Masquerade - The Complete First Novel

- 14 -

(Dakota)

I sat in the darkness, letting the paranoia consume me fully like it has done many times in my past. I started off into the black blanket of my living room and wondered what creatures could lurk there, waiting for me to close my eyes. To take me.

The knock on the door startled me as I looked at Anastasia's spot, where she would look out and tell me when to go. But I'm on my own now, and I don't have Anastasia to tell me when to open the door. I tucked my knees into my stomach and picked up my phone to respond to the buzzing. The number that has texted me was unknown, and the text chilled me. Open the door, I don't bite. I looked up at my door in horror as the person who texted me could possibly be the one outside. But how did they get my number? I always make sure my number or any important information is not out in the open. So how did they get my number? Unless...

I race to the door and swing it open, "Ana?" But her smug look was not there, it was instead replaced with something far more different. Darkness. Just the dark of the night, and a note hanging from a string above me. I placed my fingers on the note, ripping the string off of the ceiling of my porch.

What to find Clementine Foster? Then do exactly what I say. Anastasia Varvara Kuznetsov, the daughter of a Russian gang lord, she sleeps where Clementine Foster used too. And so does something else in there, a small prize that is waiting to be discovered. Can you find it?

I read through it again. How do they know about Ana's father? And her middle name for that matter. She never tells anyone her middle name. I walk over to her room, reading it over and over again. I looked up throughout the guest room. So this is where Clem used to sleep? I read it again. ' And so does something else in there, is a small prize that will be waiting to be discovered. Can you find it?' I looked around the room, placing the note on the dresser. I knelt down on my hands and knees and started to look under the bed. Ana's suitcases were placed there, and I pulled them out. I opened one case after the other, throwing her belongings all over the floor. Nothing. I then moved to the drawers, throwing the clothes onto the floor. Nothing. I went through the nightstand, I broke the mirror, I ripped open the mattress. But still nothing. I sat on the pillow of clothes, with my hands intertwined in my hair. I looked up around the trashed room, noticing something. A small vent plastered to the wall. I ran up to it, falling to the floor. I tried to pry the vent open with my nails but to no avail. I raced to the kitchen, grabbing a long knife.

I stuck the knife into the vent and started to pull. The vent started to slowly move closer to me as it wasn't screwed on tight. I put the knife down. Unscrewing the screws with my hands. The top screws fell to my knees and the vent door swung open. I reached inside to find something peculiar. A pill bottle. The words on the bottle read Xanax, but the names were scratched out. I opened the bottle to discover the long strip what read 'Xanax' and a big two on the back. I placed the pills back in the bottle and took it to the kitchen. I placed it on the counter, as I sat on one of the bar stools.

Another knock rang in my ears as my head snapped to the door. This time, I opened the door with caution, seeing another note hang on a string from my ceiling. Again, I ripped it off and closed the door, reading it.

Congratulations! You found it. Know what it means? This is where I leave you, but don't worry. I'm closer than you believe. Study these next words carefully, I am not the enemy but I am not friendly either.

Are they closer than I believe? I start to look around my house, studying the dark corners. I look back at the note and remember the last sentence they asked me to study, 'I am not the enemy but I am not friendly'. What does that even mean? I place the note with the other one on the table, examining the pill bottle again. Did they put that there? Did they buy these? Questions filled my mind as I could hear a car park in front of my house. Is that them? I run to the window to see Ana hoping out of her car. My eyes widened and I looked back at the pill bottle. In a quick motion, I threw the bottle in one of the cabinets, along with the notes. I ran to the couch, turning on a random TV show on the TV as Ana opened the door.

"Is this what you have been doing?" I look up at her, seeing a confused look on her face. I nodded. "I just came to grab my stuff." Her room. I looked back as she walked down the hallway to her bedroom door. I tried to force words out of my mouth but they wouldn't reach my lips. "What did you do!" She peeked in through the door frame to see my mess. She fast walked back to me, standing in front of the TV. "Did you go through my stuff?" I lowered my head, scared to tell her about the notes. Knowing she wouldn't believe me. Knowing she wouldn't care. I made a slow nod. "Oh my god! I'm leaving, you are insane!" She started to walk back to her room as I could hear the ruckus that she was making as she began to clean up her belongings that I threw to ground by the command of a stranger. She walked back with her suitcases and a big bag stuffed with the rest. She started to head towards the door, opening it. She looked back at me, with a dangerous look in her eyes. "You are obsessed! I don't even know who you are anymore." She slammed the door behind her, knocking over a small vase with a flower in it to the ground.

Again, I sat there. Alone. That was the first time I was afraid of Anastasia. I feared I would feel that feeling again in the future.