Overthinking

Chapter 4

I looked back and forth between the business card and my phone screen, making sure that the name on the card matched the name on the screen. After checking it for the fifteenth time, I finally decided that I had typed in the right letter and accepted what was staring back at me.

'Welcome Lyla,' is what my screen said. I stared at my screen trying to figure out how it knew my name. I never used my real name on any of the websites I visited and I didn't even have an email address either.

I scrolled down the website a little more trying to figure out what this was exactly. I saw a tab that said 'Introduction,' and decided to check it out.

'Welcome Lyla, I'm glad that you are here. I know you're probably wondering what this is but you'll figure it out in good time. One thing you should know before you continue reading is that we mean no harm to you, we only want to help you.

Now, welcome to the Agency of Protection Program, or A.P.P for short. We are specially designed for helping children who are in danger. Now before you say 'I'm not in trouble,' I'm here to tell you that you are. You may not believe me but if you weren't you wouldn't be on this website right now.

There's no need to worry though, we have everything under control. You are being watched over and are completely safe but if you were given this card that means that something had happened that we needed to inform you of our agency. Typically those who we are protecting we don't usually tell them about us because it will cause more harm than good, but in special cases like these, it's necessary to inform you of our presence.

You see, we have been watching over you for many years, specifically since your parents died. We just got word from one of our people that those who killed your parents are now after you for reasons that are still unknown, and have come close enough to you that it has caused us to inform you.

I won't be able to explain everything through this website but I want to leave you with a bit of advice:

Don't trust anyone

If you have any question, feel free to call me from the number on the card. Until then, have a good day.

P.s - once you leave this website, you won't be able to return, for your safety and ours. But we are still watching over you so you'll be safe. Bye now!'

I read through the message once more before closing out of the website and stared at my blank phone. My thoughts were all jumbled, the words from the message playing through my head like a broken record player.

I couldn't stop thinking about everyone I had met previously in my life after my parents had died. How rude and disgusted people had seemed once my parents had died.

'Maybe they were all apart of what happened,' I thought as I could feel my breath becoming heavier, 'Maybe they all knew what happened and me surviving is what makes them hate me, I should be dead.'

I couldn't breathe, I felt like I was drowning despite not being underwater. I couldn't breathe and I couldn't move, I could feel the pressure of my thoughts weighing me down but I couldn't escape.

The sound of gunshots rang in my ears as I continued to think about my parents, the screams of shouts getting louder as I started to get pulled into the darkness.

The darkness was coming in quicker as the sound of screams and gunshots continued to get louder and louder, I felt myself lift my hands to cover my ears in hope that it would block out the noise but it didn't. I could feel myself scream hoping that it would drown out the screams of my dying parents but nothing seemed to help.

I felt myself fall as my already weak knees gave out. The darkness surrounded me as I hit the floor, and on the floor is where I stayed the rest of the night, frozen as the sound of gunshots got impossibly loud....