Insomnia

10 | Confrontation

LEILANI

My week is about to get a whole lot more nightmarish.

And it just started.

With Lola nestled in my arms, I storm into the staff room, ignoring the concerned glances my coworkers throw my way.

As soon as I spot Chloe casually sipping coffee at the table with her bright eyes glued to the small TV on the wall, I make a beeline for her.

My hands are trembling as I set the kitten down and start rummaging through my tote bag like a madwoman.

"Lei?" Chloe turns to face me, confusion etched onto her face.

Without saying a word, I slam the stack of post-it notes down onto the table. The force makes her shriek and nearly spill her coffee, "Flipping hell, Lei! Are you possessed? Do I need to call an exorcist?"

"I don't need an exorcist, I need the police! Look at this, Chloe!" I exclaim, motioning to the notes, "I found these stuck to my fridge last night. That means some nutcase literally broke into my house!"

She picks up one of the notes, her brows knitting together as she reads aloud, "'I'm watching you.'" I can see the discomfort creeping onto her face, "That's... kind of creepy."

"You think?" I scoff, but then my panic intensifies. "Do you think it could be because I blocked Matias? I mean, it's weird, right? The notes started showing up right after I blocked him!"

She shakes her head. "So, you block the guy and suddenly you've got a sticky note stalker? Honestly, this kind of thing could only happen to you, Lei."

I huff as my shoulders deflate. "I don't know what to do! What if it's not Matias? What if it's—" I trail off, my voice trembling as I swallow hard.

Her eyes widen, and she seems to instantly catch onto who I mean. "No, it can't be him, Lei. He's been in jail."

"I hope it stays that way." I mutter, anxiously nibbling on my bottom lip.

It's been a peaceful two years since he-who-shall-not-be-named was arrested. I really, really hope he hasn't come back to ruin my life.

The thought alone makes me shudder.

Chloe's gaze snaps back to the TV and she stiffens. "Hold on, am I going crazy, or does that look alot like our old coworker Griffin?"

I turn to the screen, frowning at the breaking news segment.

The man on screen indeed has an uncanny resemblance to Griffin, and the headline reads: 25-Year-Old Man found dead in Atlanta. The image of the body is enough to make my stomach churn—the word 'Phantom' is branded on his bloody forehead, and millions of cigarette burns blemish his face.

"Aleksander Volkov," Chloe whispers, turning to me. "He looks exactly like Griffin. And Griffin mentioned moving to Atlanta before he stormed off. Now this doppelgänger Aleksander guy shows up dead? Weird, much."

I tear my eyes away from the screen, feeling my stomach twist into knots. "I... need some fresh air."

Without waiting for Chloe's response, I bolt from the staff room and push open the door to the alleyway behind the café, gasping for breath as the cool air hits my face, though it does little to calm the storm swirling in my mind.

Okay, Lei, get it together. Breathe.

I rub my temples, trying to soothe the headache building behind my eyes. What have I just witnessed? Why did I have to see that?