Friends and Foes

Skylar- 3

About 45 minutes passed, it hadn't taken me long to get ready, so we left at 3:30 rather than 4. I pushed up my glasses to look at the restaurant, 'El Patron Mexican.' I was still slightly irritated that I didn't have contacts left although I could have sworn, I had one more set that I had yet to use.

I hopped out of the truck relieved to finally be able to stretch my legs. I glanced down at my watch, 4:30. When we finally received our table, I looked at my watch again, 4:55. My watch vibrated, not for a notification, but to inform me that it was at 10 percent. I felt my eyebrows pull together; I swear I put that on the charger last night. 

"Relax," Zach said, "we'll get you back, just enjoy your dinner."

By the time the food arrived my watch was completely dead. We finished eating and Zach excused himself to go to the bathroom. Once he was gone my phone started buzzing, I picked it up and looked at it, 'Call from Gaege.' I hit ignore and then opened his messages, his most recent one read, 'Goddamn it Skylar! Call me! Now!'

I scrolled up to the messages from earlier in the day. A few screen shots from different videos that he had edited for me showed a tall man with black hair standing in my hallway, in the shadows he was barely noticeable almost as if he was hiding from unexpected company. I tilted my head at the images and then read the following messages, 'Sky I thought this was a joke 4 ur subs since it's spooky season but it's too reoccurring.'

Next message: 'Is everything ok?'

Next message: 'Ok Skylar ur freaking me the hell out plz answer me and tell me this is a prank.'

Next message: 'For god's sake Skylar who tf is that!'

Next message: 'Sky plz it has reoccurred in 2 weeks worth of videos ik damn well ur pranks don't go that long!'

I scroll back to the photos and swipe through them looking at each one carefully.

Anxiety.

I stare at the last photo, really stare, no, study. I zoom in. The man's head is cocked to the side, grinning slightly as if he's enjoying the adrenaline rush of possibly being caught. He's wearing a dark black and red flannel and black jeans with patched holes. Why is that familiar?

Panic.

Images go through my head at a rapid rate. Who do I know with black hair, wears flannels and patched jeans that has access to my apartment? Why does that stupid flannel look familiar? I look up towards the bathroom as Zach emerges from the men's room slipping his phone into the front pocket of his patched jeans. My eyes widen. He's currently wearing a black and blue flannel, but it's almost the same. My stomach drops and it feels empty, I feel nauseous. I look back down at my phone and swallow hard then type, 'Gaege...I think I'm in trouble.'

"Still watching the time?" Zach sighs as he sits. I hit send.

I say nothing, I feel as though the color has already drained from my face. A message from Gaege crosses my screen, 'What!? Why?' another one, 'Sky! What's wrong!'

I can't move anymore, can't breathe, can't type to tell Gaege a name or to call Graham or tell anyone where I'm at.

Zach gently pushes my phone down, "hello, earth to Skylar?"

"Huh?" I managed.

"I said let's get you home so you can film." I exhale and begin to relax slightly. "Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost." He chuckles.

More images roll through my head. Memories. Giving Zach a key, so he could watch Nico when I went to visit Gaege, but he returned that key. Did he make a copy? Random noises. Sounds of the front door closing, I thought I was going insane. When I took Nico out yesterday, I didn't close my office door, so why did I have to open it when I went to retrieve my phone? Zach and Jessi's stories were funky, and I never got a message as an invite from Jessi either. I closed my bedroom door last night. Why was it open when I woke up? I do remember putting my watch on the charger last night. Why is it dead right now? Why did Nico always hide from Zach? Did he sense it? Nico was scared this morning. Did he see someone?

So many assumptions ran through my head, and I didn't realize I had zoned out again until Zach spoke again.

"Who were you texting?"

He startles me, but I'm sure I'm overreacting and seeing something that's not really there, "nobody," I answered.

"No, seriously Skylar, what is Gaege saying?" his smile is struggling to keep surface, he could see Gaege's contact still open via the reflection from my glasses.

"Nothing," time, 8:00, "it's 8 though, so we need to hurry back." Overreacting.

We walked to the truck in silence, Zach followed me to the passenger's side and opened the back door. I tilt my head slightly and cock an eyebrow in confusion.

"Sorry Sky, it's nothing personal," that grin, that goddamn shit eating grin. "I just gotta make sure you can't run very fast assuming you manage go get up." He suddenly had a crazed look in his eye, a look that begged for blood.

A sharp pain in my thigh makes me collapse with shock, before I can scream or yell in pain a large hand covers my face with a sweet-smelling cloth. I kick sending sharp volts of pain through the rest of my body. The sharp object was stayed imbedded in my thigh. I'm lifted off the ground and I kick hard my foot making contact with Zach's face.

"Son of a bitch!" he's pissed, he lunges only causing the person holding me to loosen his grip and throw Zach against the truck.

I fall to the pavement and let out a small yell which is instantly muffled, the man is pulling me back up, "Grab her feet this time dumbass." Is the last thing I hear disoriented as my body unwillingly begins to relax. I see someone typing on my phone behind Zach before everything goes black.