Tracy – Episode 2:
The sun was already down by the time I made it to the far side of Chicago. My head throbbed with anger and exhaustion, my legs numb from the long walk. I didn't even know where I was going—I just needed to get away. Away from her. From that house. From everything.
I ended up on the rooftop of an old apartment complex in Lincoln Park. The city buzzed below like a restless machine, but up here, it felt quiet. I dropped my bag and sank to the concrete floor, pulling my knees to my chest.
Then I heard a voice behind me.
"You running from someone... or yourself?"
I turned fast.
A guy—probably mid-twenties—was sitting on the ledge, one leg dangling off the side. He had a jagged scar just under his left eye and a leather jacket that looked like it had been through a war. He wasn't smoking the cigarette between his fingers, just rolling it.
"None of your business," I muttered.
He raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Fair. Most people who end up on rooftops don't want to talk… until they do."
I didn't answer.
"You don't look like you belong in this part of town," he added, eyes scanning me casually. "Designer earrings, but your shirt's torn. Rich girl on the run?"
I glared at him. "You're very observant."
"Occupational hazard," he said with a shrug.
I hesitated before speaking. "Who are you?"
"Name's Zane," he said. "And you?"
"…Tracy."
"Nice name. Strong name."
I didn't know why, but his presence calmed me a little. Like I could finally breathe.
"I had a home this morning," I whispered. "Now I have nothing."
He didn't press for details. Just nodded slowly.
"Good," he said.
My eyes snapped to him. "Good?"
"Yeah. When you've got nothing, you've got nothing to lose. That's when people become who they really are."
The silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable. It was… necessary.
Then my phone buzzed.
UNKNOWN: You think you can run, Tracy?
UNKNOWN: You'll pay for what you did to Aunt Mira.
I froze.
Zane leaned over and read it.
"You need to disappear," he said, voice suddenly serious. "Stay off the grid."
"And why would I trust you?"
He pulled a black card from his coat. No name. Just a silver raven with a dagger through it.
"Because I'm not exactly who I seem to be either."