A/N: A while ago I uploaded the fanfic If You Love Me Let Me Go and while I was going through my fanfics and other stuff I've written I found the first version I ever did of the first chapter! I didn't end up using it because it just wasn't what I was going for, but I still thought it would be interesting to post it cause I like it? Kinda? Anyways, go read If You Love Me Let Me Go if you haven't yet, it's one of my favorite things I've ever written <3
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Don't Scream
It was a particularly late night when I got home from work one day, but I wasn't exhausted. I loved my job, I was filled with complacency when I put down my bags on the floor of the dark hallway in my mansion. My mansion - my dream come true. Or more, the thing, object, that proved that I had reached all I ever wanted in my life.
Music has always been one of my biggest passions in life, so when I was sixteen I started performing in clubs and singing at small events, bumping up my pocket money until one day, unexpectedly, a call from an unknown number changed my life forever.
All of a sudden I was signed at RCA at the age of 18, full of dreams and hopes that, all of a sudden, seemed to be reality.
And they were. I had the greatest job in the world, making a difference, having so much impact on so many young people in the whole wide world. I was living my dream, singing for thousands of people on sold out tours, making music and earning money to support myself.
Overall, I would say I had a great life. Sure, nothing could ever be perfect, but I didn't even dare to complain. I knew how fortunate I was, so I just accepted it, trying not to think about the meds and the regular therapy appointments.
Today, I wrote a new song that would surely be a success. I'd put so much effort into writing the lyrics, editing and re-editing for a total of two months and today, I had the final result. Tomorrow I would record it, my friend Ben and I already tested the general outcome on a grand piano but tomorrow I would finally hear the finished product and I could not be more excited.
I didn't bother to switch on the light in the hallway, it was dark, but I could find my way to the living room easily. But before I let myself relax on the couch, I detoured into the kitchen to get a glass and a bottle of wine. When I sat down and made myself comfortable, sinking into the soft pillows on the light gray sofa, putting the fluffiest blanket on my lap and took out my phone. Maybe I had a few messages from Tinder?
For a couple of months now I have been trying to find love but my searching seemed to be futile. There were no cute boys anywhere, not when I went for my daily morning run to Starbucks around the corner, not when I went for a walk in the park, not on the internet. The only guys I craved could be found in movies or on TV, like Evan Peters for instance. But guys like that were out of my league.
I groaned when I read the first message on Tinder. To avoid any weirdness, I made my username kissyboy and not mitchgrassi or anything similar to my actual name, but somehow people always found out.
mcmg724: OMG are you the real Mitch Grassi?????
That in itself wasn't a bad thing, I loved when people were happy to interact with me, but it was always a disappointment when you were expecting a nice guy to ask you out and opening the app to find this. I was desperate for love, could you blame me? I haven't gotten some in months.
chrismarin26: Hi, I'm a new upcoming artist and I was wondering if you'd like to listen to some of my music to help me out?
I sighed. Don't get me wrong, I would gladly help, just not under these circumstances. I'd made a Tinder account to meet cute boys who weren't into the fact that I was famous, or the fact that I had the necessary contacts to help them become famous. You couldn't be a saint, and you couldn't make everyone happy, and that was what I needed to remember. I poured some wine into my glass, sipping on the sweet, red drink. It tasted good, and it was exactly what I needed.
I decided to give up on the dating app for tonight, instead indulging in a movie so I turned on the TV. Maybe Evan Peters would appear on the screen, making my evening a bit better. And indeed - the latest episode of American Horror Story had just started, so I lay back against the soft cushion, wine glass in my hand, waiting for my love to appear.
***
I woke up a few hours later, disoriented, but alert. What was that sound that I'd heard? A rustling, ruffling- In that moment, I heard it again, closer this time. Or maybe it seemed closer because I was awake now. Was someone in the house?
"Hello?" I shouted into the halls, not standing up from my safe spot on the couch. "Is someone here?" Maybe the maid came back because she forgot something. I tried calling her name. "Carissa? Is that you?"
No answer came, and I could feel the cold, hostile energy waving over me. There was something wrong, I could tell. I was scared to get up from my sofa, but I knew I had to somehow get to the kitchen to grab a knife, or any kind of sharp object that I could use as a weapon. Not once have I regretted more that I was the least sporty type and did not own a baseball bat. I could use it now.
Finally, after there was no sound for a few minutes I ventured to take a step towards the kitchen. I was slowly tiptoeing, but after only a few seconds I shook my head to myself, sprinting into the kitchen as fast as I could. Damn it, I should've turned on the light when I came home tonight. My breath was going fast and my heart was hammering against my ribcage wildly, my palms sweating as I rummaged through the drawers, grabbing the first knife that fell into my hand.
"Hello?" I shouted again with a shaky voice. It was stupid, I knew that after watching way too many episodes of American Horror Story, but what else was I supposed to do? I wasn't even sure there was anyone. Maybe it was just the wind. I just had to make sure there was no one in here, and I surely wasn't going to sleep while an intruder was possibly in my house, my only safe place on earth.
Okay, Mitch, I told myself. Take a deep breath, calm down, it was probably nothing and you're just paranoid. You had wine before you fell asleep. Everything's fine and safe. No one could pass the security system. Well, no one unless-
I screamed as someone grabbed me from behind, putting a hand over my mouth to silence me. I dropped the knife on the floor, the loud sound making me look down and realize it'd ruined a piece of the marble tiles, but that was the least of my worries right now. I did whatever came to my mind first and fought. I rammed my elbow into the person's stomach, making them groan but not let go of me. My muffled screams echoed in the large mansion, but no one would ever hear me. I lived alone. I continued stabbing the person with all strength that I had left, but they didn't let me go. Not even once did the intruder loosen their grip on my mouth, or around my body. I was trapped, and this was the end of it.
"Don't scream," he, it was a deep, male voice, growled into my ear, giving me goose bumps. "Scream and I won't hesitate to kill you."
