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Shadows of the Past
Wide, frightened eyes took in the casual gait of the man walking toward her. Cold beads of sweat broke out across her forehead. It couldn't be him, could it? But as he drew closer, recognition twisted her stomach into knots. It was him! That smirk on his thin lips was too cruel to belong to someone else.
Her heart raced as she fought to catch her breath. How could it be? She had killed him years ago! The memory was etched in her mind, vivid and haunting—a struggle, a desperate act of self-defense, a final push that sent him tumbling over the edge of that cliff. She had watched him fall, the horror on his face mirroring the panic in her own. He was gone. Or so she thought.
“Surprised to see me, Elena?” His voice dripped with mockery, echoing through her mind like a death knell.
She stumbled back, her mind reeling. This was a nightmare—a figment of her guilt manifesting into something tangible. She blinked hard, hoping to wake up, but he remained, the embodiment of her darkest fears.
“What are you doing here?” she managed to stammer, her voice shaky.
“I’ve come back for what’s mine,” he said, his smirk widening. “You didn’t think you could just get away with it, did you?”
Panic surged through her veins as she backed away, her eyes darting around for an escape. This was her life now, filled with the mundane comforts of a small town, a new beginning far removed from the chaos of her past. But his presence shattered that fragile peace.
“Elena,” he said, taking a step closer, his tone suddenly serious. “You owe me. You took everything from me.”
“No!” She shook her head vehemently, the memories flooding back—his threats, his violence. She had done what she had to do. “You were going to kill me!”
“Kill you? That was never my intention. I just wanted you to understand your place,” he said, his eyes narrowing. “But you took it too far. You were supposed to be afraid of me, not the other way around.”
The anger in his voice ignited a spark of defiance within her. “You’re the monster! You always were! I didn’t have a choice!”
He chuckled darkly, a sound that sent chills down her spine. “Choices, Elena. You made your choice that day. And now, it’s...
Her heart raced as she fought to catch her breath. How could it be? She had killed him years ago! The memory was etched in her mind, vivid and haunting—a struggle, a desperate act of self-defense, a final push that sent him tumbling over the edge of that cliff. She had watched him fall, the horror on his face mirroring the panic in her own. He was gone. Or so she thought.
“Surprised to see me, Elena?” His voice dripped with mockery, echoing through her mind like a death knell.
She stumbled back, her mind reeling. This was a nightmare—a figment of her guilt manifesting into something tangible. She blinked hard, hoping to wake up, but he remained, the embodiment of her darkest fears.
“What are you doing here?” she managed to stammer, her voice shaky.
“I’ve come back for what’s mine,” he said, his smirk widening. “You didn’t think you could just get away with it, did you?”
Panic surged through her veins as she backed away, her eyes darting around for an escape. This was her life now, filled with the mundane comforts of a small town, a new beginning far removed from the chaos of her past. But his presence shattered that fragile peace.
“Elena,” he said, taking a step closer, his tone suddenly serious. “You owe me. You took everything from me.”
“No!” She shook her head vehemently, the memories flooding back—his threats, his violence. She had done what she had to do. “You were going to kill me!”
“Kill you? That was never my intention. I just wanted you to understand your place,” he said, his eyes narrowing. “But you took it too far. You were supposed to be afraid of me, not the other way around.”
The anger in his voice ignited a spark of defiance within her. “You’re the monster! You always were! I didn’t have a choice!”
He chuckled darkly, a sound that sent chills down her spine. “Choices, Elena. You made your choice that day. And now, it’s...
