"Lilith, wake up! We're leaving!" A voice echoed through the hallway, stirring Lilith up from her slumber.

"Huh?" Lilith mumbled as she blinked sleepily, barely processing the call.

"Lilith!" her mom called again.

"Yes, Mom! I'm up!" She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, sitting up on the edge of her mattress.

Lilith was seventeen, living with her adoptive parents. Her biological parents had died in a car crash when she was only four, but despite that, she never felt like an orphan. Her adoptive parents, who had been her real parents' best friends, had promised to care for her no matter what. And they loved her deeply.

Today marked a fresh start. Her father had found a new job, so they were moving to a bigger house in a new neighborhood to be closer to his work.

Quickly, Lilith got dressed and pulled her hair back before heading downstairs.

"Good morning, honey. Did you sleep well?" her mom asked, holding a cup of iced coffee.

"Good morning, Mom. Good morning, Dad," she said, giving each of them a kiss on the cheek.

"Good morning." Her father smiled. "Are you ready to leave?"

"Yes! Let's go!" Lilith cheered, excited to start a new chapter, though she had no idea what awaited her.

After an hour's drive, they finally arrived. Their new home was huge and beautiful! Lilith bolted from the car, running eagerly toward her new room.

"Wow, it's huge! Look, I even have room to dance around!" Lilith twirled happily, taking in the spacious room. Her mother chuckled, watching her spin.

"Lilith, I know you're excited, but can you help us unload the car? There's still so much to do," her mother said as she turned to head outside.

"Okay," Lilith said, stopping mid-spin and following her mother to help.

The night sky was about to fall, but her parents wanted Lilith to run a quick errand to a nearby shop.

"Lilith, can you run to the nearby store and get some food for tonight? We didn't bring anything with us," her mom asked while unboxing some books.

"Sure, Mom, but I don't know the way," Lilith replied, brushing off imaginary dust from her pants.

"Here." Her father held up his phone with directions. "Take a picture; it'll make finding your way back easier." He smiled.

"It's only about a five-minute walk," he added as Lilith was already heading out the door.

"Oh, honey! If anything happens, call us immediately!" her mother called out as Lilith closed the door behind her.

The night was growing darker by the minute, so she quickened her pace. Just as her father had said, she reached the store in no time. She quickly gathered everything her mother had asked for, paid, and started heading back.

On the walk home, she had the unsettling feeling that someone was following her. Each time she glanced over her shoulder, she saw nothing, but she picked up her pace, sneaking glances behind her now and then. Finally, while looking back, she bumped into someone, stumbling to the ground.

"I'm so sorry! Stupid me, I was too busy looking at my phone. Are you okay?" a deep but gentle voice said.

"No, I'm sorry-I wasn't watching where I was going," she replied. As she looked up, she saw a handsome, pale man standing in front of her.

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To be continued

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