Behind closed doors

the issue

'I don't know what to make of it,' Corey whispered, her voice trembling. 'Who would send us something like that?" she says as they continue to walk home from school.

Ethan shrugged, his brows furrowed in concern. 'I don't know, but it's not good,' he said. 'We need to be careful.'

They quickened their pace, their eyes darting nervously from side to side. Corey's mind raced as she tried to think of anything they could have possibly done to warrant such a sinister threat.

'Do you think someone's following us?' she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

'I don't know,' Ethan replied, 'but I'm not taking any chances.'

As they continued their walk, the tension in the air grew thicker. They could feel the weight of the unknown pressing down on them, threatening to consume them. Corey's thoughts spiraled out of control, conjuring up images of shadowy figures lurking in the darkness, watching their every move.

Suddenly, they heard a noise behind them. It was a soft thud, almost like someone was trying to follow them without being seen. Corey froze in her tracks, her heart pounding in her chest.

'Ethan,' she whispered, 'I think I heard something.'

Together, they turned cautiously and stared into the dimly lit alleyway that ran alongside the road. Their eyes strained to pierce the shadows, but they could see nothing.

'I don't see anyone,' Ethan said, 'but I think we should just keep walking.'

With renewed fear, they picked up their pace once more. As they approached Corey's house, they could see her mother waiting anxiously on the porch.

'Mom!' Corey cried, running towards her. 'Something's wrong.'

Ethan followed close behind, explaining the situation to Corey's mother. She listened with widening eyes, her lips pursed in concern.

'You two should stay here tonight,' she said. 'I'll call the police and report this.'

As the police car pulled away, Corey and Ethan stood on the porch, watching it disappear into the night. They knew that the danger was far from over, but for now, they had found refuge in each other's company.

Later in the night when they were sitting in corey's room trying to piece together who the sick messages could have been from they get a strange feeling, the same feeling that they had earlier.

She flinches as her phone vibrates on the nightstand, causing her to freeze up immediately.

'It's him,' Corey murmured, her voice trembling.

Ethan's jaw clenched. 'We need to call the police.'

But as they reached for their phones, the menacing voice returned, its tone laced with cold mockery. 'Oh, the police can't protect you now.'

Frozen with terror, Corey and Ethan felt their hopes dwindle. The stalker knew their every move, their every secret.
"We have to fight back," he said, his voice steely. 'We can't let him control us.'

Corey's eyes widened in disbelief. 'But how?' she whispered.

neither of them knew.