Shaded

*****Yasemine*****

The morning had begun so quietly that I almost believed everything could return to normal. It was a deceptive thought, as it turned out, but at that moment I clung to it like a straw. The sun had just risen, its rays glistened on the rain-soaked streets, and the air was imbued with the fresh scent of grass and asphalt. It was one of those moments when the world seems peaceful and still, as if it had held its breath. But this peace was only a thin layer above a seething abyss.

I had decided to run a few errands before the city woke up. An attempt to escape the confines of the house, the constant vigilance that had held us in an iron grip during the last few days. A few hours alone, I had persuaded myself, would do me good. But as I walked down the street, I sensed it already. It didn't start with a loud bang or an eerie sound, but subtly – a tingling sensation at the back of my neck, a shadow that couldn't be caught in my field of vision.

The street was almost empty. Only a few delivery trucks were parked here and there, and the lanterns cast long shadows on the asphalt. My shoes clacked on the pavement, an even rhythm that usually had a calming effect. But today it sounded like the ticking of an invisible clock counting down to something inevitable. Beneath the apparent calm lay a tension that I couldn't shake. I shook my head, trying to shake off the oppressive feeling, and turned into the street where my favorite store was located.

The scent of freshly baked bread and dried herbs greeted me as I entered the shop. For a moment, I was tempted to take refuge in the familiar routine of working through a shopping list, as on any other day. I took the small piece of paper out of my pocket, my fingers slightly shaky, without really understanding why.

“Yasemin!” The shopkeeper's voice tore me out of my thoughts. I jumped, even though I knew him well. He stood behind the counter with a friendly smile on his lips, but his eyes lingered on me a moment too long. ”Out early today, huh? Everything okay?”

“Yes, yes, I'm fine,” I replied quickly, forcing a smile. It wasn't convincing, I knew that, but I hoped he wouldn't ask any more questions. ”Just running a few errands.”

He nodded, but his eyes followed me as I walked through the shelves. It was probably nothing, I told myself. Just my own nervousness playing tricks on me. Still, I couldn't stop looking back at the large windows. There was nothing unusual to see outside. The street was empty except for a few parked cars. But the feeling that something was wrong remained.

I finally stepped outside again with a basket full of groceries. The sun had risen higher in the meantime, the sky had cleared, but the cold that had spread in my chest did not want to go away. My steps quickened unconsciously as I walked down the street. Again and again, my eyes wandered to the shadows cast by the buildings. And then I heard it.

footsteps.

They were quiet, almost in step with my own, but they were there. A cold shiver ran down my spine, and my grip on the handle of the basket became so tight that my fingers ached. I didn't turn around. Not at first. It was better to convince myself that it was just my imagination, a coincidence. But the footsteps remained.

Finally, I dared to glance over my shoulder. There was someone there. A figure, darkly clothed, hood pulled down low over his face. My heart skipped a beat. The distance was too great to make out the face, but that wasn't necessary. Everything in me screamed that I had to go faster.

My cell phone vibrated in my pocket, a shrill sound in the eerie silence. With trembling hands, I pulled it out and dialed the first name in my contacts list. Jax. He would know what to do.

“Yasemin?” His voice sounded sleepy, but the concern in it was unmistakable.

“Jax...” My voice broke, and I had to take a deep breath before I could continue. ‘There is someone. He's following me.”

A moment of silence before I heard him move, probably jumping out of bed. ’Where are you?”

“Near the old movie theater,“ I whispered. My eyes wandered back to the figure. It had slowed down, but was still there, always close to me.

“Stay calm,” Jax said. His voice was clear now, almost commanding. “Go to a busier area and wait there. I'll be right there.”

“Okay.”

I put the phone back in my pocket. My knees were shaking, but I forced myself to keep walking. The main street wasn't far. There would be people there, safety. But the footsteps behind me quickened. My breathing was labored, and I had to fight the urge to run. It wouldn't help, I told myself. Not now. Not until I was sure that...

A hand gripped my arm.

“Hey!” The voice was deep and hoarse, and it made me let out a scream. I broke free, the basket fell to the ground, and the groceries rolled across the asphalt. But I didn't pay attention to that. I ran, my heart pounding so loudly that it seemed to drown out the world around me.

The main street was just a few steps away. I stumbled into the crowd, my words little more than a whisper, but a man turned to me. He was tall, broad-built, and his eyes grew serious when he saw me. “Are you all right, miss?”

“There was someone...” I turned around, but the street behind me was empty. The pursuer had vanished.

Jax's car screeched to a halt in front of me less than five minutes later. He jumped out, his expression a mixture of concern and anger. “Yas!” His voice was loud, almost sharp. He came to me, put a hand on my shoulder and looked me in the eye. “What happened?”

“There was someone...“ My voice broke, tears welled up in my eyes. ‘He followed me. I... I don't know where he went.”

Jax's face hardened, and I could see the anger in his eyes. ’It's over,” he said, pulling me into a hug. “I'm here. Nothing's going to happen.”

But even as he reassured me, I knew it wasn't over. It had just begun.

Back at the house, I told everyone what had happened. Celine sat beside me, holding my hand, while Damian and Jax stood at the far end of the room, whispering and discussing. I couldn't hear their words, but their tense faces said enough.

“She planned this,“ Damian finally said. ‘Marie wants to scare us. And it's working.”

“What do we do now?’ Celine asked, her voice calm but firm.

“We stay together,” Damian said. “No one goes anywhere alone anymore.”

I nodded, but inside I couldn't shake the feeling that the shadow that had followed me this morning was still there – somewhere out there, waiting.