Chapter 41

Chapter 41
The Running Doesn’t Stop

My arms hurt. Caleb was heavy now. Not heavy like a stone, but heavy like my body didn’t want to move anymore. My legs burned. My chest felt hot and then cold, then hot again. I wanted to stop. Just one second. Just sit. But I couldn’t.

Because if I stopped, she would catch us.

I could still hear it. The laugh. The soft clicking sound, like shoes on glass. But I didn’t turn. I didn’t want to see her. I didn’t want Caleb to see her either.

I held him close. His hair smelled like sweat and dust. He whispered, “Mommy?” His voice so small. So tired. I bent down, kissed his head quick. “Don’t talk, baby. Don’t look back.”

We turned a corner. The street was dark. The lamps here were broken, some blinking like they were tired too. One buzzed, loud, like a bee stuck in my ear. I hated it. Caleb pressed his face into my neck. I held him tighter.

“Almost safe,” I lied. My voice cracked.

But inside, I knew. We weren’t safe. Not yet. Not at all.

The piece of glass was still in my hand. My fingers sore, cut. I should drop it. I should let it go. But I couldn’t. I needed it. Even if it was nothing, even if it couldn’t help me again, I held it. I felt stronger with it. Like I had something, anything.

I kept running. Shoes slapping the wet ground. Splashes of dirty water touched my legs. My socks were wet. It stung. Caleb shivered against me. I said, “Hold on, baby. Just a little more.”

Then I thought I saw something. A shadow. Tall. Moving. Not mine. Not Caleb’s. I froze.

The shadow stretched long on the wall. It looked like arms. Long arms. Reaching.

I whispered, “No, no, no…” My throat felt small. Caleb whimpered. His little hand pulled my shirt. “Mommy…”

I pressed him tight. “Don’t look.”

The shadow grew bigger. My stomach twisted. I wanted to scream, but I bit my lip hard. Blood taste in my mouth.

I ran again. Faster. My feet hurt, but I ran. The shadow stayed. Behind us. Watching.

“Why won’t she stop?” I whispered. My voice shook. My heart beat so loud, I thought it would break me.

We reached another street. Empty. Quiet. Too quiet. No cars, no people. Just us. I hated it. I wanted noise. Noise meant life. Quiet meant she could be anywhere.

Caleb coughed. Small, tired. I kissed his cheek quick. “Shhh. Almost there. Almost.”

But where was there? I didn’t know.

I looked at the buildings. Broken windows. Shops closed. Trash cans knocked down. The world looked wrong. Different. Like no one lived here anymore.

Then,

A sound. Not heels this time. Something else. A scrape. Metal on stone. I froze. My breath stuck.

“Please no,” I whispered.

The scrape again. Louder. Closer.

I pressed my back to a wall. Hugged Caleb. My arms shook. My legs wanted to fall. “Don’t move,” I told him. “Don’t breathe.”

The scrape stopped.

Silence.

My chest rose, fell, too fast. I wanted to look. I didn’t. My body stiff. My fingers squeezed the shard so hard it cut deeper. Warm blood slid. I didn’t care.

Then, 

Click.

One heel.

Click.

Another.

I shut my eyes. Tears came.

“Why won’t she leave us?” I whispered.

Caleb made a small sound, like he wanted to cry. I pressed my hand over his mouth gently. “Shhh, baby. Don’t. Please.”

I peeked. Just a little.

And there. Far. But not far enough. Her.

Lila.

Her face pale in the broken light. Her smile too sharp. Her eyes glowing like glass. She tilted her head, like she was listening to my heartbeat.

She whispered something. I didn’t hear. But I saw her lips move.

And then, she started walking.

Not fast. Slow. Like she had time. Like she enjoyed this.

I pressed myself to the wall. My body shook. I whispered, “I can’t. I can’t. I can’t.”

But I had to. For him. For Caleb.

I kissed his head. “Mommy’s here. Mommy’s here. Always.”

I ran again.

Feet pounding. Water splashing. My arms burning.

I didn’t look back.

But her laugh followed.

Soft. Cold. Like wind under a door.

I hated it. I hated her. I wanted her gone.

The streets twisted. One turn, then another. I didn’t know where I was anymore. I just ran. My eyes blurry. My head hurt. My chest heavy.

Caleb’s small voice said, “Mommy, I’m scared.”

“I know, baby,” I whispered. “Me too. But we keep going.”

I tripped. Almost fell. My knee hit the ground hard. Pain shot up. I almost screamed. But I didn’t. I couldn’t.

I got up. Hugged Caleb. Kept running.

“Don’t stop,” I told myself. “Don’t stop.”

But my body wanted to.

The laugh came again. Closer this time.

“Why won’t she stop?” I cried out loud now. My voice cracked. My throat hurt.

Caleb clung to me tighter. His tiny arms squeezing my neck.

I ran faster. I didn’t know how. I just did. My legs weak, but still moving. My lungs screaming.

And then,

A light.

Up ahead.

Small. Yellow. Warm.

A house? A shop? I didn’t care. It was light. It was hope.

I whispered, “Almost there, baby. Almost.”

The laugh behind us got louder. But I ran toward the light.

Closer. Closer.

The door was there. Old wood. Cracked. But I didn’t care.

I hit it with my shoulder. Hard. It opened with a bang.

Inside, dark. But safer than outside.

I shut the door quick. Pressed my back against it. Breathing hard. Caleb pressed to my chest.

The laugh… outside. Right outside.

But she didn’t come in. Not yet.

I hugged him tight. My whole body shaking. My blood dripping from my hand.

I whispered again, “I got you. I got you. Always.”

Then the laugh stopped.

Silence.

Too quiet.

I shut my eyes. “Please. Please just stop.”

But in the silence, I heard something else.

Not her laugh. Not her heels.

A voice.

Whispering my name.

The voice was soft. Like it was inside my ear. I froze. My skin cold. Caleb whispered, “Who is it, Mommy?” I couldn’t answer. Because I didn’t know.