Ryan rammed his shoulder into the door, forcing it open. I ran out into the alley, struggling for breath. The darkness outside was so quiet, like we had entered a new world. The normal sounds of Providence were all around us: car horns in the distance, motorcycle engines revving as they pulled away from a stop light, the last bit of rain water falling into the gutters—it was like I was caught in one of my dreams.

“Wake up,” I whispered, closing my eyes. I focused on my bed, and Jared's warm body next to mine. I opened my eyes, but the same scene was before me. I shut my eyes tighter this time. “Wake up!” I screamed.

Ryan gripped my shoulders, startling me. “It's not a dream this time, buddy. We need to move!”

Something dark and swift caught the corner of my eye. Not smoke, and not a shadow, but thicker than the night air.

“What the hell is that?” Ryan yelled, shooting once. The bullet ricocheted off the brick of the building.

“Watch out!” I screamed as the cloud rose above both of us, positioned to attack.

Ryan shoved me out of the way, and I landed hard on my knees and hands. His body flew backward, hitting the building on the other side of the alley, and he then fell the fifteen feet to the ground.

“Run, Nina!” Ryan said, stunned.

I scrambled to my feet, but before running off alone, I hesitated. Ryan was human, and I promised Claire to keep him safe. The blackness focused on me, and Ryan shot another round to return its attention to him.

“RUN!” he yelled, shooting again. The invisible enemy dragged him back into the building by one foot, and he held his gun in front of him, shooting at what he couldn’t see.

Everything inside me wanted to stay, to try to help somehow, but I held the duffel bag close and dashed down the alley, into the street. Tears filled my eyes, blurring my vision, finally spilling over my cold cheeks.

Another alley was ahead, dark and forbidding, but it seemed the right way to go, so I kept running.

When my lungs couldn’t take in enough air, I stopped, hunched over and puffing. Whatever it was that had Ryan couldn't be far behind, so I leaned against the back entrance of a building, working up enough courage to move. A bus stop was just a half block away.

“Take a step, Nina,” I said to myself, willing courage to move my feet. “It's right there,” I breathed, “Go!”

The door opened, causing me to lose my balance and fall back. Something grabbed me from behind, wrenching me inside with so much force that my hands, legs, and head all fell behind, jutting straight out in front me.

“Ssshhh!” Bex said, covering my screams with his hand.