Pathways

Chapter 4

My sweaty fingers grip the locker handle as I slowly open my locker. I'm hoping that if I open it slowly enough a yellow envelope won't fall to my feet and I won't have to read another creepy letter. Sadly, when my hopes get shattered when a yellow envelope falls to my feet. Even though I'm in public, with shaking hands I read the letter.

Dear Anna,

Listen and listen very carefully. Someone will die today. Someone is going to take their life after school and you're going to be one of the last people to see them. Be brave Anna. I know you'll do the right thing. Blood is in the air, can you smell it? Calamity is coming. You don't know this person that'll take their life. They're a freshman. Their method of killing will be running in front of the four-o-clock Westside train. Blood will paint the tracks and someone will get punished. The school will be distressed. It's a girl that's going to end it. She'll bump into you on your way out making you drop a notebook.

Yours truly-?

The letter slips out of my hands as I fall to the ground. This joke isn't funny. My stalker must be insane. He must be mentally unstable. If he is he's way more dangerous than I thought.

"Hey babe," the sound of Jake's voice almost makes me jump out of my skin.

He hugs me from behind and I melt into him. It's time for first period and we usually walk together. I've had the letter on my mind ever since I read it and I've been paranoid someone's watching me. Goosebumps spread across my skin like the black death. I don't mention the letter to Jake. He'd just be worried. I need to find out who this stalker is and I need to find out now. I glance around but I don't see anything unusual. I turn around looking at Jake and that's when I notice his bright yellow shirt.

"You look like a highlighter." I tease.

" I'm your highlighter. To brighten up your day." Jake responds.

I roll my eyes, " Bleh, cringe."

Jake laughs and intertwines his fingers with mine. As were walking towards my homeroom I see William slither across the hallway. He gives me a glare as he sees me walking with Jake. Jeez, what is his problem? I want to thank him for tea yesterday but he rushes off like he wants to get away from us as quickly as possible.

Jake kisses me goodbye and I walk off into my classroom. The teacher drones on and I stare out the window trying to distract myself. Suddenly she tells us to get our notebooks out. I fish for my notebook and place it on my desk. I search for a pencil in my backpack but I can't find any. I tap Axel, Jake's best friend, in front of me.

"Hey, do you have a pencil?" I whisper.

He fishes through his back, "Yeah, this is the only one I got."

He hands me a bright yellow pencil and I feel my stomach churn. Its color is almost identical to the yellow letter I received this morning. It only puts my mind back on the letters and I can't seem to focus for the rest of the class.

The final bell rings and I rush to my locker to collect my things. Jake is waiting for me there and the second I see him I start to feel panicked. The pencil, the letters, his shirt. All sickeningly bright yellow. I'm starting to hate the color.

"Come on let's go." He says as I try to stuff my math notebook into my backpack. It doesn't fit so I decide to hold it in my hands. I decide to take the letter home with me to add it to my collection. In case I ever need to show the letters to the police I want to have all of them organized and ready. I shove the letter into my notebook when Jake turns his back to me. I slam my locker shut and walk out with him.

I'm almost out the door when someone bumps my shoulder hard causing me to drop my notebook. I'm about to say "What gives?" but I hear a wail come from the person who bumped me as they run outside.

"Hey, Anna. Are you okay?" I think I hear Jake say but I'm not really listening. Laying on the floor is the bright yellow letter spilled from my notebook. The words come back to me from the letter. She'll bump into you on the way out making you drop a notebook. I want to scream. I just stand there with my mouth open. Jake reaches for my book and the letter but I immediately stop him. I pick up the book and the letter and sprint after the girl leaving Jake behind.

By the time I make it outside she's nowhere to be found. Jake comes rushing outside out of breath. "Anna, what-" Jake starts but I interrupt him.

"Who was that girl?" I desperately question.

" Oh Mya, I think that was Mya Anderson. A freshman I believe." He answers calmly. I think he can see the fear in my eyes he doesn't question it. He grabs my hand and squeezes it, then he buries his face into my neck.

" Anna, you okay? You're scaring me." He whispers into my hair.

"Yeah, I-I'm fine. They just spooked me a little is all. " I lie.

Jake seems fine with this answer and lets me go. He squeezes my hand one more time before I get on the bus. I draw a circle out the window so I can see and stare at the outside world. I suddenly feel like something terrible is going to happen and it's my fault. That's when a tear falls. Another slides down my face and another. Soon I'm silently crying. I'm grateful no one's in the back of the bus and it's half empty because I feel embarrassed crying like this for no reason. I take the letter out angrily and I rip it. It feels good so I start to shred it into tinier pieces. I know I'm making a mess on the bus but I don't care. Anything to get this feeling to stop.

I get off the bus still crying. My mother is asleep on the couch and I head straight to my room and lock the door. I wipe a tear from my face when I get the chilling feeling that someone is watching me.

"Who's there?" I say to the darkness of my room. No one answers as expected. I turn on the light and look from left to right. I've officially lost it. Slowly I slide over to the window and I see a tall man in a black trenchcoat run off. It looked like he was staring through my window. I couldn't see his face. Was he waiting for me to get off the bus? I sit on my bed and sigh letting the last tear fall. I'm done with these letters. Thats it. I'm going to find out who this stalker is and when I do, he's going to be in a world of hurt.