𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐈𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐍 . . . 𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐱 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐥

09. 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙩

09. take your shot

season one, episode four: tape 2, side b

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"Shh. For this next one, you need to be very, very quiet. Because you're about to do something very wrong. Be careful, and don't get caught.

Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to watch someone? To invade someone's privacy? Do you wonder what secrets you might uncover? What skeletons you might turn up. Well, for this next one you're about to find out. A4 on your map, kids."

Nessa had yet to use the map that Hannah provided her, for the simple fact that she usually didn't want to get out of bed whenever she was listening to the tapes, but the introduction to the fourth tape had heavily intrigued her. So, she shoved her slippers on her feet and slowly crept out of her house. She was lucky that her car was quiet, and that her mother was a heavy sleeper.

She grabbed the map and unfolded it, fixating her fingers on it as she figured out where to drive. When she pulled up to the location, she checked the map again to ensure that she had done it right. She had. She parked her car and slowly got out and looked at the house in front of her – Tyler Down's house.

"Now, don't say you're too afraid or that you don't feel comfortable doing this kind of thing, because guess what? You spy on people everyday. We're always watching someone, following someone. And being followed.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. They've made us a society of stalkers, and we love it. Of course, stalking someone in real life is a whole 'nother thing. That's right, I had a stalker. And if you've made it to A-4, you're outside his window, just like I am right now.

Any guesses yet? No? Well, stay tuned to hear about the skeletons he dug up. For now, let's see if he's got any of his own. I get that it's a thrill, looking into someone's life. My heart's pounding right now, can you hear it? Listen."

Nessa stood in front of the window, peering in as someone grabbed her shoulder, causing her to jump and turn around, meeting the eyes of Marcus Cole in a sombrero.

"Marcus, what the hell?" Nessa said as she turned around. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry, Ness." Marcus said. "I tried to warn you, but you were zoned out."

"What the fuck are you wearing?" Nessa asked him. "Pretty sure this is cultural appropriation in front of me right now."

"Oh, I totally forgot." Marcus said as he fumbled with his hat, pushing a button that caused thunder rumbles to play from it. Nessa chuckled as she rolled her eyes at the boy. "I'm El Niño, the tropical storm?"

"Oh, my God, you are such a doofus." Nessa told him.

"Well, thank God you aren't one of the judges tomorrow." Marcus told the girl.

"Marcus, what are you doing here?" Nessa interrupted his talk about tomorrow's costume contest, which she was absolutely not going to enter. It was hard enough getting Alex to come to parties with her, it would be an absolutely impossible task to get him into a costume.

"I saw you pull up, I live right across the street, you know?" Marcus told her. Nessa did know. She had forgotten that small detail when she parked her car right in front of his house. "Besides, you're not the first one to come look at the famous window. We all did it, and we all took our shot."