Page 6 of Griffin

A sudden lightness bloomed in my chest, and I wondered why I hadn’t thought of it sooner. A visit to Casey could be exactly what I needed.

Maybe I could even grab some of those famous Cinderfield donuts on the way—people were raving about the maple bacon glaze and pistachio cream.

But wait... The shop had just opened, and there was a ridiculous waitlist.

People were ordering days, weeks in advance. I’d definitely need to get on that list.

Anyway, I’d have to check my schedule first.

There were commitments—videos to produce, sponsors to meet, especially with everything lined up after the convention.

Maybe I could squeeze it in afterward. I’d have to ask Todd; he’d know the schedule.

As I stood up, heading back, I realized I must’ve taken a wrong turn somewhere. I squinted, trying to spot any familiar landmarks.

The convention hall was massive, but in the dark, all the surrounding buildings looked the same.

With dim lighting and no clear landmarks, it was hard to get my bearings.

Suddenly, a prickling sensation crawled up the back of my neck. I felt eyes on me. I stopped, straining to listen. Silence.

Not even a birdcall. Just the faint tapping of footsteps—soft, like someone was trying to stay hidden but closing in.

I didn’t know how, but I knew it was them. The stalker. The words from that message flashed through my mind.

“I can’t wait to finally meet you at GamesCon.”

A chill ran down my spine. I took a step backward, then another, and suddenly broke into a run.

The tapping quickened behind me, matching my pace.

My pulse hammered in my ears, my breath coming in short gasps. I pushed myself to go faster, legs straining, lungs burning.

“Damn it,” I gasped. “I really need to stop sitting on my ass all day.”

I’d been meaning to get one of those standing desks—or one of those under-desk pedals. What were they called again?

But now wasn’t the time to think about it. My mind was scrambling, trying to keep from spiraling into panic.

Another set of footsteps echoed closer, louder this time.

“Hey!” a voice called out, closer than I’d expected.

My heart leapt to my throat. Were there two of them?

I couldn’t see anyone, but the footsteps were unnervingly close. I stumbled, catching my foot on something, and hit the ground hard.

Pain shot through my hand as I scraped it against the rough concrete, but I didn’t stop.

I scrambled back to my feet, forcing myself to keep moving.

If I made it out of this, I swore I’d start working out again. No excuses. Running, weights, anything. It didn’t matter.

But right now, I just needed to keep running.

Chapter 2

Griffin

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