We were all sat in the lounge of the lodge that night, the lights low, shadows flickering against the wooden walls. It was me, you, Niall, Louis, Liam, and Zayn. Everyone had a beer in hand, half-drunk and half-focused on each other’s stories. The telly was on in the background, some late-night news channel no one was really watching—until it suddenly cut to a report about a killer on the loose.

I remember how the room fell quiet. The reporter’s voice was calm, but the words felt heavy: “Police urge residents in the area to remain indoors while they continue their search for the suspect.”

I felt you tense up beside me.

I could tell you were scared. I hated seeing my beautiful girl scared.

I glanced around at the lads. Niall raised his brows at me, Louis let out a low whistle, Liam shook his head slowly, and Zayn looked like he was trying to process it all.

“Right in this area too…” I said under my breath. No one really replied, just a few uneasy nods before we tried to brush it off and carry on with the night.

We went back to talking shit and sipping our beers, but it didn’t feel the same. The shadows outside the windows felt darker. Every creak of the lodge seemed louder.

About an hour later, it happened. We all heard this noise outside—like a branch snapping or maybe gravel crunching under someone’s boot. The kind of sound that makes your chest go tight before your brain’s even caught up. All our heads snapped towards the window at the same time.

“D-did you guys see that?” Zayn’s voice came out quiet and shaky, his eyes wide. “I saw something in the window… just for a split second, I swear.”

None of us moved. No one laughed it off. We just sat there, staring at the glass, listening to the silence thicken around us.