V

~~~

Amaya

We had already settled ourselves in the house. Aunt Omnira's estate was spacious. It had five bedrooms and three bathrooms.

My parents shared a room together and I took one for myself. Another perk of being the only child.

As I was unpacking my suitcase, I noticed this old-looking book at the bottom. Taking a better look at it, I recognized it.

My heart stopped for a second while a sat on the ground frozen. It was the same book that I thought I threw in the garbage. How the hell did it get inside my suitcase?

"The book has a mind of its own."

No, it can't be. I refuse to believe this. Maybe I just didn't exactly put it in the garbage. Maybe I just had a vivid dream and mixed-up reality. Yeah, it wouldn't surprise me cause that wouldn't have been the first time it happened.

I once had a vivid dream in high school about my crush. He had asked me out in it and I was so sure that it was real that the next morning, as soon as I saw him, I jumped into his arms and kissed him. The biggest embarrassment of my life.

As I gently took possession of the book, I suddenly got the urge to tear it all apart. Maybe that'll fix my doubts about it and the bad energy I'm receiving from it.

I opened it to a random page ready to just rip it off but before I could do that, a noise coming from my phone sounded. I received a text message. I didn't recognize the number so I became more skeptical as I read the message.

Stalker: Don't do whatever you're about to do.

I was hit by a wave of sudden discomfort through my body. This message was clearly from someone who was spying on me. I walked out of my room into the corridor and nobody was there so it couldn't be anyone from this house. The room only had one window and it had a view of the backyard and the house behind us.

I looked over every corner of my eyesight to try to spot the stalker. I saw nothing out of the ordinary. My next guess was that the text was sent from the house behind this one or the person is inside this house right now. Chills ran through my body while thinking of that.

Me: Who are you?

Stalker: That isn't important right now just do as I say if you do not want anything happening to you.

Me: I don't even know who you are. Why should I listen to you?

Stalker: Trust me, it is in your best interest.

I didn't reply back scared of where this conversation could lead to.

I continued to unpack my luggage trying to just forget about this incident. Maybe this person is just pulling a prank on me.

"I'll be watching you."

Could it be him? No matter how many times I've told myself that what he said wasn't true, I just couldn't shake this weird feeling off. I have this feeling in my gut that every part of what he said to me that morning was true as unbelievable as it sounds.

Am I going crazy?

I hesitantly placed the book on the desktop. Maybe it's best that I listen to whoever this is. Soon after, I received another text message alert.

Unknown: Good girl.

Reading this message gave me mixed feelings. There is someone who I probably don't know watching my every movement at the moment. He could be a serial killer for all I know. However, as twisted as this sounded, I couldn't help myself get a little turned on by this message.

Not me getting turned on by my stalker. Maybe Aunt Omnira was right. Maybe I am indeed dick-starved. I haven't linked with someone since my last boyfriend and that was four years ago.

No one has caught my eye since then. Thinking back about it, maybe I just wasn't ready for another relationship but I might open my doors soon.

***

We were settling ourselves in Aunt Omnira's living room to watch a movie before going to bed. As I searched the cupboards for any signs of snacks, I noticed there weren't any.

The thing about me is that I cannot sit and watch a whole movie without a snack. I just like to have something to munch on if not I get fidgety. I am physically not capable of sitting through a whole movie without food.

So I asked my parents if I could make a small trip to the convenience store down the street and they didn't oppose.

Aunt Omnira gladly accepted inviting me to buy something for her too.

The convenience store wasn't far from her house. Just a few meters away.

As I walked in, the cashier greeted me and I sent back the gesture. I first got a pack of Hershey's white chocolate then some popcorn and a pack of Sour Patch Kids.

I approached the cash and it seemed like the cashier went in the stock room because he was just coming out. He greeted me a second time as if he didn't notice someone was in the store.

Weird.

Didn't I greet him as soon as I came in?

As soon as we locked eyes, something told me to run immediately. It was as if this weird dark aura surrounded him.

As I was placing my items on the counter for him to scan, I received a new text message. It was from my stalker.

Stalker: Run now.

Just this message alone confirmed my suspicions and made me bolt towards the doors. Only to find out that they were locked. I frantically started shaking them in hopes of somehow opening the doors. I turned my head towards the counter. The cashier was no longer there. A huge sense of panic and discomfort settled into me.

Suddenly the lights flickered off. I was surrounded by darkness. My

heart was racing marathons and my breathing was getting deeper and quicker.

I'm scared. Someone help me, please.

The lights quickly flickered back open revealing this dark shadow-like person right in front of me. It was the same one I saw at the library the other day. His whole body was surrounded by dark fog waving from him.

I screamed so high that I thought I broke my vocal cords.

He took me by my neck and started choking me. My hands were clawing on his wrist hoping that it will somehow loosen his grip on me. It didn't. He was by far one hundred times stronger than me.

My vision started getting blurry when his other hand started to rise. It took everything in me to focus on what he was holding.

It was a spear. Similar to the one at the club.

My eyes went wide. He was planning on stabbing me. A silent plea for help was whispered by me. I was starting to lose more and more consciousness.

I then felt the grip on my neck suddenly loosen up making me tumble to the ground knocking my head pretty hard on the hard flooring. My eyes were closed but I was still conscious.

I felt strong arms wrapping themselves around me lifting me up against a hard muscular chest.

"Don't worry, I got you," the person whispered in my ear.

That's when I got consumed by darkness and fell unconscious.