My footsteps echoed on the tile as I stepped back into the empty hallway. All of the overhead fluorescent lights had been cast off, and the hall formed a dark, empty tunnel to the metal doors leading to the rest of the building. Pinpricks of light shone through the cracks. Other than that, there was no sign oflife.
Something didn’t feel right. It was the absence of noise. It was the absence of any movement at all. Not even a breath of sound in a place that was normally full of activity. I shivered and paused in my steps to feel the pointy tips of my ears. They were stillthere.
A long, painful wail bounced off the walls. An animalistic sound. Goosebumps stampeded my arms. Every hair on my neck stood on end. With frozen lungs, I turned to stare down the hallway behind me. A dark shadow hovered at the farend.
And then the shadowcharged.
I twisted on my heels and stormed toward the door. A loud hiss filled my ears, and the tangy scent of blood swirled into my nose. The air pressed in tight around me. Whatever chased me would dig its claws into my feet and take methen.
But it didn’t. And once I was out of the hallway and into the rest of the theatre with the glaring lamps shining light onto my head and the murmur of ordinary voices, I wasn’t sure anything had even been there atall.
A heavy thud echoed from behind me. Shivers slid down my spine, and I rushed through the theatre doors. Two expectant faces turned my way from the front seats. The directors I needed to impress, but I wouldn’t be doing any impressingtonight.
Bree had taken a seat near the back, and I grabbed her arm. Frowning, she yanked out of my grasp, her eyeswide.
“Norah, what are you doing?” Her voice was low, soft. She didn’t want the directors up front to overhear our discussion, even though they could clearly see I was trying to drag my friend out of thisplace.
“We have to go,” I said, grabbing her arm again. “Don’t fight with me onthis.”
“Norah—”
No time to argue. I pulled her along the red carpet and back out into the lobby, kicking open the front doors of the theatre with my heavy boots. Once we were out in the fresh night air—if you could call the trash-infested air fresh—she wriggled out of my grip and shot me a darkfrown.
“Honestly, Norah. What the hell was that all about? If you changed your mind or something, you could have at least said something to them instead of dragging me out of there likethat.”
“One of those monsters was in thebuilding.”
Her eyes widened, and a heavy sigh escaped through her parted lips. And then she shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest. “Not thisagain.”
“I know you think I’m imagining things, but Isawit, Bree. It chased me down thehall.”
“I love you, Norah. You know that right?” She dropped her hands onto my shoulders and squeezed. “But think about when this happened. Right before doing something that was making you so nervous that your entire face went white. I should have known not to push you into a stressful situation, not when you’re going through…whatever this is. I thought you’d be able to handle it. And I’m sorry I didn’t realize how tough it would be foryou.”
Frowning, I stepped back. “You don’t believeme.”
“No, I believe that you’re seeing it,” she said in a sadvoice.
“But you don’t believe it’sreal.”
She winced and glanced to the side as if the fire hydrant was suddenly the most interesting thing she’d ever seen. Her gaze was locked on it, and her jaw rippled as she clenched her teeth. Tears sprung into myeyes.
“Bree,” I said. “Please. You have to believeme.”
She shook her head. “No. I’m sorry, Norah. I don’t believe it’s real. I know it’s not what you want to hear, but you need to hear it. I love you, and I want to support you, but I don’t know how to do that when you’re making up monsters in yourhead.”
I flinched and stepped back. “If you told me this was happening to you, I would believeyou.”
She flicked her gaze back to my face. “Would you? Or would you think that maybe it was time I booked another appointment with mypsychiatrist.”
That hurt. More than I expected it to. With tears filling my eyes, I sucked in a sharp breath and said, “You know what? Maybe it’s better if I don’t stay with you after all. I’ll go pack up my stuff and stay in an Air BnB until I can find a sublet I canafford.”
I couldn’t afford a sublet, especially not after I’d run out of that theatre. But I also couldn’t stay with Bree. She didn’t believe me. She thought I was crazy. How could I stay with her when she thought I was losing mymind?
She jerked back, almost like I’d slapped her, and then her voice turned to ice. “If that’s what you want, Norah, then I won’t try to stopyou.”
“Fine,” I said. “I’ll go back now and pack my things. I’ll be gone within anhour.”
“Right.” She sniffed. “Well, I’m hungry, and there’s a pizza place on the corner. I’ll go grab something to eat. That way, I’ll be out of your hair while you get yourthings.”
