Lia continued down the street, and at the next corner where the street ended, a lone figure stood one block away to her left. A hood covered their face, and the evening light made them nothing more than a silhouette. They must have cut through backyards and smaller streets. The only identifiable thing about them was the way their hood bunched up at the back. Hair in a bun?

Lia had three choices then: turn around and head back, turn left and face them, or turn right and see how intent they were on following her.

She turned right and didn’t look back. Cars passed on the street, keeping her safe if this were part of the game.

If it wasn’t, then there wasn’t much that could keep her safe. At least she was in a populated place. Unlike Ben, she wasn’t alone in the dark. She glanced over her shoulder.

No one there.

The next corner was a three-way stop with one road leading to a small neighborhood pool that was closed and one leading back toward Lia’s house. She was a good five-minute walk from home now. A car turned in front of her. A shadow skittered behind it.

There, the figure knelt near a parked car. In their hand was what had to be a water gun.

Who was it? Too tall for Aubree or Rose or Zack. Lia’s mind was spinning. And whoever it was, was fast. They must have been running to keep up with Lia through the backyards.

And it meant they were either herding her toward the pool or egging her on into a head-on confrontation.

Lia backtracked. She jogged, and by the time she hit the turn she had come from, the figure was there, in the distance, blocking her path. They wanted her near the pool, then.

Her phone vibrated as she backtracked yet again.

It was Devon.

Is Gem home safe and dry?

Lia texted him back, glancing behind her after each word.

Yes. I am walking the last few blocks home

Her phone rang.

“Hello?” she asked, and tried to keep the soft thrill of his instant response out of her voice.

“Do you have no sense of self-preservation?” Devon said. Someone spoke over him. Lia couldn’t make out the words. “Yes. Yes. I know. Lia, where are you?”

“I told you,” she said. “I’m walking home. I wanted to walk for a minute, so Gem dropped me off at the entrance to the neighborhood. It was only three blocks.”

“Good.” He sighed. “No, wait. What do you mean ‘was’?”