While working on a photo shoot for the student newspaper, Ethan noticed a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye. A shadowy figure, disappearing behind a set of bookshelves. He followed the figure, his heart pounding.
He found himself in a small, forgotten storage room, dusty and stale smelling. The collage, similar to the one in the darkroom, was pinned to the wall. Underneath it, a half-eaten sandwich sat on a makeshift table.
Ethan's breath hitched. He recognized the sandwich. It was the one Corey had brought for lunch that day.
He crept closer, his eyes scanning the room. There, hidden behind some old textbooks, he found a small, worn leather journal. It was filled with detailed entries, interspersed with more photos of Corey and Ethan. The writer of the journal, whoever they were, was obsessed with them, documenting their every move, their every interaction.
Ethan's stomach churned. This wasn't just a harmless infatuation. This was a dangerous obsession.
He read on, the words in the journal chilling him to the bone. The writer wanted more than just photos. They wanted to be a part of their lives, to feel the joy and happiness they shared. They were prepared to do anything to achieve that.
Ethan slipped the journal into his pocket and raced back to the darkroom, where Corey was still working.
'Corey?' he called out softly.
She turned slowly, her eyes wide with surprise. 'Ethan? What are you doing here so late?'
'I need to show you something,' Ethan said, his voice trembling. He held out the journal towards her.
Corey's eyes widened as she took it. She flipped through the pages, her expression a mixture of fear and disbelief.
"where'd you find this?" she asks, still flipping through the pages,
"i-in the library i don't know i heard a noise-" he stammers causing her to pause and look up at him.
"you mean you heard the person that could be doing this?" she says looking at him with an intense gaze.
"i mean...i don't know maybe?..." he says, not the biggest fan of the thought.
Before she can say anything else she gets a text from a random number, she opens it hesitantly and her eyes widen when she sees what it is.
"what? what is it-" he says, taking her phone to look at the message.
He sees a picture of them on a wall, their eyes cut out with a ominous message below
"this is just getting started."
the text reads, causing her to freeze in confusion and fear, who could this be? and why were they so insistent on ruining their lives.
"we gotta get out of here-" corey says, quickly grabbing the camera and her bag.
"what why?-" he says,
"because we don't know if this person is watching us right now-" she says, her voice desperate and worried as she storms out of the darkroom.
"jesus christ-" he says, grabbing his bag and following her, he knows this isn't a one time thing now and they have to figure out who this person is.
their lives might depend on it.
YOU ARE READING
Behind closed doors
Mystery / Thriller"In love, there's a thin line between adoration and possession."
