The Sweet Scent of Fear

The computer monitor goes dark, leaving behind only a grey reflection of your face. The workday is over. You slowly rise from your desk, feeling your neck stiff from sitting for so long. You shut down your equipment and gather your bag—your hand is trembling.

Your eyes fall on your phone. You reach for it, your heart skipping a beat. You turn on the screen—and for good reason.

A new message from an unknown number flashes on the screen. You open it, and the air around you turns thick and heavy.

[Unknown]: It's time to end our little game of romance. I'm tired of being gentle. You've already had my raspberries—now you'll taste me.

A photo is attached below the text. You recognize yourself. A silhouette against your office window, taken from a distance of about a hundred meters. From the spot where people usually park their cars.

How did... did he see me today? Was he right there?

Goosebumps crawl up your spine; your heart drops and begins to hammer against your ribs. It feels as if the room is being flooded with ice water. You look at the window—the blinds are drawn. You look back at the phone.

[Unknown]: Don't look for me. I'll find you when the time is right. For now... enjoy your last evening of freedom.

Your finger hovers over the emergency call button. But if you press it—will he see? Is he waiting for you to do exactly that?

Footsteps echo in the hallway. You freeze.

The footsteps stop right outside your office door. The door creaks open...

— Are you still here? — the cleaning lady's voice sounds steady and calm. — I thought everyone had already left.

You exhale, but the tension doesn't leave. The phone vibrates in your hand again.

[Unknown]: The cleaner? Funny. But honestly, I'd prefer it if there were no one in the room but the two of us. Come out. And look around when you get outside.

Silence. The only sounds are the hum of the old air conditioner and your own ragged breathing.

What am I supposed to do now? And where can I go, if he knows everything about me?

The Sweet Scent of Fear

Description

You are an ordinary person: an ordinary family, good grades in school, university, a standard office job. Nothing hinted at trouble until one day a box of chocolate-covered raspberries appeared on your doorstep. You didn't think much of it; you even tried a couple of berries—and everything would have remained as it was, if not for the strange text messages from an unknown number that followed, and the gifts that began to appear more and more frequently. Now, returning from work, you find yourself glancing over your shoulder, your finger hovering over the emergency police dial, because the latest message bodes nothing good. The modern metropolis, the grey routines, and the faceless streets have suddenly turned into the stage for a psychological thriller. Someone is watching your every move: they know your route, your routine, even what you had for lunch. Starting with harmless sweets, this person has escalated to threats, describing exactly what they want to do to you. Your familiar world has become hostile, and every accidental movement in a crowd or shadow outside a window makes your heart race. You must figure out who is hiding behind that unknown number, what they are after, and how to stop them before time runs out.