The next time Anna went to town, Elle went with her.

They took Eve’s advice, using the cover of a cloudy and rainy day to fetch necessary supplies. The walk was tense, and they lobbed sharp, nervous looks over their shoulders as they made their foray into town. With each step they took, the atmosphere grew more ominous, and Elle and Anna walked a little closer together. Soon, Elle was nearly tripping on Anna’s shoes.

An unnatural groove in the bricks caught her eye, and Elle looked off to the side. She wished she hadn’t.

‘I’ll find you.’ the graffiti said. Elle cast a glance at the unyielding and unwavering Anna, who showed no sign of discovering the terrifying message. If Anna didn’t see it, Elle didn’t want to draw her attention to it. Now that she’d seen one instance, however, more threats struck out at her, carved into the brickwork, the glass, and the metal signs that made up their town. Some were worn and older from before their time. Others were new, planted to scare them. It was working.

Elle recalled a passage from Eve’s journal and shivered.

…Bob returned with news of threatening messages left throughout town. The others were terrified, but I knew this meant it hadn’t found us yet…

She took the written words to heart, using them to fortify her resolve. Eve had seemed a pragmatic sort and not the kind to show optimism where it wasn’t warranted.

As Anna knew her way around town better than Elle, she led the way to the pharmacy they were targeting, creeping through alleyways and behind buildings. They passed beneath a three-story apartment building, and Anna paused, tilting her head and pointing at a window as she whispered, “That was my apartment.” Longing etched itself into her face before it was wiped away by primal fear. Anna tugged on Elle’s arm, yanking her forward. “We should hurry.”

Elle let Anna drag her as she looked up at Anna’s window. Sitting in the window, staring at her, was a skull. Etched across it were the words ‘You will die here.’

No one in the town gave any indication they noticed the words, or, indeed, even saw Elle or Anna, unless they instigated the conversation. Eve had mentioned the phenomenon in her journal, documenting that the local ‘residents’ would only interact if you initiated. To Elle, it felt almost like she was wandering around in a video game filled with NPCs. A horror game, specifically.

No one stopped them as they snuck into the pharmacy, blatantly shoving pads, tampons, medicine, toothpaste, and other essentials into their pockets and their bags.

Elle happened to glance up as she shoved a bottle of ibuprofen into her pocket, catching a glimpse of the items they carried in the mirror. It was strange, she thought once again, not to have a reflection. She had no idea what she looked like anymore. Was her face thinner? Did her hair look well-kept?

A man walked in front of the mirror, and Elle started to turn away. Her hand paused, and her head jerked back up. The man didn’t have a reflection. Her breath caught in her throat, and she reached a hand back, grabbing Anna’s wrist. Anna followed her panicked gaze, tugging Elle around the isle, and they walked unhesitatingly through the isles out of the store.

Anna’s face was pinched, tight with worry, and they didn’t speak as they made their way home. They doubled back three times as they walked through the woods, just in case.

That evening, after Elle’s shower, Anna was fearful and unwilling to step close until Elle confirmed her identity, despite the impossibility of being replaced in the windowless bathroom.

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That night, as they lay in bed, Elle felt Anna’s shoulders shake against her back as Anna sobbed herself to sleep.

Slowly, things started to change.

Anna tried to hide it at first. But Elle noticed how Anna’s hands shook when she thought Elle wasn’t looking. How Anna would mumble to herself when Elle was of earshot. How she’d drift off while speaking, her eyes jerking around, following invisible beings. How Anna slowly started to refuse to eat, convinced the monster had done something to the food, even if they hadn’t seen it in a while. How Anna would be fearful of her, suddenly rounding on Elle and accusing her of being the monster. How she refused to leave, convinced the monster was always waiting outside their doorsteps. How Anna would get lost in her thoughts and her paranoia, unable, or unwilling, to stand and move to use the restroom.

At least I won’t die alone, Elle thought as she slowly watched Anna go mad. Where Anna had taken care of Elle, Elle took care of Anna. She cleaned up after her, reassuring Anna, “I’m here. You aren’t alone.”

Sometimes, she’d strike out with an optimistic “We’ll make it out of here, Anna. You’ll see.”

Still, Elle started keeping a kitchen knife on her, just in case. And, in a way, life got easier. As Anna fell apart, Elle picked up her pieces and fortified her own desire to survive.

Elle watched closely as Anna swallowed the last of their painkillers. Anna had claimed her back was killing her, but Elle wasn’t entirely sure Anna was telling the truth. She knew Anna thought she was telling the truth, though, and had given the poor woman the last of the medicine. Anna’s glass clinked against the table as she set it down sharply.

“What? Is something wrong? Did something happen to it?” Anna asked, already rummaging through the cabinets for something–anything–to counteract what she’d just taken.

Elle stood up, and gently grabbed Anna’s wrists, stopping the wild woman in her tracks. “It’s safe. It’s from an unopened bottle,” she lied, knowing she’d soon have to get more.

Her words agitated Anna instead of making her calmer. “He can be anyone. What if it messed with it before it was bottled?”

Elle kept gentle pressure on Anna’s hands. “I promise, it’s safe. You’ll be okay.”

Anna yanked her hands away, a sharp gleam in her eye. “What if you’re the creature.”

“I haven’t left your sight all day,” Elle protested, used to the routine.

It was useless, and Anna went off into another fearful rant as the sun rose higher in the sky, burning daylight. Elle interrupted her curtly, knowing Anna would only freak out worse if she didn’t have pain medicine the text time Anna asked. “I need to get some fresh air.”

Anna stopped, her face awash with fear as she gripped Elle painfully by the shoulders. “You can’t! I won’t die alone!”

Elle gently pried her off. “It’s okay. It’ll just be a minute. It doesn’t know you’re here,” she soothed.

Guilt stabbed at her chest, but she needed to get more pain medicine, and Anna was in no state to go with her. “It won’t be long, I promise. Why don’t you continue reading that book?” she prodded, directing Anna to her usual chair.

Anna allowed herself to be guided, reaching out one last time for Elle’s wrist as she moved away. “I don’t want to die alone!” she cried, throwing Elle’s fears back in her face.

Elle closed her eyes as she pulled away, regretting that she’d ever said those words. “You won’t,” she promised, “I’ll be right back.”

Steeling herself against Anna’s fearful cries, she walked out of the cabin, shutting the door behind her.