Hanna reaches for her shopping bag and pulls out the new top she bought, then points at the camera with the sock over it and says, “Are there any more of those?”

“Not in here,” I say. “I only cover that one to make sure.”

That’s when my phone beeps and they both look at me, because if we are together, it’s unlikely to be anything good.

I don’t want to read it, but Emily nods, and I can see she’s desperate to know what it says.

Are you having fun, girls? I’m outside. Come and play.

I drop the phone on my bed and walk to the window, feeling a chill rise up my back.

“What?” Hanna asks. “Is it him?”

“Turn the light off,” I say.

“Why?”

“Turn it off and come here.”

The room goes dark, and they stand on either side of me, looking outside.

“What is it?” Emily asks.

“He says he’s watching.”

I see Hanna shiver, and Emily reaches for the curtains and pulls them open.

“I can’t see anyone,” she says, and before I can stop her, she’s reaching for my phone, reading the message, then putting her shoes on and walking to the door.

“Where are you going?” Hanna asks.

“To find out who’s doing this. I’m going to stop him.”

“What if it’s—” Hanna says.

But Emily shouts, “It’s not! It’s not him. It’s some weirdo who thinks this is funny.”

She looks at me like she wants me to agree with her, but I don’t know what to do.

Emily rushes out of my room, and from the top of the stairs, I watch her open the front door and walk outside. Only then, when she marches headfirst into the darkness, do I move.

Hanna looks terrified, and I lead her back to the window, where we can see Emily staring down the street, and I tell Hanna to stay there.

“If you see anything, if you see anyone, call the police.”

She nods, and I run outside, then freeze after three steps into the black.

It’s not the color, it’s the sound. The evening hums, and my head tightens until I realize I’m holding my breath.

I don’t know what I’m doing. But I can’t leave my friend to chase this weirdo on her own, so I step forward, looking right then left, until I see a shadow a few houses down. I swallow hard, then dart into the patches of light made from streetlights and glowing windows.

The shadow moves quicker, running away from me, and that’s when I realize I might be chasing the wrong person.

“Emily,” I whisper, then again, louder this time.

A dog whimpers a few streets over, a whine that sounds like a warning, and as I turn, I see someone too close to escape.