Murder House (Part One)

The Abandoned Hallway

Poking my head out of the door, I look around for a minute and step out of the apartment.

'The coast is clear and no sign of him anywhere.'

Sighing in relief, I continue to walk down the stairs and go down the street taking advantage of the peaceful morning.

"Emma!"

I groaned. "There goes my peace."

"Good morning," Jake said the minute he was by my side. "Come on we are going to be late for school."

"But it is only..." once more, he grabbed my hand and dragged me.

'So much for making sure he was not there.'

The school was reopened after the past few days and Jake had made it his mission to walk me to school. I would be honored if he didn't grab my hand and walk me there like he was taking a toddler to school. What made things worse was the fact talked none stop about things I couldn't understand making it a painful experience.

'I wonder why girls fawn over him.' I thought cringing as he talked. 'He is annoying!'

"Emma are you alright?" he asks and before I could say a word he continued. "It's okay. I made some extra lunch if you are hungry."

Just then my stomach growled showing a clear sign that I didn't eat breakfast. 'Shoot! Now he is going to fuss over this. At the same time, he fussed over my hair not being tied to a ponytail properly.'

"Do you want to have breakfast at the café over there?" he pointed at it. "Do not worry it is on me."

I couldn't have a say in this because he dragged me in there. Soon I was sitting in a swanky café holding the menu card in my hands.

"So, what do you want to order Emma?" he asked. "I have already ordered my favorite; coffee with toast."

I was surprised. "You drink coffee?"

"Yeah, but it is the mild kind." He peered down at the menu. "Oh, I'll order this for you."

"No need. I am not hun..."

"Waiter!"

I groan. 'I wish the floor could open and swallow me whole. Can't he take a hint?' I look around. 'What's worse is he would keep talking like this for hours because the place is practically empty.'

It was as if the universe heard my cries for help because my food was the first to come. It was crepes stuffed with an omelet with a cup of chocolate.

'Wow! This looks...' then I remember something. 'This Café...it looks...familiar. But where have I seen it before?'

"Emma," Jake brought me back to the present. "Your food is getting cold."

I quickly pick up my fork and start eating. It tastes good. Halfway through the meal, I look up to see he wasn't eating.

"Umm, where is your food?" I ask.

"Oh." He shrugged and closed his eyes only to open them with a scary grin. "I am not hungry."

I felt the food in my stomach disappear.

"It's okay. I like to watch you eat."

Too bad because I couldn't eat another morsel. Why? I lost my appetite.

We were lucky to get to school on time and after changing our shoes at our lockers, we parted ways. After that cringe worthy breakfast, I made sure we didn't cross paths at all, and luckily for me, he was surrounded by his admirers so avoiding him was easy.