Shadows At My Window

The Vanishing

The sharp beeping of my alarm jolted me awake. I blinked, trying to adjust to the morning light, and let out a long, reluctant sigh before dragging myself out of bed. After a quick shower, I dressed and packed my bag for school, my mind half on the day ahead, half still clinging to sleep.

Peering out the window, the sun was already shining brightly, casting a golden glow over the city. The air felt crisp and refreshing.
“Perfect weather to start the day,” I murmured to myself.

I grabbed my keys, locked the door, and began walking to school. As soon as I entered the classroom, Alya barreled toward me, practically vibrating with excitement.

“Oh my gosh, Clara! Did you hear? Big Bang is coming to our city for a concert! I’m going, and you have to come with me,” she squealed.
“Really? When?” I asked, surprised. “I’m not sure if I’ll be free, but I’ll try.”

“Cool! I’ll book the tickets and let you know. See ya!” She grinned, bouncing off before I could respond.
Alya was one of the brightest people I knew. She was the kind of person everyone noticed—the sunshine of our class. Her dimples, light brown eyes, and chubby cheeks made her impossible not to adore.

I walked to my seat, and soon Anna and a few other girls gathered around me.

“I don’t know why you’re still friends with Alodia,” one of them said, rolling her eyes. “She’s… weird. She barely talks to anyone but you.”

Another girl added, “And if we try to, she gives us that creepy death stare, like she wants to murder us or something.”

I sighed. “Guys, calm down. She’s just… different. If you got to know her, you’d like her too.”
“Yeah, yeah… whatever you say,” one muttered.

Then Alodia entered. Her sharp gaze flicked to me, and she walked straight over. The other girls scattered, muttering excuses.
“Ah… Clara, class is about to start. We should go,” Anna said quickly, retreating.

Alodia sat down beside me, expressionless as always.
“Were they bothering you?” she asked calmly.

“No, they were just talking about the concert,” I said carefully. “Asking if I’d go.”

Alodia shook her head lightly. “I don’t understand why people waste money on these things. What’s special about a group of guys screaming on stage?”

I chuckled. “It’s not for everyone, but a lot of people admire them. They enjoy watching them.”
She opened her mouth, as if to reply, but the teacher entered, and the classroom fell silent.

After school, Harsh approached me with a friendly smile.
“Hey, Clara! How are you?”
“I’m good. What about you?”
“I’m fine. Actually… I need your help with the assignment. Are you free tomorrow? We could work on together.”

“Sure! Amos Library, 5 PM?”
“Perfect. See you then!”

Later, I walked home, the streets quiet in the evening. The sun had dipped below the horizon, leaving shadows stretching across the pavement. My chest tightened as memories of recent missing-person cases in our neighborhood crept into my mind.

I quickened my pace. My footsteps echoed in the empty streets, and I told myself it was paranoia, letting stories get to me.

When I finally reached my building, I rushed inside, locked the door, and exhaled in relief.

After a quick dinner and some study, I was about to climb into bed when movement outside my window froze me in place.

A shadowy figure stood there.
Dark. Silent. Watching.

I couldn’t see a face—only the outline, a presence that sent a chill straight to my spine. My heart pounded so loud I was sure it could be heard in the room.

Slowly, I reached for the light switch and flicked it on, holding my breath. The figure didn’t move at first. Then, without a word, it turned and walked away, disappearing into the night.

I swallowed hard, trying to steady my racing heart. How long had they been there? Would they come back?
Sleep never came that night.
The next morning, exhaustion made dragging myself to school almost impossible. At the front gate, a police car was parked, red lights muted in the morning sun. A sick feeling settled in my chest.

Something was wrong.
I spotted Anna and caught up with her.

“Hey… what’s going on?” I asked, voice trembling.

Her face went pale. “Clara… Harsh is missing. No one’s seen him since yesterday.”

My stomach dropped.
Harsh. Missing.

Author Recha ✍️

(Heyy guys how are you all. It's been a while. I took so much to write this story. If you guys like it I'll continue this story. If you have any questions ask me I will answer you happily bye ~) 😊