Yes run! But it won't do you any good. We'll find you anyway.

Kathleen ran like she had never run before. She paid no attention to where her steps were taking her. The only thing that mattered was that she had to get out of here as soon as possible. No matter where. She glanced back over her shoulder. Behind her were nothing but shadows. But that was exactly what scared her.
Two hours ago she would have laughed at these thoughts. Afraid of shadows, afraid of the dark. But please, that was ridiculous! What should she be afraid of?
Yes, she would have laughed. But now she knew better. The fear of the dark has been ingrained in people from the very beginning. And not without reason. There were things in the dark and the shadows that were better kept hidden.
Kathleen stumbled. In no time at all she stretched her arms in front of her body to catch her fall and scraped her hands up on the asphalt of the road.But it didn't matter. She had to keep running. Keep running until she was far away. Safe.
But was there even a place where she was safe?
Panting, she jumped up and dived on. The area she was in was deserted, an old industrial area that had long ago been closed for reasons unknown. But it wasn't far to the main street. And even now, in the dead of night, the main street would still be very busy. She could even hear the noise of the car traffic.
And indeed, after a few more meters the street made an arc to the left and gave a view of the brightly lit shopping street. Occasionally a few people even sat in the colorful cafés and talked. Kathleen headed for one of these cafes. Breathing heavily, she came to stand next to a fully occupied table. The youngsters looked disapprovingly at their peers. Apparently they did not notice her terrifying pale face.“You have to help me! “Kathleen managed.
"Help? “, Asked one of the teenagers. The others laughed.
Don't you notice what's going on? Kathleen looked back over her shoulder again. In the bright light of the street lamps and the café, the shadows looked further away and not nearly as threatening as in the abandoned industrial area. But you were still there, Kathleen could feel that very clearly. At the border of light and dark they circled, ambushed her, waited for an opportunity to overwhelm her.
"Get lost! “Shouted some of the youngsters. Another pushed her away from the table.
The shadows seemed to be drawing closer.
Kathleen looked back at the teenagers with wide eyes, but she had understood that she could not expect any help from them. They didn't feel the threat. They sat casually at the table, chatted about this and that and had a good time. That was exactly what she had done two hours ago.Happy and carefree. She had no idea what was in store for her that evening.
Kathleen spun around and continued down the street. Behind her she heard the youngsters whispering: “What kind of madwoman was that? “But she didn't care.
She stopped an older man who came towards her. But he only looked at her with furrowed eyebrows when she tried to explain to him that she was in danger. Then he just walked past her. He must have thought she was just making a fool of him. Kathleen quickly looked around for the next person who could help her. More and more people stopped her, asked her for help, practically pleaded. But everyone met her with a shake of the head, suspicion or anger.
Finally she sank against the wall of a house to catch her breath. Her initial despair had given way to indifferent resignation. Even here, on the main street, which was crowded day and night, she would find no help.Nowhere are you so lonely as in a crowd.

But she hadn't given up completely yet. One of her friends lived nearby. Celina would listen to her. She would - had to - understand her and answer her pleading.
When she stood in front of Celina's door less than five minutes later and she rang the doorbell along with the whole house, she still didn't feel a bit safer. Celina looked out of the window from above and opened the door at the sight of her completely distraught friend.
Kathleen stumbled into the hallway. She knew the house. Everything here was more familiar to her than almost any other place. But it didn't help. She had thought that she could rest a little here. But she wasn't safe here, she felt that very clearly. Perhaps it would have been better if she had kept running. Then sooner or later you would have caught her too, but here she was kind of trapped.
She chased away the dark thoughts when Celina suddenly stood in front of her.The blond-haired one looked worriedly at Kathleen. She looked at her friend that something was very wrong.
Kathleen wanted to hug her, but it was more that she collapsed in her friend's arms. Exhausted, she began to sob. Tears of desperation found their way down her face.
"So what's going on? “, Asked Celina and led her into her apartment. There she pushed her onto a chair in the kitchen and sat across from her, but never let her friend out of her sight for a moment. After she had calmed down a bit, Kathleen began to tell. She told everything from the time when she and her boyfriend had walked into a dark street in the abandoned industrial area to be a little alone, to when she had to flee without her boyfriend.
“I left him behind. She sobbed. “I just left him behind! "
"No! You couldn't do anything else.“, Celina tried to calm her down. But in her eyes Kathleen could read that her friend wasn't sure whether to believe her story or not.
But it was too late anyway.

The hunt is over.

Kathleen started up. "What is? “, Asked Celina. "You are there ..." her friend replied. "You...? Who's here, kathy? "
Kathleen looked around the room fearfully. The light that had just brightened the room seemed to flicker, then finally went out completely.
"What? She heard Celina say. "A power failure ...? "
No, it was definitely not a power failure. It was you.
The darkness had overtaken Kathleen. And now she could no longer escape.
Something rumbled somewhere in the room. Kathleen gave a start. She still couldn't see anything but rolling shadows. “Celina? She asked uncertainly. But she got no answer.
She sank back on the chair.Despair filled her. She called her friend again. “Celina! “But she knew that there would be no more answer.
It was over. The fight was lost.
The light flickered on again. Kathleen looked up. The room was empty. She was alone. Celina was gone.
But you were still there.
But they did nothing.
Kathleen sat in the chair for several minutes, unable to even think clearly.
Why? She asked silently.
And as if you had read her mind, you answered.
Because you know our secret.
Kathleen looked up. In front of her stood a young man with dark eyes and black hair. But its outlines were not clear. They seemed to sway and wobble, like the shadows themselves. He smiled - revealing his pointy and unusually long canine teeth.
The girl looked at the being in front of her. Though it was surrounded by an aura of danger, it was not evil."What are you? She asked softly.
We already had many names, answered the man in front of her. His lips didn't move. Our species is as old as the world itself. We existed long before the first humans. But it doesn't matter. All you need to know is that we are predators. As long as we can stay hidden, we avoid hunting people. But you left us no other choice.
“Because I discovered your secret. ", Guessed Kathleen. "The secret of your existence."
Yes, the being before her confirmed silently.
Then it got dark around Kathy.

How do you like it? It was really just a train of thought. In the beginning I didn't like the ending that much, and I don't really like it until now. You don't know if Kathy is still alive or not. Well, to be honest, I don't know either. As I said, it was just a train of thought. Write me a couple of clerks, will you?Your Kay