It's too quiet in my opinion. The lights are all switched off, but I can still see outlines of different objects. This is unusual, even for Mom. She has a fear of the dark, so she always has to leave at least one light on in the house. To be honest, I also have a fear of the dark, for good reasons. For example: a psychopath that comes into my room every night to take photos and warn me of the near future.

I don't call out to Mom again, just in case someone else is in the house, like I'm expecting, considering the lock had been broken. As I stare down the pitch black hallway, I decide to grab for my phone, which is in my pocket. Hopefully, it can help brighten the place up, or at least, make it so that I can walk without falling on my face.

When I attempt to switch on the flashlight app I have, I notice I had received a message earlier tonight. I remembered I hadn't checked it before meeting Xavier, so I open it up.

"Oh my god," I put my hand over my mouth to keep from screaming. The text is from Mom's cell, but the message isn't from Mom.

'I warned you.'

"No, please," I whisper. Xavier immediately pops into my head. The way we kissed would have sent him over the edge. Then, a thought comes to me, one that threatens to break me completely. "Mom...oh god, please don't have hurt her."

Quickly, I enter the flashlight app and hold my phone above my head. I let out a quiet sob when I see something glistening against the wall. It's too dark to tell for sure, but I think it may be blood splattered against the white paint. The trail, to my horror, leads to Mom's room.

"Please," I try not to start sobbing. "Please don't have harmed her."

As I walk, the stuff that I think is blood gets thicker, drenching the floors as well as the walls. I shiver slightly as I reach the door, which has a dark handprint left on the wood. The haunting question that enters my mind is, is it Mom's handprint?

Hesitantly, I push the door open wide enough to reach my hand through and hit the switch. When I pull back, I examine the wet material that had been on the light switch. I rub the crimson liquid in between my fingers, testing its thickness. Lifting my fingers to my nose, I smell the substance. It is blood.

Oh no.

Quickly, I push open the door. Only, once I do, I wish I hadn't.

The wall above Mom's bed is drenched in crimson, spreading out in splatters. The floor and furniture are also wet with blood, and a few things, like her lamp, are scattered on the ground. As I step closer, I see someone in the bed. I let out a sob when I see who it is.

"Mom!"

I rush to her side, letting tears slip down my face. Her wide eyes are blank, lifeless. They stare at the ceiling, as if they were looking at their attacker, completely terrified of him. Her shirt has almost been shredded completely, and multiple stab wounds litter her body, especially in her chest area. When I pull the remaining piece of her shirt away, there is one word written Mom's torso. That one word tells me he's here, that he did this to Mom.

'Mel'.

Flashbacks of Laura's death come back to me in snapshots. I remember her eyes, cold and lifeless, just like Mom's. I remember the word carved into her chest. How excruciating it must have been for Mom and Laura, to go through that intense torture.

I can't even imagine it.

"Mom," I whisper. I don't ask her to wake up, like most people would, because I know she's gone. There's no way she could have survived something like this, there's just too much blood.

I kneel down beside the bed and grab her bloody hand in mine. I let myself cry, mourning her death. Even though she knew something about my stalker, she didn't need to die. She didn't deserve to die.

"I'm sorry Mom," I say through sobs. "I'm so sorry."

As I cry, someone says from behind me, "How touching."

At the cold voice, my head snaps up. I quickly stand when I see a man emerge from the shadows. His dark brown eyes bore holes in my blue ones, and he looks to be in his late thirties.

I say, "Why did you kill her, you sick bastard?"

He takes a step closer, and I notice the long knife in his hand. It still has traces of blood, most likely from Mom. "You disobeyed my orders. I told you not to get involved with that boy, and you just kept on seeing him every goddamn night! You left me no choice."

My voice quivers when I speak. "No choice? You killed Mom because I was hanging out with someone that actually liked me?"

He takes a step closer just as I back away. "I gave you fair warning Melanie. It doesn't matter anyway. I've come to take you home."

I begin to panic. Take me home? "You're not taking me anywhere."

"Really?" he replies, a smirk flicking over his face. "I think I am."

When he lunges for me, I dodge him. He slams into the wall where I had just been standing. While he's dazed, I race through the open bedroom door.

"Come back here!" I hear him roar from behind me as I turn into the kitchen.

"Help!" I scream, trying to get my neighbors' attention. "Please, call the police!"

"Melanie, get back here!"

I run through room after room, trying to lose the man. Many times, I debate hiding in certain places, but by the time I figure out how long it would take for me to fit into the space, he's already there. I can't seem to put any distance from him, and it's beginning to terrify me. What happens when he catches me? Is tonight the night I'm going to die?

I turn the corner. Ahead of me are two rooms; the spare bedroom, and the bathroom. Making a split-second decision, I enter the bathroom and lock the door tightly. Then, I pull out my phone. I know that if I call Jenkins or Callaway, they'll never make it in time. So instead, I call Xavier, knowing that it could be my last call. I just want to hear his voice one more time before I die.

"Please pick up," I whisper. I hear the man approaching the bathroom door. He knows I'm in here, I can tell.

After about three rings, he picks up, much to my relief. "Hello?"

"Oh, thank god," I cry. "Xavier, I don't think I have much time."

"Mel? What is it? What's going on?"

Outside the door, I hear the man yell something, but my head pounds too hard for me to decipher it. "He's in my house, Xavier. He killed Mom and--"

I'm cut off by a loud banging on the door. "I know you're in there!"

"Melanie? Melanie, are you okay? Talk to me!"

As the banging grows louder, I jump into the bath and pull the curtain shut. I sink to the ground, shivering in fright. "I don't know what to do!"

"Melanie, I'm coming over. Stay put!"

"Xavier--"

Before I can finish my sentence, the door is knocked off of its hinges. I let out a terrified scream that will surely reveal my location, and it does.

The curtain is pulled back, and I'm yanked from the bottom of the tub. "Help me!" I scream as the man's arm wraps around my torso. "Xavier!"

"Shut up, Melanie! Don't make this harder than it has to be," he says, placing the knife against my neck.

Even though the blade pushes into my skin, I still don't stop struggling. I cannot let him get the satisfaction of taking me willingly. "No! Let me go!"

Before I can scream for help again, something is pushed over my mouth and nose, a cloth. Immediately, I begin to feel woozy. My muscles slacken and I fall against the man's chest.

"What...what did you do...to me?"

"I'm so happy I found you, Melanie," he whispers in my ear, taking the knife away from my neck. I feel his lips press against my cheek, but I'm too far gone to respond to it.

"Help...help m--" Before I can finish my sentence, the tendrils of sleep pull me under.

• End of Book One •

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Wow, what an end!

Thank you guys so much for your support so far! Instead of making a huge authors note here, another post is after this one, titled 'Authors Note'. Go read for urgent information!

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