Page 17 of Trick or Stalk

My body stills.

She's beautiful.

Not in the polished, carefully constructed way I've seen a thousand times.

There's something softer about her.

Her long brown hair falls around her shoulders. She wears an oversized sweater that hangs off one shoulder, and her face is completely bare of makeup.

She leans closer to the glass, staring into the darkness.

She can't see me. I know she can't. There's too much light behind her and not enough around me.

But she searches anyway, as though she senses me.

Her gaze moves slowly over the yard before settling on the woods. On the tree I'm standing behind.

I don't move.

Neither does she.

For several seconds, we're facing each other across the darkness.

A light breeze moves through the forest, shifting a branch beside me.

Her entire body jerks backward.

The dog barks.

I almost smile.

She presses her face closer to the window, more cautious this time.

I remain exactly where I am.

Watching.

Waiting.

Even terrified, she’s stunning.

Or maybe her fear makes her more attractive to me.

Either way, my pulse is beating faster, urging me to move closer.

But I don’t.

Eventually, she steps away. The dog follows her.

I lose sight of them as they move through the house.

I should leave. Go back to the cabin.

Instead, I wait.

Seconds drag on.

When I see her move down the foyer, heading deeper into the house, I realize what she’s doing.