The alarm rang through the small bedroom, slicing through the early-morning quiet.
I groaned, grabbing the phone, and silenced it before Mom could shout again. But the call still came, right on cue—my mom's voice from the kitchen, "Breakfast is ready!"
"I'm coming!" I rolled out of bed.
Toasted bread, butter, eggs… it really does smell like a hug down here. Okay, sandwich, napkin—perfect, I'll just eat on the way.
I'm already eighteen now. I should be driving myself, not sitting in the passenger seat like a kid. I'm old enough to handle a steering wheel and a road—and definitely old enough to handle a little freedom. Having thoughts on my mind, I packed everything and got ready to go.
"Get in the car" Mom asked, appearing at the door with the car keys jingling in her hand, worry already creasing her forehead.
"I was actually going to drive myself today….."
Mom shook her head. "I'll drop you off. We've only been in this neighborhood a few weeks. It's too new, too unsafe, too… unknown for you to be wandering around alone."
I swallowed my sigh and forced a smile. "Fine, okay. Thanks for the ride, Mom."
"Good," she replied, softening a little. "Grab your bag. Let's go."
On the way, the streets blurred past—freshly painted houses, unfamiliar shops, a park she had never noticed before. As Mom talked about grocery lists and neighbor names, my mind drifted somewhere looking out of the window.
The moment the car pulled up, l unbuckled my seatbelt a little too quickly. "I'll walk from here,you don't have to wait." Mom hesitated a bit, then finally nodded. The instant the car drove away, freedom washed over me like cool water.
Instead of heading straight to the college gate, I turned in the opposite direction, deeper into the neighborhood. I walked slowly at first, letting the morning air and city sounds settle around me.
I'll explore a little—nothing dramatic, just… not going straight to class like I'm supposed to. That old bakery smells amazing, those tiny houses with flower pots look like something out of a postcard, and that narrow alley buzzing with bikes? I want to see where all of it leads to….
Then, in the distant gloom, a figure slid silently into sight . A guy stood at the edge of the street, backpack slung over one shoulder, his gaze locked with unsettling focus. He adjusted his grip on the strap of his backpack, staying just far enough behind to blend into the background.
"I'll let her walk a little longer," he thought, "letting her believe she's alone."