The alley looked different in the light of the streetlamps, though I'd been there barely an hour ago. Damp bricks glistened, puddles reflected half-broken neon. It felt… smaller. Like it was watching me back.
I crouched again, studying the footprints. Faded, jagged, indecipherable. Whoever had passed this way wanted to be noticed or wanted to be followed. My stomach twisted.
"Okay… retrace. Don't get lost. Don't get caught. Don't look like an idiot," I muttered. The alley didn't care. Of course it didn't.
Splash… splash…
Cold water seeped into my boots. Fingers brushed the wet walls, tracing the grime and cracks. Tiny details no one else would see. That was my advantage. That and my misfortune, which had a way of sneaking up no matter what.
I remembered another alley, another night. Rain, darkness, mistakes, a guy who wasn't paying attention and almost… didn't make it out. I shivered. "Yeah, genius. Not your first time dancing with danger. Not your last either."
Creak…
Something shifted behind me. Not loud. Subtle. Deliberate. My heart leapt. "Figures. Watching. Judging. Classic." I muttered it to the air. Nobody answered. Of course not.
Splash… splash…
A shadow flickered in my peripheral vision. Gone before I could focus. My pulse spiked. "Stop doing that," I whispered. "Seriously. Stop."
Click… click…
Metal scraping somewhere deeper in the alley. Someone wanted me to notice. I bit back a sigh. "Fine. I see you. Whoever you are. Let's play. But I don't lose easily."
I crouched lower, examining a faint smear on the wall. Not sure if it was blood, dirt, or something worse. Didn't matter. My mind raced through possibilities. Kid? Thief? Assassin? Probably the last one.
Splash… splash…
The alley smelled of damp decay, wet concrete, and faint metal. My chest tightened, nerves humming. I muttered to myself, "Focus. Don't panic. Observe. Don't die. Maybe even figure something out."
Another flicker of movement. Gone. Nothing concrete. Just the sense that someone or something was always a step ahead, just out of reach.
I straightened, coat sticking to my shoulders, rain dripping down my collar. Fingers brushed the walls again. Heart hammering. Mind alive with every shadow and sound.
"And here we go," I whispered. "Another night. Another alley. Another game I didn't ask to play. Let's see if I survive."
Splash… splash…
And, again as always, I followed.