Turning the corner toward her apartment, Elara slowed to a stop, her eyes landing on the slim figure of her best friend waiting by the door.

The moment Becky spotted her, she let out the most dramatic squeal Elara had ever heard before wrapping herself around her like a koala. Elara barely had time to react before the grocery bag was crushed painfully against her ribs by the bouncy twenty-three-year-old.

“Elara! Don’t ever leave me hanging like that!” Becky wailed. “I swear, I felt some fucking creepy weirdo checking out the neighbourhood!”

She giggled before finally letting go of her bear hug.
All the thoughts and worries that had plagued Elara’s mind seemed to dissolve whenever Becky was around. Her childish, chaotic energy always managed to make her forget how lonely she often felt—something she would never admit to her, much less herself.

“Jesus, take a chill pill,” Elara laughed, handing the grocery bag to Becky before pulling out her keys and letting them inside.

She closed and locked the door behind them while Becky looked around the small apartment with open curiosity.
“I expected it to be bigger…” Becky muttered, sounding almost disappointed.

“Well, once you win the lottery, I expect to be compensated with the largest house on the market,” Elara shot back playfully, earning a loud laugh from the smaller woman.

“Ha! As if! Obviously, you’ll be moving in with me once I’m rich!” Becky giggled, plopping down on the couch.

“Playing roommates, huh?” Elara teased as she walked toward the kitchen to grab some bowls and cups. “Dangerous games, my friend."

Becky let out a dramatic huff. “Only for people who can’t handle me. Besides, you’re my adopted depresso espresso. I need you alive.”

Elara rolled her eyes before glancing toward the kitchen window. It was already dark outside.
As she reached for the curtains, she paused, her intense blue gaze locking onto something beyond the glass.
The shadow from before.

A tall man in a fedora stepped just out of sight at the end of the street, a long trench coat shifting through the cold autumn air before he disappeared completely.

Elara furrowed her brows and rubbed her eyes. She was just seeing things… right?

Becky tilted her head from the couch. “Did the world freeze over or something?"

“No, it’s nothing,” Elara muttered. “Probably a raccoon or something.”

She pulled the curtains shut and walked back toward the couch with the bowls of snacks in her arms.

“Now,” Elara smirked, pulling a thumb drive from her pocket, “I know exactly what this celebration needs.”
Becky went pale.

“The latest season of Game of Thrones.”

Becky nearly tackled her, wrapping her in a bone-crushing hug that made Elara yelp as they collapsed onto the couch, Becky landing on top of her.

“How did you manage this?!” Becky squealed, greedily snatching the drive from Elara’s fingers while she was still stunned.

“Never mind that! I need to consume this. Immediately!”
Elara watched with amusement as Becky plugged the USB stick into the television.

The night before, after Elara had hung up the phone and finished her food, she had gone out of her way to download the entire season, knowing Becky hadn’t seen it yet. Seeing her this excited made it worth it.

The rest of the evening passed without a hitch. Becky sang along with the theme song every episode and yelled at the characters whenever they did something stupid. Between episodes, they joked and laughed until eventually both of them drifted off, a bowl of popcorn half-tipped beneath the blanket they shared, the television still playing softly, their feet tangled on the couch.

Then, somewhere in the middle of the night, Elara groaned as she woke unexpectedly.

A strange feeling sat heavy in her gut, one she couldn’t place.
Her eyelids cracked open as she sat upright, the blanket sliding off her tired body. She glanced at the clock ticking quietly on the living room wall.

2:34 a.m.

She looked down beside her. Becky was still fast asleep, cuddling the blanket as she stirred slightly. Elara didn’t wake her.

She reached for the remote, intending to turn the television off, but the unease in the pit of her stomach felt strangely safer with the background noise filling the room.

She never did well with unnecessary silence.

Letting out a deep breath, she placed the remote back on the table and silently walked over to the kitchen to get a glass of water. She turned the faucet on cold and let it run, putting her fingers under the water, letting the cold liquid rain down on her skin before reaching to grab a clean cup from the cupboard when something new caught her attention.

Something unexpected.

Something was sticking out from one of the folds of her black curtains. It was small and a deep red color.  Reaching out with gentle fingers she caressed the soft material before plucking it from the fabric of the curtain.

A rose petal.

A single, deep red rose petal.

Elara frowned.
How did it get there?
She examined it closely. It felt soft, almost like silk, and the scent was wrong. Far too strong for something so small.

Still half-groggy, Elara pulled the curtains open.
The window was closed.
It couldn’t have blown inside.

She squinted into the darkness, but with the light inside reflecting against the glass, she couldn’t see a thing.
That same feeling, the one that had woken her-tightened in her chest.

She felt like she was being watched.