She is Fatal to Death (Standalone Story)

The persistent hum of the city was Renata's usual lullaby, but tonight, it was a torment. For a week now, she’d been jolted awake every midnight, a wave of goosebumps raising the hairs on her arms, leaving her gasping in the dark. It was that unsettling 'spidey sense' again, the one that made her heart pound and her eyes dart around her perfectly normal apartment, seeking an unseen threat.

Tonight, she found herself in granny panties and a tank top, clutching a bright pink, hand-held taser, every light in her apartment blazing. Her skin still crawled, a phantom chill despite the warmth of her home. Satisfied there was nothing there, yet still deeply unnerved, she plunged her apartment into darkness, save for a cute new nightlight.

Checking the clock, a quarter after midnight, she unlocked her phone. Diamond, her best friend, would know what to say. The response was immediate, comforting in its familiarity.