The Watcher
"What was that?"
"What?" Stacey turned, wide blue eyes scanning the silent park.
"I'm not sure..." Raye murmured, biting her lip nervously. "Its just this feeling I have – like we're being watched or something." She shot another anxious look over her shoulder. The park was dark and quiet. It was deserted at this hour. The trees rustled softly in the night breeze, but apart from that, everything was still.
Her friend giggled. "Chill girl! You're just being overly paranoid. Its only 3:16am. Way past then 'witching hour'," she added jokingly.
Raye shook her head. "No, seriously, this place is giving me the creeps." She quickened her pace. She never should have agreed to go to the party with Stacey. She never should have changed schools, period. But her dad had just received a new job offer, so her parents had decided to move to South Heights. Raye was given no choice in the matter. On her first day at Oakley High, her neighbor, Stacey, had taken pity on her, the lonely new girl, and had taken her under her wing. Stacey's friend was having a party that night, and Stacey had instantly dragged Raye along, to introduce her to everyone. They both had way too much to drink, but instead of catching a lift with someone, or a cab, Stacey wanted to walk back. "I read in a mag you'll get less of a hangover if you walk it off the night before," she'd said with a wink.
So now they were hurrying through the big park in the center of South Heights. They'd been giggling and talking really loudly only a minute before, but then Raye had glimpsed the flash of a dark shadow in the nearby trees, and quickly sobered.
"Didn't you hear about that murder here last week?" Raye asked. She hugged herself against the cold.
"Oh come on, Raye, it was just some homeless guy."
Rayed stared at her new friend, unable to believe how flippant she could be. "Still, he was bled to death."
"So?" Stacey shook her blonde head. "Raye, just because this park borders Stockholm Cemetery, you don't have to go all 'X-Files' on me. There're no ghosts, vampires, or werewolves here. Just chill out, okay?"
Raye didn't reply. She'd never liked South Heights to begin with. The houses were all old and run down. The nights were too cold. There was a strange mist every morning that never cleared until noon. And the people here were different. Raye got the feeling they were all hiding something. But what?
She shivered in the icy night air. Next time, she told herself, I'm not taking any shortcuts through here again. As they left the park and turned into their street, Raye darted another quick look over her shoulder. A strong wind blew through the ancient, gnarled trees. They looked dark and forbidding. Get a grip, she shook her head. What's wrong with me? But the strange feeling of being watched never left until she reached her house and had the door safely locked behind her.
"What was that?"
"What?" Stacey turned, wide blue eyes scanning the silent park.
"I'm not sure..." Raye murmured, biting her lip nervously. "Its just this feeling I have – like we're being watched or something." She shot another anxious look over her shoulder. The park was dark and quiet. It was deserted at this hour. The trees rustled softly in the night breeze, but apart from that, everything was still.
Her friend giggled. "Chill girl! You're just being overly paranoid. Its only 3:16am. Way past then 'witching hour'," she added jokingly.
Raye shook her head. "No, seriously, this place is giving me the creeps." She quickened her pace. She never should have agreed to go to the party with Stacey. She never should have changed schools, period. But her dad had just received a new job offer, so her parents had decided to move to South Heights. Raye was given no choice in the matter. On her first day at Oakley High, her neighbor, Stacey, had taken pity on her, the lonely new girl, and had taken her under her wing. Stacey's friend was having a party that night, and Stacey had instantly dragged Raye along, to introduce her to everyone. They both had way too much to drink, but instead of catching a lift with someone, or a cab, Stacey wanted to walk back. "I read in a mag you'll get less of a hangover if you walk it off the night before," she'd said with a wink.
So now they were hurrying through the big park in the center of South Heights. They'd been giggling and talking really loudly only a minute before, but then Raye had glimpsed the flash of a dark shadow in the nearby trees, and quickly sobered.
"Didn't you hear about that murder here last week?" Raye asked. She hugged herself against the cold.
"Oh come on, Raye, it was just some homeless guy."
Rayed stared at her new friend, unable to believe how flippant she could be. "Still, he was bled to death."
"So?" Stacey shook her blonde head. "Raye, just because this park borders Stockholm Cemetery, you don't have to go all 'X-Files' on me. There're no ghosts, vampires, or werewolves here. Just chill out, okay?"
Raye didn't reply. She'd never liked South Heights to begin with. The houses were all old and run down. The nights were too cold. There was a strange mist every morning that never cleared until noon. And the people here were different. Raye got the feeling they were all hiding something. But what?
She shivered in the icy night air. Next time, she told herself, I'm not taking any shortcuts through here again. As they left the park and turned into their street, Raye darted another quick look over her shoulder. A strong wind blew through the ancient, gnarled trees. They looked dark and forbidding. Get a grip, she shook her head. What's wrong with me? But the strange feeling of being watched never left until she reached her house and had the door safely locked behind her.