The Stalker

Chapter 1

I was running through the dark house, my heart pounding in panic, fear like ice running through my veins. 

He was after me, he was coming for me, he was going to hurt me. 

I saw the flash of his knife as I looked back. I fell over suddenly and backed up dragging on my hands trying to get away from him.

He lowered the knife as panic flooded me, his hand wrapped around my throat as I screamed and screamed again, terror washing over me.

His hand moved and the knife dragged across my thigh cutting into my skin causing me to cry out in pain. 

Warm liquid trickled down my clothes as pain radiated up my thigh getting worse by the second.

I called for my father out of instinct, "Daddy! Daddy!" 

I shut my eyes knowing that he was going to kill me. 

"Jade!" someone called me loudly.

I bolted upright as my eyes registered that I was in my bedroom. Antonio stood by my bed his hand on my arm.

"Hey kid, it's okay," he said as he reached forward wrapping his arms around me.

I could feel tears running down my cheeks as I buried my face in his clothes shaking from the nightmare. I sucked in ragged breaths, my hands shaking uncontrollably.

"Its okay, its okay, you're not there anymore," he said rubbing my back comfortingly.

I listened to the sound of his voice trying to calm my racing heart, trying to fend off the panic attack that was crashing down on me.

"Breathe, just breathe Jade," Antonio instructed holding me tightly so that I knew I was safe and he would protect me like he always did.

I let him hold me until my breathing evened out and my hands were no longer shaking.

Pulling back embarrassed, I swiped at my eyes and covered my face with my hands.

"I'm sorry," I said to him without looking at him.

"Its okay, I'm here for you and Jamie," he said gently prying my hands away from my face.

"You're safe, I will always protect you," he promised leaning down to kiss my forehead.

I managed a smile and looked up at him grateful for everything that he did for my brother Jamie and I.

"Thanks Tonio," I said in gratitude. He was always there when I was falling apart, when the nightmares hit and whenever I needed someone. It was something I could count on, he was someone I could count on no matter what. 

"It's your first day back to school, you'll have to wake Jamie in a bit," he said looking at his watch.

"I'll go start on breakfast," he said walking to the door. 

He gave me one last worried look and I half smiled trying to reassure him that I was okay. He was the closest thing Jamie and I had to a parent and I hated that he worried about us, about me mostly.

I kicked off my blanket that was tangled around my legs from my thrashing and made my way to the washroom going through my morning routine and deciding that I was going for a jog to clear my head.

I pulled on track pants and a t-shirt putting my hair in a pony tail preparing for my run.

I hummed the tune to an old nineties song as I made my way to the kitchen to tell Antonio I was going out for a run.

He nodded and the worry in his eyes lightly dimmed when he heard me humming.

"Be safe, call me if you need me," he said and I nodded making my way to the door, anxious to get out of the house and to be alone.