A Knock at the Door

Lily’s laptop screen glowed softly in the dim light of her room, illuminating her focused face as she adjusted the layout of a website she’d been working on for hours. The clicks of her mouse and the rhythmic tapping of keys filled the quiet space. Web design was her passion, her outlet for creativity, and tonight, it served as a distraction from the thoughts that had been haunting her since her encounter in the forest.

She leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms over her head and letting out a soft sigh. Her gaze drifted to the window, where the fading evening light painted the room in warm hues. Despite her best efforts, she couldn’t stop replaying the moment in the woods—the mysterious man with piercing eyes, his cryptic words, and the way he’d disappeared as if he’d never been there.

Her phone buzzed on the desk, pulling her out of her thoughts. She glanced at the screen: Nadia.

“Hey, Nadia,” Lily answered, her voice tinged with fatigue but warmth.

“Lily!” Nadia’s cheerful voice came through the speaker, bright and full of energy. “What are you doing? Don’t tell me you’re still working on that project.”

Lily chuckled. “Guilty as charged. What’s up?”

“Well, Ema and I were thinking... It’s been ages since we had a proper girls’ night. Snacks, movies, and absolutely no thinking about school or work. What do you say?”

Lily hesitated, her fingers lightly drumming on the desk. A girls’ night sounded nice, but she wasn’t sure if she could focus on anything other than the questions swirling in her mind.

“Come on,” Nadia urged, sensing her hesitation. “We’ll bring all the snacks, and you don’t even have to leave your apartment. Just say yes.”

Lily smiled, giving in. “Alright, you win. But you’d better not forget the popcorn this time.”

“Deal!” Nadia laughed. “We’ll be there in an hour. See you soon!”

The call ended, and Lily set her phone down, feeling a small spark of excitement. Maybe a night with her best friends was exactly what she needed to pull herself out of her own head.

After tidying up her apartment and lighting a few candles to set a cozy atmosphere, Lily grabbed her coat and headed out to the corner store. She wanted to pick up a few extra things to add to the feast Nadia and Ema were undoubtedly bringing.

The crisp evening air bit at her cheeks as she walked, her thoughts once again drifting to the forest. The sensation of being watched, the man’s haunting words—it all felt like a strange dream she couldn’t wake from.

The grocery store was quiet, the aisles nearly empty. Lily wandered through, grabbing chips, chocolate, and a bottle of wine, her mind still racing. As she reached for a jar of salsa, she paused. That familiar, unsettling feeling washed over her again—the sensation of eyes on her, of someone watching her every move.

She turned sharply, her heart pounding in her chest. The aisle was empty.

“Get it together, Lily,” she muttered to herself, shaking her head. She forced herself to focus on her task, quickly paying for her items and heading home.

By the time she reached her apartment, the sun had fully set, leaving the streets bathed in the pale glow of streetlights. As Lily approached her building, her arms full of grocery bags, she froze.

He was there.

Standing near the entrance to her building, leaning casually against the wall, was the man from the forest.

Her breath caught in her throat as their eyes met. He didn’t move, didn’t speak, just watched her with that same intense gaze that seemed to pierce straight through her.

“What... What are you doing here?” she managed to ask, her voice trembling slightly.

“You shouldn’t be out alone,” he said simply, his voice calm but carrying an edge that sent a shiver down her spine.

Lily tightened her grip on the bags, forcing herself to stand tall. “I can take care of myself,” she replied, though the quiver in her voice betrayed her. “Why are you following me?”

“I’m not following you,” he said, his tone steady. “I’m watching over you.”

“Watching over me?” Lily scoffed, her nerves giving way to frustration. “I don’t even know who you are.”

“You will,” he said cryptically, his lips curling into the faintest hint of a smile.

Before she could respond, he stepped back into the shadows, disappearing as quickly as he had appeared. Lily stood there for a moment, her heart racing, before shaking herself out of her daze and hurrying inside.

She had barely put the groceries away when there was a knock at the door.

“Lily! Open up, it’s us!” Nadia’s voice called from the other side.

Lily exhaled, grateful for the distraction, and opened the door to find Nadia and Ema standing there, arms full of bags.

“We come bearing gifts!” Nadia announced, holding up a bag of snacks.

“And wine,” Ema added with a grin, lifting a bottle.

“Get in here,” Lily said with a laugh, stepping aside to let them in.

The three of them settled in the living room, the coffee table quickly filling with chips, dips, candy, and glasses of wine. Nadia scrolled through movie options on Lily’s laptop while Ema arranged the snacks, her usual meticulousness on full display.

“So,” Nadia began, glancing at Lily. “You seem... distracted. What’s up?”

Lily hesitated, her mind flashing back to the man outside. But she shook her head, forcing a smile. “Nothing. Just school stuff. You know how it is.”

“Mm-hmm,” Nadia said, clearly unconvinced. “Well, whatever it is, tonight is about forgetting all of that. No stress allowed.”

Ema nodded in agreement. “And no phones. We’re officially cutting you off from the outside world.”

Lily laughed, feeling some of the tension leave her shoulders. For the next few hours, she let herself get lost in the comfort of her friends’ laughter, the cheesy dialogue of the movie, and the warmth of the wine.

But even as the night went on, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she wasn’t entirely safe. The man’s words echoed in her mind, a warning she couldn’t ignore.