Azalea

I stumbled back from the window, my knees shaking so badly I had to grab the wall to keep from falling.

His cold and cruel eyes locked with mine for just a second, sending a chill down my spine. That brief moment was all it took to unsettle me.

I pressed my trembling hand over my mouth, trying to stifle the scream welling up in my throat. Despite my efforts, fear seeped through me like poison, paralyzing my legs with a deep-rooted terror that felt ingrained in my very bones.

What was I thinking? Listening like some naive girl in a horror movie, hoping the monster wouldn’t notice. Of...