Part 7

The alarm blared.

"BEEP... BEEP... BEEP... BEEP..."

Five straight minutes of torture.

I groaned, rolled over, and dragged myself out of bed. Even in the bathroom, brushing my teeth, the alarm kept going. Finally, I snapped.

"Shut the fuck up already!"

I stormed back into my room, searching for my phone. After digging through blankets and clothes, I found it and shut the alarm off.

"God... I hate using my phone alarm," I muttered. "But if I don't, I'll never wake up. And Target doesn't care if I'm not a morning person."

I got dressed in my uniform, slipped on my shoes, grabbed my backpack, wallet, badge, and phone, then locked up and headed to my car.

The moment the engine started, I drove off toward work.

I arrived a few minutes early and parked on the employee side. Before clocking in, I stayed in my car and opened the doorbell camera app.

At first, nothing.

Then — movement.

A figure.

All black clothing.

A goat mask.

The same kind used in ritual ceremonies.

The lighting outside the complex was dim, making everything look even more ominous. I couldn't tell what the figure was doing near Sam and Michelle's unit.

A chill ran through me.

I tried not to let it get to me. I'd ask Sam about it later.

At 10:40 A.M., I shut off the engine, got out, and headed inside to start my shift.

At 1 P.M., I clocked out for my 30‑minute lunch. I grabbed my phone from my locker and saw a text from Sam:

"Hey Layla, I'm close by. I'll be there in three minutes."

I replied:

"See you shortly! I just started my break."

I stepped outside to look for him. A minute later, his car pulled up. I waved and walked over.

He hugged me. "Hey! Glad I made it. Want to grab food? I'm starving."

"Perfect," I said. "Let's go to Del Taco."

We ordered, sat down, and talked about our day. Before I could bring up the footage, he noticed our food was ready.

"I'll grab it," he said.

He returned with our trays, and once he sat down, I asked:

"Hey Sam... did anything happen last night?"

He shook his head. "Not that I know of. Why?"

I hesitated, then told him. "Before work, I checked the doorbell app. There was a clip — dim lighting, but clear enough. Someone wearing all black and a goat mask was outside our complex."

His eyes widened. "What? I didn't know anyone like that was lurking around. Did they do any damage?"

"I don't think so."

"Did they leave?"

"Not long after."

He frowned. "If you'd texted me right then, I would've done something."

"Probably best not to interact," I said. "We don't know what they're capable of."

"Fair point."

I ate quickly — my break was almost over.

Sam finished his food, tossed his trash, and returned.

"I can walk you back in, if you want."

I smiled. "Sure, I'd like that."

As we walked, he suddenly said, "I want you to know... I only like Willow as a friend. Nothing more. I know there's someone out there for her, but it's not me."

"That's good to know," I said. "But you should tell her that face‑to‑face. She deserves clarity."

"Yeah. I don't want to give her the wrong idea."

We reached the employee entrance.

"Thanks for making my break fun," I said with a small laugh.

"I'm glad," he said. "I'll see you after you get off?"

"Yeah."

I waved goodbye and clocked back in for the rest of my shift.