Chapter 9: The Final Act
The silence in the apartment was suffocating. Evelyn stood frozen in place, staring at the door. The knock had come again, this time with more urgency, and now, she could feel every heartbeat pounding in her chest. She had no idea who was on the other side—Liam, or the killer. The lines between reality and nightmare had blurred to the point where she couldn’t trust her own thoughts anymore.
Liam’s voice came through the phone again, distant but growing louder as though he was standing just outside. “Evelyn, don’t do this. You’re in danger. Please, open the door.”
Evelyn felt the walls of her own apartment close in on her, the room spinning as the weight of his words pressed down on her. In danger. She had been in danger from the moment the first victim had turned up dead. The moment she had started digging into the past, into her own dark past, she had sealed her fate.
The knock came again, and this time, it was accompanied by a voice that wasn’t Liam’s. Cold. Unfamiliar. “Evelyn. You can’t hide from me.”
Her breath hitched in her throat. The words were ice, cutting through her like a knife.
The killer.
The realization crashed over her like a tidal wave, drowning her in panic. She had to act. But what could she do? Her mind raced as her fingers hovered over the doorknob. She was trapped, her options narrowing with every passing second.
Liam had warned her. But had it been a warning to protect her, or had it been a last-ditch attempt to play her into his hands, to control the game? She couldn’t know for sure. She couldn’t trust anyone anymore.
For the first time in days, Evelyn felt a surge of clarity. This was no longer just about the killer. It was about survival. It was about taking control, even if it meant walking into the lion’s den.
She grabbed the file from the desk, the same one she had barely looked at for fear of what it contained. Now, it was the only thing that could save her—or doom her. With trembling hands, she stuffed the file into her bag, slinging it over her shoulder. She could feel the weight of it, the weight of her choices pressing down on her as she made her way to the door.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she carefully turned the lock. She wasn’t sure what she would find on the other side, but she knew she couldn’t stay hidden any longer.
Taking a deep breath, she opened the door just a crack. The hall beyond was empty. No Liam. No killer.
Her eyes darted left and right, searching for a sign, any sign, of danger.
Then she heard it—a rustling sound, coming from the end of the hall. Footsteps.
She quickly shut the door behind her, moving quietly down the hallway, staying low, her senses sharp. She had to get out, she had to get away before it was too late. The apartment building felt like a maze, every corner a potential threat. But there was no turning back now.
Her phone buzzed again, vibrating in her pocket. She pulled it out, expecting to see another message from Liam, but instead, it was a number she didn’t recognize.
Unknown Caller.
She hesitated for only a moment before answering.
“Evelyn,” a voice said, distorted and unrecognizable, the words barely audible through static. “You can’t run from the truth. The past has a way of catching up with you.”
Her blood ran cold. The voice was chilling, its calmness only deepening her dread. It was him. The killer.
“I’m not running,” Evelyn replied, her voice steady despite the fear coursing through her veins. “I’m finding you.”
A soft laugh echoed through the phone, sending a shiver down her spine. “Is that what you think? You think you can stop me? You’re too close to the edge now. There’s no escaping what’s coming for you, Evelyn.”
Her grip tightened on the phone, her fingers digging into the screen. “We’ll see about that.”
The line went dead.
Evelyn stood still, the phone still pressed to her ear, her breath coming in short bursts. The hall stretched before her, and the path to the exit seemed further away than ever. But she couldn’t let fear dictate her actions. Not now. Not when everything was on the line.
Her mind raced as she retraced the steps of the investigation, piecing together the fragments of her memory. The killer wasn’t just after her, not anymore. He was after the truth. The truth she had almost uncovered years ago, the one she had tried to bury. And now, it was coming to light in the most horrifying way possible.
Evelyn turned and moved swiftly down the hall, each step echoing in the empty building. The exit was just ahead—she could see the door, the light beyond. But as she reached for the handle, a shadow fell across the hallway, blocking her way.
It was him.
The killer.
Her heart froze in her chest, her breath caught in her throat. He was taller than she remembered, dressed in dark clothes that blended with the shadows. His face was obscured by a mask, but his eyes—those eyes—were hauntingly familiar.
“You should have stayed hidden, Evelyn,” he said, his voice low and menacing.
Evelyn’s pulse raced as she tried to steady herself. This was it. The moment of truth.
“I’m not afraid of you,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper, but laced with a defiance she hadn’t known she possessed.
The killer tilted his head, a twisted smile playing at the edges of his lips. “You should be.”
Before she could react, the killer lunged at her, his hands grabbing for her throat. Evelyn stumbled back, using every ounce of strength she had to push him away. But his grip was unyielding, and she felt her breath choking in her chest.
In that moment, Evelyn knew she had one chance left—one final chance to stop this nightmare once and for all.
With a burst of adrenaline, she swung her elbow into his side, knocking him off balance. She didn’t wait to see what would happen next. With everything she had, she kicked him in the chest, sending him crashing to the ground.
She ran.
Evelyn didn’t look back as she fled down the stairs, her legs burning with each step. The front door was in sight, but she could hear the footsteps behind her, closing in.
The door slammed open as she burst into the daylight, the sun blinding her after the darkness of the building. But she didn’t stop running. She couldn’t stop.
The killer was still out there. But Evelyn—Evelyn had just begun to fight back.
And this time, she wasn’t going to let him win.
