A neighbor spotted claw marks on a fence post. “Big cats,” he muttered nervously. Elise forced a laugh, claiming raccoons. Inside, her heart raced. Shadow stretched across the rug, eyes half-closed, but every inch of him radiated danger. She whispered promises, unsure which of them she was trying to convince.
The town buzzed with rumors. Schoolchildren whispered about hearing a monster in the woods. Hunters swore they heard a cry, low and haunting. Elise kept her curtains drawn, and phone silenced. Still, every conversation she overheard—every glance—felt aimed at her. Secrets, she discovered, made the world unbearably small.