Thud, thud!

Distant footsteps could be heard on a rainy night. In a few time intervals, flashes of thunder lit up the gloomy night. A girl in her mid-30s held an umbrella in the air and was coming from her office after tiring a day.

Frustration was visible on her face. She hates rain. Her house was now only five minutes away from where she was. There was no one on the road and only one or two cars were passing by. The city where she lived was situated on a hill so no one liked to travel by road during rainy nights.

Thud, thud!

Apart from her footsteps, she heard someone else's footsteps behind her back echoing down the empty streets and she felt a sudden chill down her spine. Something or the other was following her closely, even though she could not see anyone. Panic set in as her heart raced and adrenaline surged through her veins. Trusting her instincts, she quickened her pace, urging her tired legs to move faster towards the safety of her home.

The sound of fast footsteps behind her makes her even more scared, pushing her to run aimlessly, desperate to escape the unknown danger looming behind her. The relentless stalker continued his chase towards her with each passing second.

As she turned a sharp corner, a glimmer of hope appeared in the form of a parked car. Without hesitation, she sprinted towards it and hid behind the car to protect herself from her stalker. Her breathing laboured, her heart threatening to burst from her chest, and she braced herself for the inevitable confrontation.

The shadow of the pursuer appears before her, a sinister smile etched on his face because he found her. Fear gripped her as she fought the urge to scream, a silent plea for help trapped behind clenched lips. In a swift motion, he silenced her, his grip firm as he hoisted her into his arms with ease.

Eyes snap open, Angelica is covered in a cold sweat, trembling in fear, heart pounding, looking around the room suspiciously. She still can't believe that she is not in her nightmare anymore. Then she rubbed her face, trying herself to calm down.

"Angelica, you are no longer in a nightmare. Everything will end but when?" Will my nightmares ever end? And will I ever feel that this nightmare is not connected to some real crime?..." She said to herself.

Then she gets up cautiously, shivering, rubs her head and eyes and tries to fully awaken. Stumbles to the bathroom, and looks in the mirror slowly, cautiously. The sun shines bright through the window but the dread marks of her nightmares have still not vanished yet.

She starts brushing her teeth, still thinking about her nightmare.

✷✷✷

Clock beeped!

7:30 am was displayed on the clock.

Adam slowly peeled back the cozy blanket covering him and turned off his old-fashioned alarm clock. He preferred it over using his phone for alarms.

Standing up on his bed, he rubbed his eyes to fully wake up. Looking out the window, he saw a bird chirping in the bright yellow sky. The streets, once quiet, were now bustling with people going about their morning routines.

Adam had been on a break for two weeks due to shoulder surgery from an injury he sustained while apprehending a criminal. Now, he was feeling much better and ready to get back to work.

After freshening up, he began to prepare himself a delicious egg fry and toast in his empty kitchen. He lives alone in his rental apartment and his parents lived in Spain, where his stepfather was from, he had moved out on his own at eighteen to pursue his dream of becoming an FBI detective like his late father.

Ringing!

The ringing of his phone filled Adam's apartment, pulling him from his thoughts. He hurried to his room, half-expecting his mother's early morning call. Instead, he found the deputy director's name flashing on the screen, his expression quickly shifting to one of seriousness. "Hello, sir," he answered, bracing himself for the conversation.

"Adam, how are you feeling now?" the deputy director's voice held a hint of concern.

"I'm fine, sir. Do you have any work for me?" Adam replied, his tone professional and focused.

After a moment, the deputy director spoke again, "Are you sure you're ready to come back to work?"

"Thank you for asking, sir. I'm more than ready to get back to it," Adam reassured him, determination clear in his voice.

"Good to hear. We've just received word of another disappearance in Brookdale town. This makes three missing individuals and a body has been found, believed to be one of them. The killer is at large, and we need to catch them quickly. I want you to lead this investigation, Adam. You're our top officer," the deputy director explained a sense of urgency in his tone.

"I'll take charge of the case and start preparing to head to Brookdale town," Adam accepted the responsibility with resolve.

"Okay, I'll make arrangements for your stay there. Stay safe, and good luck," with that, the deputy director ended the call.

Adam laid his phone down on the bed, his thoughts already consumed by the upcoming investigation as he headed to the kitchen to make breakfast. Brookdale town, where he had spent his childhood with his parents, is now gripped by fear of a killer. His heart felt heavy at the thought of the once charming town now plagued by terror.

As Adam and Angelica's worlds unknowingly drew closer, the unknown fate that awaited them loomed on the horizon. What would happen when their paths inevitably crossed? The answer lay in the hands of destiny.

𝐓𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐝...

Hope you liked the prologue. I will make sure to provide you all with a proper description of the characters's appearance. So stay tuned for that!

Prologue

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