The chase For Blood

The rain fell in steady streams, painting the city in a sheen of silver. Evelyn adjusted the blue hood of her raincoat, her peach-colored coat peeking out as she struggled to balance the paper bags in her arms. The groceries shifted with every hurried step, threatening to spill onto the slick pavement.

Her green eyes flicked upward, catching the muted glow of the streetlights refracting in the puddles. Home was only a few blocks away, but the weight of the bags and the chill of the rain made every step feel like a marathon. The damp strands of her fiery red hair clung to her cheeks, but she ignored it, focusing instead on the warmth waiting at the end of her journey.

She turned a corner and entered a quieter street, her boots splashing against the pavement. The faint hum of life around her—the distant rumble of cars, the occasional chatter of passersby—felt oddly comforting. But as she walked, a strange feeling crept up her spine.

Evelyn paused, glancing over her shoulder. The street behind her was empty, save for the occasional swaying shadow cast by the dim lights. Still, she couldn't shake the sense that someone—or something—was watching her.

Shaking her head, she pressed on, quickening her pace. "Just your imagination," she muttered under her breath. But the feeling didn't leave her.

Evelyn stepped into her small apartment, shaking off the chill of the storm that had drenched her walk home. She slipped out of her blue raincoat, hanging it on the hook by the door, and shrugged off her oversized peach coat, draping it over a chair. The room was dim, illuminated only by the faint glow of the kitchen light she'd left on that morning.

With a sigh, she placed her grocery bags on the counter, methodically unpacking them and putting everything in its place. The quiet was oppressive, broken only by the rhythmic patter of rain against the windows and the occasional rumble of thunder that seemed to shake the very walls. She glanced at the clock—it was already dark outside, and the storm wasn't letting up.

After checking the door to ensure it was securely locked, Evelyn paused. The rumors about the killer, Serial killer, had been circulating for weeks, and each new victim seemed eerily similar: young women, living alone, taken in the dead of night. Evelyn shivered, pushing the thought from her mind as she double-checked the lock, her fingers lingering on the cold metal for a moment.

Her apartment felt emptier than usual tonight. She wasn't always alone; there was a time when she came home to laughter, shared meals, and the warmth of another person. But her marriage, once so full of promise, had unraveled slowly, words left unspoken and wounds left to fester. Now, the silence in the apartment was both her solace and her torment.

A sudden crack of thunder startled her, and she let out a small yelp. As if on cue, her phone buzzed loudly in her pocket, making her jump again. She fumbled to answer it, her heart racing.

"Hello?"

"Hey, girlfriend!" Arianna's familiar, bubbly voice came through the line, instantly grounding her.

"Hey, Arianna," Evelyn said, sinking onto the sofa and pulling a blanket over her lap.

"Are you up for drinks? Tonight?" Arianna asked.

Evelyn glanced out the window. The rain was coming down in torrents, the wind rattling the glass. She frowned. "In this weather?"

"There's no better day than today!" Arianna chirped. "And Dane offered to join us."

Dane. Evelyn sighed. He was their co-worker at the newsroom, someone she tried to avoid when she could. He'd had a crush on her for months, and while he hadn't crossed any lines, there was something about his persistence that made her uneasy. Still, she knew Arianna was fond of him, even if she pretended otherwise.

"Arianna... I have a lot of work. Maybe next time,you go and enjoy your date," Evelyn said carefully.

"It's not a date!" Arianna protested. Then, with a resigned sigh, she added, "But whatever. It's okay. I'll see you later, okay. "

"Okay. Have fun," Evelyn said, ending the call.

The silence returned, heavier now. Evelyn wrapped the blanket tighter around herself, her gaze drawn back to the window. The streets outside were deserted, the flickering streetlights casting distorted shadows across the rain-slicked pavement. She couldn't shake the gnawing feeling in her gut, like something was about to happen.

Another roll of thunder echoed, and for a brief moment, the power flickered. Evelyn's breath caught as the apartment plunged into darkness before the lights sputtered back on. She shook her head, trying to dismiss the unease.

But as her eyes drifted to the window again, she swore she saw a shadow move across the street, just beyond the glow of the streetlights.