Greer
“And you didn’t tell me any of this was happening. Why?” Allison scolds, looking up at me over her reading glasses from my phone in her hand.
“Well, at first, I thought I was crazy. It seemed like I was being watched, but then, when the police never found anything, I thought I was losing it. Then, the notes started.”
Allison’s eyes waft toward the shoe box I’ve kept every little scrap of paper my stalker’s left behind in the last two years.
“This is…” Her head shakes at me in disbelief as her mouth gapes open.
“I know. The longer it went on, the more I didn’t want to tell you because of… well, that look on your face right now.” Even though she’s my best friend and has been since elementary school, and I know she will help me through this, I’ve put her through enough already.
I shift in my seat, wringing my hands in my lap as I fight the urge to pick at the sides of my nailbed.
“G, you can come to me with anything.” Pity fills her eyes, and I hate to see it.
“I know. I’m sorry. I wanted it to end, but then they escalated last night…” I sigh, closing my eyes.
I cleaned the mirrors this morning, but the messages are etched in my memory and will likely remain so forever.
“The cops dusted for prints?” she asks.
I nod. “Yes. They also took the lipstick and the marker they used to write the messages.”
“The locks weren’t broken? No sign of forced entry?”
I shake my head, swallowing over a burning lump in my throat. “No. It’s the part that bothers me the most.”
She hands my phone back to me. “You’re staying with me in town.”
“But Bear?—”
“Bear can come, too. I’m not leaving you out there with some fucking psycho peeking in your windows and sneaking inside your house, Greer. I’ll be damned if I’m staying in the sticks with you, so it’s our only option.”
Even though she grew up in Georgia, Allison hates the locale and would run if she could.
She stayed with me. For me.
“Fine. I’ll stay with you.”
“I’m going to talk to some contacts in the department and see what I can find out. See if they’re taking this seriously.”
I bite my inner cheek, tasting blood. “Okay.”
For some reason, Allison being on the case makes me feel more at ease.
For the next hour, we eat and review anyone I’ve encountered who I think could be stalking me. However, being a recluse means there aren’t many suspects.
Once we finish our food, I hug her before heading to my house to pack a bag and get Bear to spend the night at her place.
It’s closer to work, I tell myself. Trying to find the silver lining might help me feel better about running away from my problems.
But when your problems want to kidnap and possibly kill you, you should run away, I logic.
When I get home, the door is unlocked, and it makes me stop dead, holding the knob as my body quakes with renewed fear.
Having Allison in on what’s been going on in my life had given me a sense of hope. Now, that’s dashed.
Bear barks behind the other side of the door, letting me know he’s ready for me to open it, but I’m worried about who could be inside with him.
