Hunted Predator [DISCONTINUED]

13

The winter holidays had begun. And Joseph had nothing to do. He had managed to revise all the missing chapters he had problem with during their group studies as well as having separate sessions with Liam, for additional queries or quite study sessions.With his exams starting right after his winter vacations, he had decided to start studying for them now however all he was doing was mindlessly skim through the chapters, his mind kept saying 'you know this' again and again. Also , who studied during the winter holidays? He sure didn't want to. But what could he do? He couldn't even go to his part time job as Laura insisted that he took the holidays during the chilly hard times and try to make most of his youth. Most (well, all of) his friends had family plans, with some leaving the city or having guests fill their own homes

After all, it was Christmas

His family were diverse when it came to beliefs, (He wouldn't call himself 'religious' or found himself leaning to a certain one but he did pray. He didn't know who did he prayed to but he decided someone heard him up there. After all, thats how wishes came true didn't they?) but they all used the winter holidays and Christmas as an excuse to round up on the same table till new years, Where his family would leave and live at their great grandmothers for the week

Only god knew how long that hag was living for

But right now, he wasn't even sure if he was even going to begin with. He knew they usually would head there on the 19th and the whole family would be rounded up till the 21st. Today was the 24th. And his mother didn't mention a single thing about it during their phone calls.

He did mention if he could come around since his winter holidays had already begun but all he got as a reply was

'Dear i would love to but...you know how sensitive

e your father is,'

And he immediately decided to drop the topic on that.

Now he laid flat on his stomach on the couch as he scrolled aimlessly on his phone, waiting for something to pop up. He could've gone for a walk, but he had already learnt his mistake when he last did that in the cold of early December in the rain...

Joseph rolled out of his couch and half crawled half walked towards his room, where his bed was left undone, his closet left opened with his clothes hanged neatly, his laptop carelessly left on charging with a few books stacked on the table which he didn't bother putting back in his cupboard, where there were rows assigned for types of books (top row for novels or so he wasn't sure either he didn't read any of them, second row for his notes and books for college and the third for decoration pieces because why not?)none in proper sequence. He groggily but almost hurriedly walked towards his sock drawer and rummaged through all the clustered garments he didn't bother folding. He managed to find what he was looking for within where he had buried it, as if he were scared if someone else was to see it would be gone forever. He took out the ripped linen cloth he had managed to grab hold of. He buried it back in his drawer as fast as he had taken it out.

After that incident, he had scouted his areas more often, double checking everything and kept, staying alert. He could already feel the paranoia sink in him. And to make sure he wasn't dreaming, he would look for the cloth to confirm it wasn't all a hallucination, the scent of faded sandal wood and a whiff of lavender, as if it were covered over it. Though now the smell was fading as his own scent of roses in his detergent but it was still there. Did it confront him or terrified him more, he wasn't so sure anymore

After all, it wasn't the first time he had this scent in his home

It was there when the fresh pack of meat was set neatly on his table as. He was able to finally get a hold of his situation when he managed to stop heaving in the toilet seat. It was when cleaning up the remaining mess he noticed the faint smell of sandal wood. The same scent which seemed to be following him around for so long