but before she could scream, the bike was violently swerved to the left, barely inches from her.

The rush of wind from its speed threw her off course. She stumbled, her heart pounding in her chest. The bike refused to slow. It disappeared down the road as if nothing had happened.

Amelia's breath came in short gasps. Her hands trembled. A few passersby turned around, but no one stopped. It was as if the entire experience had occurred only to her.

Her legs were weak, but she pushed herself to continue.

Her day had just started, and already she had nearly died.

And the worst part? Something was telling her this wasn't a random close call.

Something was very, very wrong.

\---

Her mind went over the accident in circles as she continued to walk quickly towards the office. The way the bike had come out suddenly, the way it had veered off at the last second. It wasn't acceptable. No reasonable human being would drive through a red light like that. It was as if it was intentional.

Who in the world was that?

Her heart would not slow even as she approached the skyscraper in which she labored. She stepped inside, the air-conditioned lobby cooling the sweat from her forehead. But the stress remained.

"Amelia!"

She turned abruptly at the shout, startled. It was Lily, another staff member, gesturing from behind the reception desk.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," Lily commented, concern etched on her face. "Are you okay?

Amelia fought back a small smile. "Yeah, I just… got almost run over here."

Lily's eyes grew wide. "Oh my God! Are you okay?"

"No, I'm fine. Just shaken."

"That's insane. Some people just don't respect human life."

Amelia shook her head, but her intuition in her belly informed her this was not the work of simply irresponsible driving.

They rode the elevator down, and once the doors had closed behind them, Amelia slowly exhaled. Maybe she was seeing things. Maybe it was just a wacko biker, and she was letting her exhaustion manufacture something more than it actually was.

By the time she sat down at her desk, she tried to push the incident under the carpet. There was work to be attended to, and she had no time for suspicion.

But even as she typed along at her desk, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched.

\---

That night, Amelia departed the office, her body fatigued from the long day. The sky had grown dark, the city lights coming to life. She hugged herself as a soft wind blew down the streets.

She hesitated before stepping out, her early morning collision fresh in her memory. Glanced both ways twice, set down a foot onto the sidewalk. 

A muffled purr of an engine drifted to her ear. 

Her head nodded slightly, the knot building up inside her upon seeing it.

A black motorcycle.

Parked across the other side.

The rider didn't stir, helmet still covering his face. He wasn't changing. Just staying.

She regained her breath. It had to be the same one. was it?

She quickened her pace, her hands tightly gripping her bag. She walked, and so did the bike.

Her heart thudded against her ribcage. Every nerve in her body was screaming at her to run. She took a sharp turn down a less crowded street, trying to lose him.

The bike stayed with her.

Panic coursed through her veins. This was no coincidence. Someone was following her.

Then, as she turned another corner, her foot caught on a rough patch of pavement.

She fell.

And as she hit the ground, the sound of the bike's engine grew louder and louder.

The last thing she knew was the figure of the rider looming over her before she passed out.