i hired a hitman on myself // joshler [✓]

XV

for some unknown reason, i ended up waking up, clearly still exhausted from a lack of well-needed sleep.

i immediately noticed that the lights i had left on before going to bed were turned off, my phone that was on my night stand was now at the foot of my bed.

again, i was still dazed in my tiredness, so i wasn't entirely freaked out like i should've been. instead i just say up, and stretched, letting out a small yawn during the process.

i assumed ashley heard me, as she immediately spoke up after i was finished stretching,
"josh, is that you?" she asked, in a rather concerned voice.

"yeah?" i rubbed my eyes in an attempt to clear my vision, "why?" i wondered, but there was already a weird feeling that was embedded into the pit of my stomach.

"was that you before?" she questioned me, now sounding even more uneasy with the words she spoke.

"was what me before?" i questioned her back, as i got up to turn on the lights so it wasn't so dark in the room.

ashley went silent for a minute, but then responded with a simple, "never mind then." i walked back over to my bed and stood next to where the phone was laying.

"what happened while i was asleep?" i was now really curious and anxious to know, as it was clear that i wasn't alone in my room when i was unconscious.

ashley finally explained, "i don't know... but i thought i heard someone walk in and then i heard something-- maybe it was your bag, being unzipped. then i heard another door open and close and then that was it."

"how'd you know it wasn't me?" i wondered, squinting my eyes down at the phone as if she could see me.

she sighed, "because when i called your name, i heard someone laugh for like a split second, and i know it wasn't your voice."

my body went cold, shivers ran up and down my spine and they covered the rest of my skin like a blanket, expect it wasn't a warm and comforting feeling, i was cold and lifeless where i stood.

"when i woke up," i breathed a shaky breath, "the lights were turned off and the phone was moved. someone was in the room."

ashley mumbled breathlessly, "fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck." she was clearly shaken up, but i honestly didn't know how to react. i was scared, confused, uncomfortable, and pretty much every other synonym for "terrified".

"was it him?" i quickly asked her, "did tyler get into my room?" it was clear that i was in a state of panic, as i wanted to know just what was going on.

"he's smarter than i thought," i heard ashley conclude while she typed on the keyboard, "he wanted to make sure you knew he was there while messing with his tracking device signal to throw me off."

this was a lot of information to process, but something still bothered me about this whole scenario,

"if he came into my room and saw me sleeping," confusion rained in my voice, "then why didn't he just kill me right then and there?"

"i think he knows he's part of a game," ashley deduced, "but now he wants to play, too."