Followed
The word that creeped the hell out of me echoed in my head... loud and sharp, like wedding bells.
Wedding bells...?
What a weird way to describe the horror catching up on us.
Was this the end...? Was something this absurd actually happening to us? No—it couldn't be. This had to be a dream. Just another nightmare, Mira... that's all it was.
"Followed... what do you mean?" Michael looked behind our car. "Dad, did you hear what Mira just—"
"Mira's right." Dad's words sent a cold shiver down our spines. A heavy silence filled the car—just for a second, everything went numb.
"There are two jeeps behind us—they've been tailing us for a while. I've tried shaking them, but it's no use."
"A while now?" Michael echoed. "How long has it been, Dad?!"
"It's been twenty-five minutes."
"Fuck!" he cursed.
Even though Dad's words made me shiver, something colder sank in—because we were talking about different things.
"Jeeps...?"
"Yes, Mira," Dad's shaky voice replied. "That was why I took that turn."
My brows furrowed as I looked behind our car. Dad was right—there were two humongous jeeps a short distance away. But those weren't what I was referring to. A cold rush spread through my body as my heartbeat echoed in my ears.
"I... wasn't referring to those." My hands turned clammy. "There's a car right behind us, Dad."
The horror on Michael's face mirrored mine as he looked over at Dad, who now froze in his seat. The fear in his eyes was clear as day. What exactly was happening to us?
"Mira—"
"Mum," I said instead, my voice shaky as tears threatened to fall. "We're going to make it out, right?"
Her face dropped for a second—and that was all I needed to see. Mum had traded her courage for fear, just like the rest of us.
I knew then, without a doubt... we were doomed.
How could I possibly think that? The signs were obvious. It had been a while, and we'd been followed without even realizing it. We were terrible at being fugitives. Maybe... maybe we should start preparing for our deaths.
Death...?
What does that feel like? Does fear catch up with you then? Does it feel this suffocating... like being strangled? Like something as simple as breathing suddenly becomes the hardest thing in the world?
"Mira—"
Was it going to hurt? Maybe just for a few seconds, before my body would go completely still. But after that, I'd be free... right? Like falling into a deep sleep. One that would last forever. Maybe that was the only way to end this nightmare. Yes, Mira. That's how you'll wake up from this.
It was suffocating, being in this car. Like I was trapped in a cage I couldn't break free from. The fear I felt had already filled the space my family hadn't. It whispered to me—softly, constantly—urging me to let go of what little sanity I had left. And honestly, that seemed like the easiest thing to do. Why? Because I think I already had. That must be why I couldn't stop my mind from running wild—why even my heart wouldn't slow down. This was the most—
"Mira!!"
My eyes snapped toward Mum and Michael, their voices cutting through my thoughts like glass. There were tears in his eyes, clinging to the edges, threatening to fall. I must've done it again—let myself drift too far. But who wouldn't? What I thought was just a nightmare kept inching closer to reality. No—it already was our reality. What we feared was already at our—
Michael's arms wrapped around me, sudden but gentle. His quiet sobbing made me pause. I wasn't sure whether to listen to him... or the thoughts that had become my strange version of comfort.
"Mira," he said again, voice shaky. "Don't. Don't let those thoughts swallow you. We'll be fine. If you can't believe that, then believe me." He pulled back just slightly, enough for me to see how serious he was.
Believe him? That felt like such a strange thing to say in our situation. And if this really could end just by believing him, then I was doing a terrible job. But how could I, when those things—those creatures Dad warned us about—were behind us, getting closer with every second?
"Mira!" Michael cried again, louder. "Stop doing that to yourself. You're scaring me." His voice cracked. "Say something—anything. Don't keep it in."
It always starts with the voices. Then my heart kicks up. After that, my breathing changes—fast... too fast. Maybe that's what scares Michael the most.
But how do I shut them out, when they're the only thing that brings me comfort? My own twisted version of peace.
"Mira." That voice broke through. The one I trusted enough to believe.
It was Dad.
I found his eyes through the rearview mirror. The fear in them had dulled, swapped out for something heavier—worry.
"I promise I'll keep everyone safe. I promise, Mira. So trust me, okay?"
The car went quiet. They were all waiting for my response. Just one word to prove I was still here. I gave a small nod, blinking hard until the tears threatening to spill finally backed down.
Michael pulled me into another hug, holding on like he'd almost lost me. His breath, finally steadying with relief. I felt like the younger one.
My hands remained still—not from hesitation, but exhaustion. I was far too tired... too emptied out to move. Being held was enough. Especially by my brother. His hugs always had a way of making everything else fade. Like the world couldn't touch me. Like home.
"I love you, Mira," he whispered.
His words washed over me like cool air against burning skin, replacing the wedding bells in my head.