Stalker

Chapter five~ Hide and Seek

The bright light is what wakes me up. I stretch, and slowly sit up. Jennifer, who fell asleep with me late last night, sleeps soundly next to me.

"Morning, sleepyhead." I look back into the kitchen towards Anne, who was drinking a cup of coffee and leaning against the counter.

"Mornin." I try my best not to wake up Jennifer while I stand up. "Shouldn't you be at work?" I look at the oven, checking the time.

"I should, but I can't while you're here." She pushes herself off of the counter and pours me a cup of the steaming drink. "Could you watch Jennifer for me? Rem is already at school."

I nod as I walk into the kitchen. I take the cup that Anne offers me and sip it slowly. "Yeah," I look back to the couch with a smile, "I will."

~

Jennifer pulls me to the couch and turns on her favorite movie, Beauty and the Beast.

I smile at how much she enjoys the movie. I've never seen a child so interested in a show like this.

"Zach?" She looks up towards me.

"Hm?" I look down at her.

"I don't know why, but..." Her voice shakes, "I feel like there's something wrong..."

"Like what?" Worry and panic makes my heart race.

"I feel like..." She pauses, trying to find the right words, "like we're being watched..."

I set my jaw and look around carefully. "Jennifer..." My voice is low. "Go to your room and hide under your bed." I stand up and pull our my nub-nosed revolver from my pocket.

"But... Why...?" She looks to me with worry.

"Just listen to me..." I pull her to her feet and push her away.

"Zachy, I'm scared."

I kneel down and look into her terrified eyes, "lets play hide and seek, okay? You go hide, and I will go looking for you."

Understanding fills her eyes and she runs down the hall.

I hold the revolver tightly as I stalk to the door. Everything races through my head. I don't know what to expect.

Before I reach it, it slowly creaks open and on the other side, a voice whispers, "knock, knock." The voice is that of an enthusiastic teenage boy.

I slip into a nearby closet, not wanting to be seen. Quietly, I pull the hammer back on the pistol.

"Someone is going to sleep today," the voice continues. "It's either going to be you, Zach, or the little girl."

I peek through the slightly open door. A boy with darker than black hair and pale skin walks into the house. He wears a pair of black slacks and a white, blood-stained hoodie. In his right hand he holds an old kitchen knife with dried bloodstains.

Jeff smiles and looks directly at me with his unblinking eyes and forever smile, "go to sleep, Zach."