Saccharine

Chapter 8: You're a real shitty stalker

Time Skip A few days later

Coming back to the apartment was a sad reunion. It was colder and darker then when she first left it. There were hardly any signs of life, hardly any signs of the peace it once held. The air was much heavier. The quiet was ghostly. Eryn half expected Mel to burst through the front door, with her usual cheerful aura. When Mel died she took the cheer.

 Eryn would spend little time in the lonely apartment. She could hardly find any semblance of comfort if she lingered for too long. No, the space was used only to replenish her needs. She slept little hours of the night and fed herself whatever meal she could get down in the morning; neglecting to feed herself until the cycle began again the next morning. After a shower she would return to work, where she could hardly keep up with what was expected of her.

She was pale, almost to an unhealthy extent. She had almost all together given up on making herself presentable, her hair done up in some sort of messy bun or ponytail, her shirts loose and untucked, her makeup not even considered. Eryn was an obvious wreck, though she kept her spirits up in some way. 

 After work, there were a thousand places she could be before returning home. A thousand errands to run. During these errands, Eryn couldn't help but feel almost watched. She was constantly looking over her shoulder, constantly questioning her sanity. 

And he was everywhere.

It was the creep. It was always him. Lingering too long by a bus stop, watching her drive by. Behind her at every cash register, at every bank, at every stop she would convince herself to make. He was always there with the same stupid smirk and mischief filled eyes. He always knew where she would be. Eryn had confronted him here and there, accusing him of following her.

 "It's a big city babe." He would tell her in the same smug tone. Oh he knew what he was doing.

"Don't call me babe and stop following me." She would tell him. She would refuse his sly smoothness. She would refuse excuses. He was becoming a problem.

 Running into him at work was her last straw. She dragged him out of the building by the collar, blood boiling. She made her way into an empty stairwell. He seemed almost pleased by her response. "Who the hell are you?" She asked with a finger jab to his chest. "Who do you work for huh?" His hand caught hers harshly before her second jab. His eyes were cold and his demeanor was out of character. He held her hand, almost crushing it. "I think you know who I am." He replied. "You're a real shitty stalker, that's who you are. I'm done with whatever silly game you think you're playing."

A grin crept to his face, he yanked her forward, his head diving to her ear. "That's where you're wrong Eryn, see, this silly," A small section of skin on her hand started to bruise, "little game only ends when I want it to." He let go of her hand, watching her wince with pride. Her wrist was sploched with purple and red. His grip was hard, but the bruise resembled a most violent act, as if she had slammed it into a brick wall. "Did.....did you do this?" Her voice cracked with confused fear. He nodded. Eryn took a step back.

 If realization was a truck it would have hit her into next year. She felt herself wanting to sink into the concrete. "Mel....You did this to her. Why?" She was shaking now. To be standing in front of a killer was the last thing Eryn thought she would ever be doing. She shook harder as the thought truly set in. "Why?" She shouted. Another sick grin. "You let someone take you away, so I took someone away from you. It's all payback you see." her knees buckled.

"What do you want from me? Why did you have to kill her?" She quivered. "Oh my god you cant be that dumb. I wanted you." He spat. "SO YOU KILLED HER?" Eryn spat back, her voice echoing. "You have NO excuse for MURDER." "AND YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE FOR IGNORING ME!"

He continued, ranting with an insane glimmer in his eye. "Can't you see I did this for YOU, for us! You spend so much time with her! Why can't you spend it with me? Why won't you give in? Let me just-" 

 Eryn began to walk away, down the stairs. "No, you need help, this is absolutely demented." "If you tell anyone, I. WIll, kill someone else. Maybe that guy you were with at that party?" Eryn froze.

She turned, an amused smile plastered on her face. "You can try. Oh I would looooove to see you try." "You think you could protect your little boyfriend. Eryn's laugh sent the man chills. "No, I don't need to try. I don't need to do anything at all. Honestly it would be easier to let him handle you, but seeing as though I don't want the city destroyed, I think I'll let the authorities handle you instead." 

 "Fine! Lock me away! Throw away the key! I'll still find a way to make you mine! You are Mine!" He called after her.

Eryn wasted no time in getting the hell out of there. She ran to her car, forgetting her job all together,

 She knew what she needed to do.