Crevasse.

Chapter 1

A/N :- Criticism is appreciated. Hope you all enjoy!

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“I’ll be right there.” My mind reeled as I snapped my cellphone shut, trying to wrap my mind around what Ava had just told me. My knees buckled and I slumped onto the floor. I looked out of my window into the night. As I heard the branches of the apple tree scraping against my window like fingernails on a chalkboard in the storm outside, I looked at the text which Ava had sent me. The one because of which I’d just called her. I jumped up and grabbed my jacket and keys. As I ran past Lucas’s bedroom, I remembered that Ava had told me to bring him too. I banged my fists on his closed door yelling at him to meet us in the woods. He yelled back that he’d be a few minutes.

I sped down the stairs and slammed the door behind me. The lightning threw shadows everywhere. For a moment I thought I saw something or somebody behind my apple tree but when the next bolt of lightening lit the sky up in a bright cardinal red, I saw nothing. I jumped into my car and gunned it towards the woods, running at least three red lights and running over a skunk. I think. Approaching the woods I saw the dark shadow that I was sure was Isaac. Tires squealing, I braked and jumped out of the car, yanking the keys out of the ignition. Pushing my aching arms through the armholes of my jacket, I grabbed my flashlight and a crowbar from the trunk. “Isaac?” I called. No one answered. Maybe it was just the trees, I thought. Or not.

I knew about the stalker. Everyone did. The stalker was possibly the most interesting thing that had ever happened in our little town. I also happened to know that the stalker was also a killer. Why? Because my friend had just been murdered. And we thought she was being paranoid when she called us up last night, telling us she was gonna die. I knew it was him. And I knew I was next. I just knew it.

As I shut the trunk, I felt the same pair of eyes following every move of mine. Feeling that same chill creeping down my spine, I spun around and charged into the woods in the direction Ava had told me to meet them. I heard nothing but my own heartbeat as I thundered through the woods, too scared to even stop. I kept thinking I saw the mean glint of eyes as I rushed passed each tree. He was following me, haunting me. He wanted something.

I squeezed my eyes shut and continued running till I bumped into something. I screamed as something caught my hands and yelled at me to shut up. It was Lucas. “Oh my God Chloe what the hell is wrong with you?” He yelled at me. I squeaked and collapsed onto the bed of decayed leaves that made up the forest ground. “Emily… She’s, she’s dead. Murdered. Someone pushed her off the cliff last night and set her body on fire. Ava just told me.” Lucas just blinked. Then I grabbed his hand and ran, calling for Ava.

Running towards the ramshackle house that looked as if it was out of a movie set, I spotted Ava. She was standing next to the well near the house. The one that had been boarded up because it was too dangerous. She turned her face towards me, mascara running down her usually perfectly made up face. She pointed in the direction of the cliff, “I went down to the beach below the cliff, ya know, because I needed some time alone. And I saw her…on flames ..like someone had just set her alight..” Lucas stepped forward and just hugged her. Its kinda gross when your brother and best friend are dating.

“Did you tell Isaac?” She looked at me from between my brother’s arms. “Isaac? Yeah he came as soon as I called him. He’s down at the beach.” Fighting my instincts that were telling me to run, I pulled my jacket closer to me and tightened my grip on the crowbar. I walked to the cliff and climbed down to the beach. Isaac was standing near the water, facing away. I walked to him and just looked at him. The moon managed to bring out the flecks of honey in his brown eyes as the bonfire erupted behind him. “You okay, Isaac?” I asked. He nodded and pulled me in for a hug. After a minute or two we heard Lucas and Ava walking up to us. As I turned to walk towards Emily’s pyre, I thought I saw a shadow in the woods beyond, a pair of eyes. He was still there. He was watching me. And he was probably laughing at the pain that was twisting in my heart like the tines of a fork.

I tried to ignore that, and the slight movement in the bushes, as I kneeled down a little distance from the flames. I looked back into the bushes, tears pooling in my eyes. Are you happy now, you ruthless, psychotic murderer?

I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up. It was Isaac. Ava turned and threw up behind a boulder, and I choked on the smell of burning human flesh. Ava ran to the water and sat down, pulling her scarf and jacket off, as she tried to control her sobs. I felt glued to the sand beneath my feet as I stared at the flaming heap. Lucas had gone and tried to comfort Ava and she was weeping into his chest. And even though Isaac was standing right next to me, I never felt more alone in my life.

“Chloe?” I turned to Isaac, my tears making him all but invisible. He looked at me with those soft brown eyes, “We have got to get outta here before they notice the smoke and come looking.” I nodded. He grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the others. I looked at my brother and my best friend, fear for their lives coloring my heart. And then I looked at Isaac. The boy who had changed me. But he didn’t know that. He didn’t know anything. As we hurried away from the beach and started the climb to the top of the cliff, I turned back. I’m so sorry Emily. It was all my fault.

Back at home, I looked out of my window. My stomach was in knots and I had thrown up everything Isaac had tried to get me to eat. Ava was with Lucas in his room and Isaac was slumped on the couch in my room.

Shadows under my tree, Emily being pushed off the cliff, a menacing laugh, a pair of hungry eyes… hungry for blood… my blood. Two hands closed around my neck, chocking me, the way they had probably choked Emily.

Isaac was kneeling next to me as I opened my eyes, gasping for breath. “Are you okay? I got up around 3 a.m. and you weren’t here and then when I woke up again, you were sprawled on the floor crying… are you…?” “I’m fine…”

I sat up; my head spinning as memories of the last night came rushing back to me, almost hitting me in my face. I smiled at Isaac, stood up and looked out the window. The sky was still gray and the clouds still hung low. A perfect day for the stalker.