Chapter eight

She felt goosebumps on her skin and chills running down her spine, as everything just felt eerie to her.

Fortunately, the elevator door slid open for her and she walked out. Now she was in another hall and was heading towards a staircase.

She exited the door hastily and found herself outside the building. The chilly air blew on her face but even as the night breeze was cozy, sweats broke out on her forehead.

She felt she was being watched by someone, being monitored and spied on. Although she looked and scanned her surroundings with her eyes, she did not find anyone.

As she walked to the parking lot, her hand rummaged her bag for her phone. Her hands were shaking and her legs felt like jelly, as she walked into the dimly lit underground parking space.

There were three cars in the parking space, as all the workers had already retired to Their homes, to be prepared for work the next day.

She walked towards her car and noticed a piece of paper tuck between her car windshield and windshield wipers. She also noticed a red x mark, drawn on her car's windshield. She pulled out the paper and her eyes widened in shock, as she read the content of the paper.

Someone was threatening to kill her. There was only a statement on the paper, more apparently, a warning, which read “Watch your back!”

She could feel it again like someone was watching her. She tried to listen, to assure herself that there was no one there with her. She turned abruptly behind her, but there was no one, only the view of the empty parking lot.

If truly there was someone, she should be able to hear the sound of footsteps, right? Alas, no matter how hard she tried to convince herself that it was all fine, she couldn't.

Her eyes, stared at the red x-shaped mark on the windshield, as her heart thumped louder and louder in her chest. she could also hear her breathing getting louder, as she swiped her thumb, on the moist, thick, red mark.

What is this? She wondered to herself and sniffed. Her eyes flew open and she subconsciously moved away from the car, like she had seen a ghost. Blood!!!

The realization hit her. The red x mark wasn't paint, as she had expected but was blood. Her hand rummaged inside her bag, and she quickly picked out her phone to dial 911.

Suddenly, the sound of a can being kicked, rang in her ears, causing her to drop her phone in fright. Since the parking space was desolate and deadly quiet, the sound caused by the can, echoed loudly.

The only sound that could be heard, was the voice coming from her phone. It seemed that the police had finally picked up her calls.

“Hello... Who's there? ” Madison asked, ignoring the voice from her phone. She almost held her breath in anticipation.

She did not like this feeling. The feeling of dread for the unknown. Her head began to hurt and she began to question herself.

What if she had just gone home earlier? what if had asked her employee to stay with her? What if... Just what if?

Now she could finally see something staring back at her, from the shadows. Her eyes almost popped out of their sockets, as she stared in fear at the human figure.

He or she had blended in with the darkness and seemed to have become one with it. The figure, just stood there like a statue, staring at her every move.

For the first time in her life, Madison felt fear. The fear she felt about getting married into a toxic home, could not be compared to the fear she felt just now.

“Who...Who..." She stuttered as the words refused to come out. No matter how hard she tried, she felt her tongue tie.

Am I going to die? Is this how it all ends for me? She wondered to herself. Her heart kept pounding hard, to the point she felt she would have a cardiac arrest.

“Who are you?" She managed to ask but received no response.

Now, the figure slipped away into the darkness and as soon as it did, Madison dashed for her car.

She ignored the red mark and with her car key, she tried to open the car with her hands shaking frantically.

She got into the car, and after three unsuccessful attempts to ignite the car's engine, she managed to start the car and like a lunatic, she drove out of the parking lot.

...

“She doesn't keep late nights.” Mr. Allen said to the young man, dressed in a police uniform. “It would only mean that she was kidnapped." He said.

“Sir, we assure you that your daughter will be found...I got a report from my boys, that she isn't at the company but they did find a phone and assumed it could be your daughter's." The policeman reported and Mr. Allen nodded.

“Please let me know if you have any..." Mr. Allen said but was interrupted by his wife.

“Madison?" His wife called and all eyes flew to the door.

Madison had a look of exhaustion on her face. Her clothes were a bit stained with dirt and she had streaks of tears on her cheeks.

“My baby." Her mother said, as she burst into tears and walked towards her. She embraced her daughter in a tight hug and planted kisses on her hair.

“Mom,” Madison said softly, with a cracked voice. She hugged her mother back and allowed the tears that threatened to burst out of her eyes, to flow freely.

She did not want to hold back the tears. She wanted to let it all out, her anger, fear, and frustrations.

“Don't do that again, ok?" Her mother said with tear-filled eyes and began to wipe her tears with her thumb.

The policeman smiled at the show of affection before him. Only if he had someone to love him just as much as Madison's mother.

“Where have you been Madison?” He asked and walked towards her, but before she could speak, he embraced her as well. “Don't stay out late again." He said to her and disengaged from the embrace.

“I need to rest...I will be going to my room.” Madison said and headed for the stairs.

“I will send someone to get your...” her mother offered but was cut in her sentence.

“I'm not hungry." Madison declined with a smile. With a nod of affirmation from her mom, she walked towards her room.

...

Madison woke up feeling refreshed. She felt more energetic than ever and the exhaustion from the previous night was nowhere to be found.

She stood up from her bed to the bathroom, took her bath, and brushed her teeth, before making her way to the dressing mirror to dry her moist hair, that stuck to her skin like glue.

She sat down in front of her mirror, while still wearing her night robe. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and sighed.

“Arrgh!" She cried out painfully, as she tried to turn her head to the side. With her hand, she removed the strands of hair on her neck to reveal a red mark.

It seemed she had been wounded the previous night but had no idea how it happened. Though the wound was a deep red, with some black patches, it still felt painful.

She slowly caressed the wound with her fingers and stood up to look for a first aid box.

A knock on her door got her attention. She walked towards the door and covering the wound with her hair, she opened the door and peeped out.

“What do you want?” she asked the maid standing right outside the door.

The young maid had her hands behind her back and a bright smile on her face. She was dressed in a black and white gown, just like the rest of the maids in the Mansion.

“Your father sent me to get you." The maid said, while still staring at her with a smile.

“You may leave,” Madison told her, and the maid left. Going back into the room, Madison shut the door and walked towards her dressing mirror. Picking up a hairbrush, she quickly straightened her hair.

...

Madison walked into the living room, still in her robe. Her presence got the attention of her parents. She nervously used her hair to hide the wound, as she did not want to receive unnecessary attention from them.

Her mother smiled, as she saw her descend the stairs. She walked towards her and pulled her into a hug while planting kisses on her hair.

“Are you ok?” Her mother asked and she nodded with a smile.

“Why didn't you tell us about the letter?” Her father's voice rang out in her ears, startling her.

How did he know? She wondered, as she, herself, could not explain how her father knew of it.

“You must be wondering how I found out right?" Her father asked as if reading her thoughts. “You forgot it last night. It was lying on the floor and I saw it.” her father said with a disappointed look.

“Dad it's fine, really...”

“Of course...” her father interrupted her. “Actually, it's fine now because now, you don't have to do things alone anymore.”

Her eyes darted towards the young man sitting on the couch. She couldn't believe that she didn't notice him until now.

His emotionless brown eyes peered into hers like it was trying to read her thoughts. The man had no visible emotions or expressions on his face.

“Who is he?" Madison asked as she stared back at her father in confusion. She wanted answers to whatever was going on.

Getting on his feet, the young man walked towards her, with an extended hand for a handshake. “Hi, my name is Carl." He said to her.

Even as he spoke, she couldn't tell how he felt at the moment. He neither looked happy nor sad. However, what her father said next shocked her.

“He is your personal guard.”