Enemy Basis | COMPLETE

9| the calm

The day had been a blur, a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. I kept replaying the bathroom encounter, haunted by Maia's words and what it all meant for me. Distracted and lost, I'd instinctively started walking home, bypassing my car.

Was I so oblivious to think I could come to East Bridge and expect civility? Was I naive to believe they were just plain stupid and simple-minded if they weren't nice to me? Because I was beginning to see that there were far more complexities to this situation than I had initially thought and a depth to this conflict that could explain the ingrained animosity between the three parts of town better than me.

Raised in Finchley, I'd been shielded from the full extent of the tension and I had disregarded all the little details. I thought it was all stupid but what if there was a reason for all this hate? As I pondered Maia's pain and Dorran's unforgiving nature, I questioned the roots of their bitter rivalry. What had driven these smart people to such extremes? What had they lost in this endless cycle of hatred?

I yearned for clarity, a way to escape the toxic cycle of thoughts. As I walked, the sky darkened, mirroring my troubled mind. Skies that swirled in a vortex of shades, promising rain and spreading a certain sense of malease. A chill ran down my spine, a realization dawning upon me. I had been stupid.

Here I was, alone and lost in thought, utterly vulnerable. I had a stalker, and I'd completely forgotten. He could have been lurking anywhere, unnoticed, while I was preoccupied with my thoughts of Maia and Dorran. I had rushed straight from school, bypassing the safety of my car to walk home alone.

And was it worth the risk? The stalker had proved to be dangerous and unpredictable. I wasn't sure what he was planning now and what that would mean to me.

Too far now to go back to school and get my car, I didn't turn around and decided to continue on my way. My strides fastened as the apprehension of getting caught by the stalker grew in my limbs like poison. My legs were tense and my heart pitter-pattered in my chest in a controlled manner, ready to work overtime if something were to happen.

The sky above me roared and in the next second, the rain poured down from the clouds above, soaking me in seconds. I sped up even more as the air around me darkened and the day got closer to its end. Usually, I loved the rain and would've stayed out a bit longer to enjoy it but with the underlying threat of the mysterious man, I just wouldn't dare.

Despite the negative sentiment inside me, I turned onto a familiar street and relief like no other spread through my chest as I realised that I was minutes from home and there was still no sight of him. Maybe I'd be lucky.

The hope vanished from my chest just as quickly as it had appeared as I walked through my driveway. A bad feeling spread through me like wildfire and my steps quickened again.

When I got to my front door, I felt an unexplainable urge to look behind me and when I did, I paused.

There he was, the stalker standing on my driveway. There was a swirling cloud of enigma and mystery surrounding him, blending in with the rain that was still pouring on us. He stood proud as if he had no care in the world, as if he wasn't trespassing.

Apprehension gnawed in my gut but I reminded myself that I was home and I was safe. He couldn't do anything. I watched in curiosity, able to analyse him but before I could, his actions caught my eye instead.

He pulled out his phone, looked down at it and then started doing something as if he had completely forgotten about me. Despite his attention elsewhere, my eyes stayed rooted to him and the absurd creepiness of it all.

But when a notification rang out signalling that I had received a text message, I knew why he went on his phone in the first place. How had he got my number and what on earth could he send me?