Find Me

6 • Mel

Laura's mother tries to question me as I sob on her living room couch. My tears lay on top of the dark leather, refusing to soak into the fabric. She had invited me in after I freaked out at her front door about her daughter being missing.

As I continue to mutter incoherent sentences, my stalker's (as Laura called him) voice echoes in my head like little atomic bombs ready to explode. I fear that he has already killed her, or at least harmed her beyond repair, but I cannot tell Laura's mother that. She probably wouldn't believe me even if I did.

I don't even know what I can say instead to Laura's mother. I can't exactly say that Laura's disappearance is my fault, even though it is. That would lead to further questioning and I'm afraid that if Laura isn't dead yet, she will be if I tell her mother about what has been going on. I can tell that he doesn't want anyone else knowing about him, especially the police or our parents. He basically stated it in the phone call.

"Melanie, I'm going to ask you one more time," Laura's mother says sternly from the other couch across from the one I'm in. "What is going on?"

I wipe the tears away that are gathering in my eyelashes and convince myself to calm down, at least a bit. If he's watching, I'm just giving him more power than he already has over me.

My gaze locks with hers. Her brown irises reflect curiosity and worry. I run my tongue over my lips to soak up the salty tears that mingle there.

"I--" As I try to speak, my words are cut off when the house phone begins to ring. I freeze and pray to god it isn't the police, or worse. I hold my breath as she answers it, eyeing her face for any sign of something being wrong.

"Hello?"

Laura's mother grows pale and motions for me to come closer with her hand. My breath catches in my throat as I stand, walking over to stand beside her. As soon as I ask her who it is, Laura's mother puts the phone on speaker with shaky fingers. When I hear the voice, I look to her in horror. It's him.

It's my stalker.

"Hello, Melanie," his voice taunts through the speaker.

My eyes shut tightly as tears threaten to escape my eyes. They cling to my eyelashes as I answer. "Where is she?"

"Who?"

I clench my fists by my sides, no longer caring about the fact that Laura's mother is right there, I say, "Laura, you sick son of a bitch!"

He chuckles loudly, causing me to scream, "Where is she?"

"I can't say, it would ruin the fun," he reasons. From his tone of voice, I can tell he's smirking on the other side of the phone. I can see only red. He thinks this is all a game; a sick game that he's controlling. I feel like a puppet on strings, and each time he makes a move, me or my family get tossed around in the process.

"You better tell me where she is or I swear I will kill you!"

"We both know that you wouldn't be able to kill me," he says, his tone menacing. "You're too weak."

My lower lip quivers as I try to regain my composure. He's right. I can't even slap someone without feeling incredibly bad about it afterward.

Then he begins to speak, and I'm thrown back into reality. "But, I will give you a hint."

I wait with bated breath, ignoring the fact that Laura's mother is looking at me like I have two heads. Finally, he speaks.