Damaged

Dive

Dark. Pitch black interrupted irregularly by lightning flashes. Olivia stood in the middle of her kitchen. Except, it wasn't her kitchen? She furrowed her brows – dark green countertops? Bar stools instead of a kitchen table? It looked like her apartment from her college days. She shook her head – why was she here? She hadn't lived in her apartment for two years. She'd moved out when she was twenty, a month before they...arrested Edison. She frowned. It couldn't be...

Ding. Ding.

Taking a shaky breath, she looked down at her phone lying on the counter. That wasn't right. She didn't have a phone. Not anymore. Slowly, she reached for the small object, unlocking the screen and hitting the messages app. She dropped the phone when she read the text.

Visiting Second Street today? It would be a shame if Dr. Rosan's files were sent to your boyfriend. What would he say?

She wiped her hands furiously on her leggings, trying to rub away the sweat that had gathered on them. The caller id had said 'unknown', but she knew who it was. Her stalker...Edison. How did she know that? She hadn't known he was her stalker until she had already left this apartment and moved back in with her parents. Her heart beat faster in her chest. He knew where she had been? Fitz couldn't find out. That had been the gist of the majority of the threats she had received lately. Ever since Halloween – constantly threats to tell Fitz her secret. A secret she wasn't ready to share.

Boom.

The loud crack of lightning barely covered the sound of her door swinging inward, smacking against the wall. The muted thump was all Olivia heard, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin as a loud scream tore from her throat. Shaking, she crept to the edge of the doorway, sticking her head around the open entranceway and staring down the hall. All the lights were turned off, leaving only the quick flashes of lightning to see by. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw her door standing wide open, the lock busted. Another flash of lightning illuminated her apartment and she gasped at the sight of a dark figure entering her bedroom.

Holding her breath, she took one step into the hallway, stepping lightly in an effort to cut down the noise. She kept her eyes glued to her bedroom door. Creeping down the hall, she silently prayed that whomever had entered her apartment would stay in her room until she had managed to leave the room. She broke out into a sweat the closer she got to the open door and felt her heart beat even faster, making a steady pounding rhythm in her chest. Reaching the end of the hall, she had one foot nearly out the doorway when –

Beep. Beep. Beep.

"Ugh," Olivia groaned, slamming her fist on the alarm clock. She sat up, untwisting the sheets from her legs, and rubbed her eyes. That dream had been brutal. Stretching, she swung her legs over the bed and planted her feet on the floor. She wearily padded to her bathroom, turning the water faucet on and brushing her teeth. The minty taste of her toothpaste helped chase away the last remnant of sleep. Once she was finished with her teeth, she brushed her hair and pulled it back before heading to her room and pulling a pair of leggings and a tank top on.

Rushing down the stairs, Olivia stopped by the back door, quickly lacing a pair of sneakers. She looked around as she reached for the doorknob, her breathing pace picking up. She didn't like going out – in fact, she avoided it most of the time. Being outside of her home terrified her. But she missed running and she needed to go for a run after that dream. Her heart pounding, she twisted the doorknob and pulled the door open, stepping outside. The warm breeze and early morning sun felt good against her skin. She tilted her head to the side when she saw her father's car still parked in the driveway. Didn't he have a soccer practice to be at?