VIRULENCE | H.S |

~ 9 • C ~

Chapter Nine - Catherine's POV

I can't sleep.

It's five in the morning and I've just figured that I'm going to stay awake until class, at this point. Sleeping for only two hours would just force me to be more exhausted today.

On top of that, I'm too anxious to give into slumber right now.

Processing the events from last night have been extremely difficult for me, due to the fact that I'm clearly still rolling from ecstasy, and, despite the drugs, my anxiety is at an all time high.

But whose wouldn't be when they were being followed through a dark tunnel?

From where the night started, to where it ended, I don't even know what or how to think. It's all so confusing and I still am at a loss for words as to what truly went on.

I know someone was following me. Harry can deny it or mock me all he wants, but I'm certain I heard someone behind me.

I keep replaying the entire process in my head, trying to think about every possible situation and ruling out ones that are purely too ludicrous. At one point, I was even wondering if it was simply my own footsteps I heard, or if it was a stray animal in the tunnel; but those scenarios just don't feel right.

Each of those circumstances simply don't make sense. Why would the footsteps speed up when I ran away? I heard them move faster, just after I did myself.  They weren't that  far behind me.

On top of that, if it was an animal, it would definitely have followed me outside of the tunnel. The only reason animals run after people is if they either are rabid or trying to eat you. In Scotland, it's unlikely to have any animals that would view someone as prey so close to dangerous cliffs, and if an animal is rabid, it doesn't merely stop that quickly when someone is within such close proximity.

And when Harry questioned me about why the stalker didn't follow me onto the beach, it was clear that was bullshit to me, as well. If the person saw Harry there, they wouldn't dare follow me out, because they would be exposed.

I saw Harry from the tunnel, sitting on the beach without any trouble at all.

Sure, I didn't know it was Harry then, but I knew it was someone, which meant I wasn't by myself anymore. If the person was trying to get me alone, they certainly wouldn't follow me outside of the tunnel when they saw the beach was occupied with another person, especially when I was running full force towards them screaming at the top of my lungs.

But, then I have to ask myself, why would someone even be following me in the first place?

What is so important that they would need to get me alone, and stalk me in order to do so?

It just doesn't make any sense.

I'm new here. I know about five people at this entire school, give or take. It's only my second day in Scotland, let alone at Dunnet.

Furthermore, no one knows that I'm even here. I left the country so abruptly, due to my dad kicking me out, that not even the rest of my family knows where I am. I don't really have any friends, since I switched schools so often and stayed to myself when I attended different academies, so I didn't even have anyone to tell that I was leaving for Scotland.

The only logical conclusion I can come to was that maybe someone was drunk and curious, and they were too afraid to speak up when I caught onto them.

Or worse, they were trying to assault me in some shape or form, and knew that I would be alone when walking through the tunnel.

The thought alone brings shivers down my spine, and if I think about it too long, I know I'll have an anxiety attack.