The Encounter

The figure moved with an eerie grace, each step deliberate and soundless. Its glowing eyes locked onto Sarah, unblinking, as if it could see straight through her. The rain seemed to stop between them, the storm retreating to the edges of the clearing. The silence was deafening.

Sarah's legs trembled, the instinct to run clawing at her nerves. But the phone's last commandâ€"Do not run. Do not speak. Wait.â€"played on a loop in her mind. Whatever this thing was, it had control of the moment, and any sudden move could tip the balance.

Her grip on the black case tightened, her fingers digging into its handle. The weight of it felt unbearable now, as if it had absorbed every ounce of fear and uncertainty she carried.
The figure stopped a few feet away, towering over her. Its form was humanoid but wrongâ€"its proportions exaggerated, its limbs too long, its movements too precise. The faint glow of its eyes pulsed in time with the rain.

A sound broke the silence. A voice. Low, mechanical, and distorted.

"You're late."

The words sent a chill down Sarah's spine. Her mouth opened to reply, but no sound came out. She swallowed hard, trying to gather the courage to speak, but the figure tilted its head sharply, the movement unnervingly quick.

"You have the case," it said. It wasn't a question.

Sarah nodded, her throat too tight to form words. The figure extended a handâ€"long, thin fingers that ended in sharp, almost metallic tips.

"Give it to me," it said.

Her instincts screamed at her to obey, to hand over the case and hope it would end whatever nightmare she had stumbled into. But something stopped her. The phone in her hand vibrated again, the screen lighting up with a new message:

Do not give it up.

Her heart skipped a beat. She glanced at the phone, her breath catching in her throat. The message was clear, but the figure's presence was overwhelming. Its hand remained outstretched, its glowing eyes narrowing.

"You're wasting time," it said, its voice colder now. "The clock does not wait."

The phone buzzed again. Another message: Say no.

Sarah's grip on the case tightened. Her voice trembled as she forced the words out. "No."

The figure froze, its head tilting slowly to the side. The glow of its eyes flared brighter, casting an eerie light on her face. For a moment, the entire clearing seemed to hold its breath.

"Do you understand what you're refusing?" the figure asked, its tone sharper now, more human.

Sarah's legs threatened to give out beneath her, but she held her ground. "No," she said, the word barely audible. "I don't."

The figure lowered its hand, its glowing eyes dimming slightly. When it spoke again, its voice was quieter, almost a whisper. "You think you have a choice, but you don't. That case is not yours to keep."

The phone vibrated, the screen flashing again: Keep it. Walk away. Now.

Sarah's pulse thundered in her ears. She took a hesitant step back, her gaze locked on the figure. It didn't move, but the air around it seemed to shift, growing colder, heavier. Her legs felt like lead as she took another step, then another.

The figure's glowing eyes flared again. "You're making a mistake."

The phone buzzed violently, the screen displaying a single word in bold red text: RUN.

Sarah turned and bolted, the case banging against her side as she sprinted toward the edge of the clearing. The rain returned in full force, soaking her within seconds. Behind her, the figure let out a soundâ€"a guttural, inhuman roar that sent a shockwave through the air.

The ground beneath her feet shook as she ran, the storm seeming to close in around her. She didn't dare look back. The roar grew louder, closer, the sound vibrating through her chest like thunder.

The path ahead twisted sharply, disappearing into the dense forest. Her lungs burned, her legs screaming in protest, but she forced herself to keep moving. The phone buzzed again, its screen flashing as she glanced down:

Do not stop. Whatever happens, do not stop.

Branches whipped against her face as she plunged into the trees, the flashlight in her pocket long forgotten. The case felt like it was pulling her down, its weight unbearable, but she couldn't let go. She couldn't stop.

The roar behind her grew distant, fading into the storm. Her legs carried her forward until the trees thinned and the ground leveled out beneath her feet. She stumbled into another clearing, collapsing onto her knees. The rain poured down, washing the mud and sweat from her face.
She looked back. The path she had just come from was empty, the shadows still. Her breath came in ragged gasps as she clutched the case to her chest, her pulse pounding in her ears.
The phone buzzed one last time.

You're safe. For now.

Sarah's hands trembled as she read the words. Safe. The word felt foreign, meaningless. Whatever had just happened, she knew it wasn't over. Not yet.

The timer continued to tick: 20:12.