Haunted

XX

I was running down a dark alleyway that didn't seem to end. I couldn't see what I was running from, but I knew it was something horrible. I tried to look behind me at the person chasing me, but I tripped over a crack in the sidewalk. I glanced up and got a quick view of the daunting mask I had glimpsed in the car that had tried to run down Cade. The mask Jeanine had described to me. The mask that the serial killer wore.

I woke up with a start, breathing heavily and with a throat sore. I must've been screaming.

"Raven?"

It was Grace at the door to my room with concerned and tired eyes. If I'd been screaming, she probably heard. For all she knew, I was being murdered or something.

"Are you alright, honey?"

I nodded and brushed my jet black hair away from my face. I found it was sticking to my skin because of the sweat. I'd never had a dream that horribly vivid before.

"Are you sure?" she asked, hanging by the door.

"Yeah," I assured her, "it was just a dream. Did I wake up dad?"

She shook her head. "No, he's not here right now. He left early for the office today. Do you want some milk or water?"

"No, I'm good."

Grace hovered by the door before softly shutting it closed. I put my aching head in my hands and sighed. Grace knew something was up, but there was no way she was going to ask about it. So, she did what Grace did best, offer me comfort and food. I was only too shaken up to accept it though.

Your dreams are supposed to be a window into your inner most thoughts. Well, if they are, my thoughts wouldn't be too hard to decipher. I was extremely scared of this killer who haunted my every waking moment.

I wiped more hair out of my face and put my feet on the cold hardwood floor. I looked at the clock and it was barely five in the morning. I should go back to sleep, but I knew I wouldn't be able to. I barely got to sleep the first time, twisting and turning for hours before I could finally fall. And if I wasn't going to sleep, I was going to devote my time to the very thing that caused my sleeplessness.

I needed coffee.

*

*

*

Going into town at five thirty in the morning was not one of my brightest ideas, I admit, but it did help. Thankfully, the coffee shop did turn out to be open at the early hours of the morning, so I got my taste of rich coffee when I needed it.

I sat outside, even though it was extremely cold. The mountain air was particularly crisp when it was still dark outside. The lone barista at the shop must've thought I was crazy for wanting the freezing air, but it helped to clear my mind. That and the warm coffee in my hands.

I took another sip and stared out into the street, pulling my jacket closer to me. No matter how much I tried, the masked face of the killer wouldn't leave my mind.

And that's when I noticed a figure across the street, walking down the sidewalk. I was confused for a second because I was one of the only people up at the time. At first glance my sleep deprived mind confused them for the killer, but when my eyes focused on him, they brightened. I pushed my chair back and ran across the street, catching up to the teen.

"Hey, there."

AJ gave me a weird look. "Um, hey?"

I smiled. "I'm Raven, the new girl. Remember me?"