2. SECRETS ARE OUT

Arianna

“What!”

The stress is playing tricks on me; there is no way the number just deleted itself.

Nodding my head, I stand up from where I was crouching, my legs jelly-like, like unused vegetables.

It’s just stress. Once I go to the police, I will show them the messages. It’s the only option for me.

Confused and terrified, I quickly walk to the nearest police station, clutching my phone with shaking hands.

The officers listen to my story with concern, but when I hand over my phone, their expressions turn grim.

“There’s nothing there, miss. Are you sure someone texted you?” The officer Kingsley was the first who ask.

“What do you mean there’s nothing? He texted me and even sent me photos. He knows where I live. I even took a screenshot of our conversation. Look.” As I go to my gallery for the photo, there’s nothing there. The last pic I took is my cat Millie in her kitty bed by my own bed in the bedroom.

“Oh god, no….”

The officers exchange a look, seeming to come to a silent agreement. The other one speaks up, Officer Darren, his voice gentle but firm,” Miss, it’s possible that you imagined the entire thing. Stress can play tricks on the mind. Why don’t we have you sit down and calm down for a bit?”

“No! It can’t be right. I will look in the deleted photo folder, maybe I have another one from iCloud,” my fingers shake, and I don’t seem to press the right things to open the damn folders, but trying to find the screenshot, there’s absolutely nothing on my phone to prove the signs of my stalker messaging me.

Am I losing my mind?

I desperately look up to them and find them looking at me in pity,” You need to help me, please, send a car to my apartment to check. He maybe planted cameras or something.”

The officers hesitate, clearly unsure of how to handle the situation. After a moment, Officer Kingsley sighs and picks up the phone,” Fine, we’ll send someone over to your apartment, but miss, I need you to understand that there’s likely nothing there.”

“Just please, do something.” Retrieving my keys from the bag, I hold them out for them to take for inspection.

The officers nod and leave the room, promising to return as soon as they can.

As I sit alone, my mind races with thoughts and fears. I try to shake off the feeling of being watched, but it’s impossible. The seconds tick by like hours, until finally, after thirty minutes or so, the officers return. The time flew so fast that I didn’t even notice. I look up at them approach me.

The officers return, their expressions serious. Officer Darren steps forward and speaks,” Miss, we checked your apartment and found no evidence of any intruders or cameras. Everything was clear, and no signs of breaking in.”

“What? How can this be? There has to be something! How can he track me if there’s nothing?”

The officers exchange another look, this time filled with a hint of unease.

“Miss, we’re starting to think that you may be experiencing some sort of delusion or paranoia. Perhaps it would be best if we had a mental health professional evaluate you…”

“No, no, no. I’m fine, please excuse me,” feeling like throwing up, I stand up to flee from the police station before I can lose it. Luckily, they allow me to do so when I step outside of the building.

As I step outside, the fresh air hits me, but it does little to calm my racing mind. I look around, half-expecting to see him watching me from the shadows behind the trees. That’s when I notice a black car parked a few blocks away, its tinted windows reflecting the sunlight.

Determined, I start running to the car to catch the culprit, but once I bang my fist against the window, it slides down, revealing a startled woman.

The woman stares at me in surprise, clearly not expecting to be confronted by a frantic individual. Yeah, I felt like a lunatic.

She looks around nervously, as if checking to see if anyone is watching, before turning her attention back to me,” Can I help you?”

I am shocked and also disappointed that it’s not the stalker, and I just assumed that the owner of the car must be him because it looked too ominous, so I awkwardly pull away with a shaky smile.

“I’m really sorry, I thought this was my ex-boyfriend’s car. We had a fight, and he ran off, thought he was following me or something. Sorry for troubling you,” I slowly step away from the car.

The woman watches me suspiciously for a moment before nodding slowly. She seems to understand the situation, and she doesn’t seem inclined to press the matter any further. As I step away, she rolls up her window and drives off, leaving me standing alone on the sidewalk by the parking lot.

What is happening? Did I really imagine it all?

As I stand there, trying to make sense of everything, my phone vibrates again.

Oh no. Not again.

With shaking hands, I pull out my phone and check the message. It’s another photo – this time, it’s a picture of myself standing on the sidewalk, looking lost and confused.

Unknown: I’m closer than you think.

I snap my head up and look around again. To the left and right, I still don’t see anyone. My breathing picks up, and I think that I will pass out. The light summer breeze swayed the nearby tree branches, and in the distance, the traffic sounds were heard as I tried to listen for something.

With calming prayer, I still focus on seeing anything out of the ordinary when I type back.

Me: What do you want from me?

There’s a long pause, and I start to wonder if I’ve made a mistake by responding. Just as I’m about to put my phone away, another message comes through.

Unknown: To be near you. To watch over you. To protect you from those who would do you harm.

I scoff before I think about my reaction.

Me: It is you who is harming me by stalking me. How do you make cops believe that there’s no trace of you?

Unknown: I have my ways. But don’t worry, love.

Unknown: Soon, you won’t need their protection anymore. You’ll only need mine.

Me: You’re sick.

Unknown: And you’re mine. Remember that, no matter what happens.

Unknown: And one more thing…

The next message is a video. With a heavy heart, I press play. It shows my apartment, my bedroom, and my bed. Filmed inside my apartment this time.

Unknown: I know everything about you, my love. Every fear, every dream, every secret.

I bite my lip till it bleeds when I taste the metallic, savory taste on my tongue. No way I can go home now.

He has been inside my apartment, inside.

The video continues, showing my personal belongings, my clothes, my books. Even my precious art…he’s seen everything. The last shot is of my journal, open to a page with my deepest secrets written inside, where I have written my darkest thoughts relating to my favorite author. Oh god.

