Back To Normal

Zara couldn't remember the last time she'd walked into school without a gnawing pit of anxiety in her stomach. But today was different. The artifacts were gone, out of her life, and for the first time in weeks, she felt… free.

She adjusted her backpack strap and greeted Mia by the lockers, the familiar hum of teenage chatter surrounding her.

"Finally!" Mia said, throwing her arms around Zara in an exaggerated hug. "I was starting to think you were avoiding me."

Zara laughed, the sound foreign but comforting. "I've just been... busy. You know how it is."

Mia raised an eyebrow but didn't push. "Well, you're here now. And guess what? Mr. Dalton's assigning partners for the history project today. Fingers crossed we're together."

As the day went on, Zara found herself slipping back into the rhythm of high school life: classes, gossip, and stolen glances at Jake from across the room. But every now and then, a flicker of unease would creep in.

In the hallway between periods, she thought she saw someone watching her from the corner of her eye—a man in a dark coat—but when she turned, no one was there.

At lunch, her phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number: "How does it feel to be free?"

Her stomach dropped, but when she showed Mia the message, her friend shrugged. "It's probably just spam. You worry too much."

After school, Zara lingered by her locker, trying to shake the lingering unease. That's when Jake walked up, leaning casually against the lockers.

"Hey," he said, his easy smile making her heart skip a beat.

"Hey," she replied, trying to sound normal.

"You coming to the game on Friday? We're playing against Westwood."

Zara hesitated. She hadn't been to a game in weeks. "Maybe. I'll see if I'm free."

Jake tilted his head, his gaze softening. "You should come. It'll be fun. Plus, we're gonna crush them, and I want you to see it."

Her cheeks warmed. "I'll think about it."

As he walked away, Mia appeared out of nowhere, smirking. "You are so going to that game."

The rest of the week passed in a blur of homework, small talk, and fleeting interactions with Jake that left her grinning. She started to believe that the worst was behind her.

But the subtle hints lingered: a shadow that seemed to follow her home, a cryptic note left in her locker that read, "Nothing stays buried forever."

Zara brushed it off, convincing herself it was all in her head. She didn't notice the man sitting in the bleachers at the Friday night game, watching her every move.