Haunted by the Past (Original)

Chapter 2

My blood drained from my face. My mouth went dry. My knees started to buckle, but Gabe grabbed my upper arms and pushed me back against the wall, to keep me from collapsing. Even then I could still feel my life slipping away.

"It's just a prank, Dani. Just a terrible prank. Go to my apartment and wait for me there, ok?" Gabe tried so hard to get me to refocus on the present. "I will find the little prick that did this and I'm going to make them regret waking up this morning."

But it wasn't a prank. The police purposely kept all photos of the mark out of the media. It was about the only good decision they made. This mark though was exactly like the ones I saw painted on the others' doors, with rough, rigid brush strokes, numbers positioned in an arc across the door, with the same dark reddish-brown hue paint, mixed to emulate old blood.

"How?" I muttered over and over.

How did he find me? I made sure my number wasn't listed anywhere. I was always so careful with my posts online, triple-checking my location was never included! The only people who knew where I lived were my parents and my brother, Aaron. I hadn't even been in contact with anyone else from my past for six years.

"It's not real, Dani! It's a prank! A cruel, terrible prank!" Gabe exclaimed.

"Gabe, it's the same! It's exactly the same! Exactly how he painted them!" my voice trembled.

"Are you sure?" Gabe's face went white.

"Yes!" I exclaimed.

"Go to my apartment, Dani, and call 911," his voice changed. It sounded flat, emotionless, stoic and military-like.

"What would they do?" I shook my head. "They won't take it seriously. They won't do anything to help me until it's too late to help me. Just like the others. Just like all the others... There always has to be a first victim. They never take it seriously until the bodies start piling up."

Gabe sighed, then hooked his arm around my elbow and ushered me into his apartment. "I'll stay with you, ok? You can sleep on my bed, I'll keep watch. There is no way he is taking you in the night." He glanced back into the hall and saw the bag of Chinese food that I had dropped. Quickly stepping out, he grabbed it, then closed his apartment door behind him, locking it tight. "Eat," he extended his arm to hand me the food.

I lowered my head in despair, "My appetite is gone."

"I don't care. Eat anyway," he frowned.

I sighed, then took the bag and plopped down on his couch. Pulling out the eggroll, I slowly nibbled at it while my mind raced.

"You know, it's not too late. You could stay at a motel somewhere tonight. Or call a friend maybe and stay there," he rambled off suggestions.

"You don't think I'm safe here," I mumbled.

"Being one very thin wall away isn't exactly what I would call a safe distance," he sighed.

"You're right, I have to leave the city," I admitted. "But he might expect me to go to my parents or to Aaron's."

"I don't want to send you off on your own, but someone needs to stay here and keep an eye on your place. If there's a chance at catching him breaking into your apartment, I want to take it," Gabe declared.

"Are you sure?" I questioned.

"Hells, yes! It may surprise you, but I was on NYU's wrestling team!" he boasted.

"Really?" I raised my eyebrow in astonishment, but then I realized why it made total sense. "Some might call that sexual harassment."

"Girl, I wasn't just giving it," he smirked. "Is there anyone else you can call though? Maybe one of the others perhaps? I mean, they'd understand, wouldn't they?"