The parking lot was empty in the afternoon when I watched the sun slowly skipping across the sky, and I shivered, knowing I’m not safe anymore. If I go to the police, he will just make everything disappear again. I didn’t have any options left.

Do I go to the hotel? Or risk my safety and go back home? What do I do? I sent him a message.

Me: Who are you?

The response is slow in coming.

Unknown: I am the one who loves you, love.

Unknown: The one who has been watching over you from afar.

Unknown: Your guardian angel, in a way.

I shudder at his words.

Me: That’s obsession, not love.

Unknown: Love is just something people say to each other when they care. For us, it’s something stronger than love.

Unknown: But for you, darling, I would burn the world down.

I swallow hard, the gravity of the situation finally sinking in. This person, this stranger, is obsessed with me. And he knows everything about me.

Me: Tell me your name.

Unknown: I’m not sure you’re ready for me yet.

Unknown: Not until you trust me.

Me: What do you mean?

Unknown: You’re not ready to know my name.

Unknown: Not yet. But soon, love.

Unknown: Soon, you will call out my name in your sleep, and you will beg me to hold you in my arms.

I feel a chill run down my spine, his words sending shivers through my body.

I didn’t know what to do. How can I go home, knowing he will watch me while I sleep?

As if reading my mind, he sends another message.

Unknown: Don’t worry, love. I won’t come into your room. Not yet.

Unknown: But I will be watching. Always.

Me: You’re scaring me even more. You just want to hurt me.

Unknown: No, love. I would never hurt you. I only want to protect you.

Unknown: To keep you safe from the dangers of the world.

Unknown: To watch over you, always. And maybe, just maybe, to earn your love in return.

Me: How can I love a stranger without a face or your name who is stalking me? I don’t know anything about you!

Now, as I think about it, I never asked this person their real gender identity, maybe someone is still playing me, to trick me when he/she first mentioned their ‘cock’ in the first message. I just don’t know what to believe anymore.

Me: Are you male or female?

Unknown: Baby, ask me later when I’ve jerked myself with your panties around my cock ;)

My fucking panties?

My anger boils when I read that. He was definitely male then, and he thought he was that funny to make a joke like that? This person was out of his mind, completely obsessed with me to the point where he knows everything about me.

Me: You have no right!

Bastard.

Me: How do you know me? Do I know you in person, or did you just see me somewhere and decide to stalk me?

Unknown: We’ve never met in person, but in a way it feels like we have.

Unknown: I feel like I know you better than anyone else. I’ve watched you from afar for some time.

Unknown: I know your routines, your habits, and your favorite places to eat and shop.

Me: Then tell me about something you know.

He sends a message that makes my heart skip a beat.

Unknown: I know that you have a small tattoo under your left breast, a tiny butterfly. And that you touch yourself while reading erotic romance novels. Your virgin pussy weeps for me secretly, even though you don’t know that yourself, but I will make sure you do.

Unknown: I can go on and on.

I sit frozen, wondering how he knows these intimate details. He has completely destroyed my own privacy. And how does he know that I’m still a virgin? I’ve never admitted that to anyone except for my best friend Nicole, who is currently on a trip to Hawaii with her parents, but she is my ride or die BFF, and she would never betray me to leak this information somewhere.

Me: What else?

Unknown: I know your favorite book currently is “Tempting Shadows,” which is ironic because it’s a dark romance, and you always read it before bed.

Unknown: I know you have a habit of biting your lower lip when you’re thinking. And I know your favorite color is lavender.

Unknown: Also, you always paint after reading a certain person’s work.

Unknown: Fuck, baby, I fucking love everything about you, and I’m dying to feel you, but well…I’m a patient man ;)

I gasp and almost trip over my feet. I don’t know how long I’m standing in the parking lot when I decide to move, so he doesn’t get an idea to stalk me in the middle of the parking lot, where I’m most vulnerable and alone, because people always avoided this part of the town where the police station was. They didn’t want to get in trouble for something.

I feel like a zombie when I head back home, knowing I’m not safe anywhere. No one will even believe me anyway.

Me: That’s a big invasion of privacy.

As soon as I enter my apartment, he messages me again.

Unknown: I’m sorry, love. But a man in love does desperate things.

I look around my apartment, feeling violated. He knows so much about me.

Too much.

I ignore the message to check for the hidden cameras in my home. Obviously police didn’t check clearly enough because there has to be something.

He messages me again while I’m searching.

Unknown: You will not find anything. There’s nothing.

Me: Yeah, right. I will keep searching.

I will not give up until I see something that looks suspicious or out of place, but weirdly, there was nothing that could give the idea that someone had broken in. He sends me a picture of myself sitting on my couch, searching for hidden cameras.

Unknown: How’s the search going, sweetheart?

Unknown: Finding anything interesting?

Unknown: I love watching you be completely clueless, it makes me want to just grab you and fuck that gorgeous hole you’re hiding from me…mmm.

I look at the picture and my blood runs cold. How did he even…?

Me: When I see you, I will kill you.

Not that I was strong enough to do any harm, but I will keep fighting until my strength gives out.

Unknown: Feisty, I like it.

Unknown: I would love to see you try.

Unknown: Once you meet me, you’ll forget all about wanting to hurt me.

I clench my fists, anger boiling inside me. He is really a cocky son of a bitch.

Me: How are you so sure?

Unknown: Because you’re mine.

Unknown: I’m not a monster, baby, but if someone were to harm you, I would eliminate the threat immediately.

Unknown: I will kill anyone who touches you.

What the fuck? Did he just really say that he will murder someone for me?

Me: Have you killed anyone before?

There is a long pause.

Unknown: Since I’m feeling generous today…Yes, I have.

No, no, no.

My stalker is also a murderer?