S T A L K E R

7

      I'm holding Carter so much closer than usual. He senses something is different but doesn't make a move to do anything about it. I'm outside the office right now but I can't help looking over my shoulder. It's scary how paranoid I've been since I've seen that note. Every person that passes me is a potential suspect. I dogged a group of tourists who were passing me with phones out- it's gotten that bad. Carter's face is constantly tucked into my neck. I don't want anyone to know his face. I go inside the enormous brick building . Every step I takes causes me to breath harder. Everyone's looking at me I'm sure of it. I stop at the receptionists desk. She smiles confused at me probably wondering why I have a child with me right now.

"Good morning, how may I help you?" She tries to keep at Carter who raises his head at the foreign  voice but I move him back to me. I can't be safe trusting of anyone right now.

"Azaelia Woods, I'm the new temporary partner I'm here to sort out my desk. I clutch my bag pack on my shoulder and pull up the heavy load. She stares apprehensively at me. She's here from time to time and has seen my face but it's nothing that would cause her to just let me by.

"I'll have to look first. Ever since the former CEO passed, security is checking for everyone leaving and entering." She begins to type in my name and once she does I'm free to go. I know Carter is curious about everything he's seeing now, I've never taken him to work with me before so of course he's curious about the new place he's in.

    I'm on my floor now just like I told the woman and I see an assistant standing with a box of my belongings . I never relocated to my new office yesterday so now I have to hurry before my appointment with the new lawyer. She says good morning and offers me a cup of coffee but right now I can do without the caffeine making me even more nervous and fidgety.

       We're on the second highest floor. The view up here is impeccable. Against my better judgement I turn carter to the window and let him see the busy town and open harbor in the distance . He smiles and taps his hands on the glass with excitement. I like when he's this carefree. I'm led further down the hall until we're at the corner of the building. A huge glass door is in front of us with my name on the glass in perfect  black fonts. I can't see inside so I'm glad it'll be like the one I was in yesterday. She steps aside and let's me open the door with my fingerprint. We had to give up our biometrics for security reasons. At first I was creeped out because I'm a stickler for discovery ID stories and thought someone would fuck me over and leave my prints at the scene of a crime but  for the past few years I've been employed nothing like that has happened to anyone.

      I'm awed by the inside. Everything inside is made of mahogany. I've never seen this shade before but it's almost like my complexion, weird. I let Carter down and watch him run and jump on the leather sofa. I take a seat next to him and thank the assistant as she leaves . It smells so familiar. I close my eyes and imagine the man from yesterday. It smells just like him. I'm probably hallucinating. It's about to be a pretty busy day and I'm thankful I did my shopping yesterday so I just had to finish up here and leave.  I get up after a while of sitting down with Carter leaning into my side as we stare out the window at the even better view from the office.

      There's a folder on my desk. I didn't see one in here when I came in. It's the same color as the one I got yesterday. I open it and there's another pink ribbon at the very top of the pages holding them together. Everything is still written inside with the same beautiful cursive handwriting. My hands are shaking once I begin pulling it out of the package. There's a disclaimer titled at the very top of the page.

"There's nothing you do that I'm not aware of. Technology is a beautiful thing, every app is a playground for predators. We never understand there is a thing of too much sharing. Former party girl? I would have never guessed you were the type! You've really changed a lot now. You used to be so different, what happened petal? Was it him? Is that why you have family troubles? Don't be scared, I'll take control of everything; just like it was intended." There are photos of me with old friends at different outings. Times were different back then, I had completely absolved myself of the guilt of my parents torment and everything was perfect. That was until I found out my mother was pregnant again. She always miscarries one way or another and I knew she was hurt every time she lost another baby but Vincent didn't want to stop until he had his son.