The day after the murder took place, all the employees got a call from the company telling them to stay home for the week and not to blabber about this incident to anyone. All of this just so they can cover this all up without tarnishing the company’s reputation. Well, I don’t really care what they do. I’m just happy that we have gotten a week off. This way, I can take my time and process all of this. I can also use this time to come up with a plan to get rid of my stalker.

I was glaring at my phone, which has been buzzing for a while and I pretty much had a guess from who that could be, but man, do I just want to ignore that poor excuse of a human.

I slowly reached for my phone in the drawer to see three messages from him.

Private number: “Good morning, beautiful.”

Private number: “I know that you’re awake.”

Private number: “You better stop ignoring my messages if you know what’s good for you.”

Rolling my eyes at the message, I slowly got out of my bed. “Good morning to you too.” I said halfheartedly.

“So what do you want so early in the morning?” I asked as I was slowly stretching every inch of my body.

Private number: “I’m bored and needed some entertainment. “

Bored? This person was bored? This person had killed 3 people less than 24 hours ago and he dares to have this carefree attitude as if what he did was just a game…

This person appalled me.

My face scrunched up in disgust and anger as I was staring at my phone.

Private number: “Okay, okay, I’m sorry for waking you up because I was bored, okay? Just stop looking at me like that.”

That’s not the point.

“Whatever...” I exhaled in frustration.

Slowly my mind drifted off to Cherry, thinking how frightened and worried she was after witnessing that horrendous scene. Worried, I started to message her, asking if she was okay and if she had arrived home safely last night.

Private number: “You better say nothing unnecessary to her.”

I rolled with my eyes. “Thanks for the warning smartass, cause I was about to tell her something that could get her killed.” I was kind of in shock at how I could easily give him snarky remarks. I mean, he’s my homicidal stalker for God’s sake if anything, I should be scared of him. I should be shaking, crying or anything else, but somehow I. Don’t. Give. A. Fuck. He better be ready, ‘cause I will not let him walk all over me just like that without a fight.

Private number: “Ughh.. I just love it when you give me the sass.”

I could only grimace in response. Is he a masochist? “Are you a masochist? ‘Cause then you’re stalking at the wrong address.”

Private number: “Lol, no, If anything I’m a pure sadist ;)”

I furrowed my eyebrows. “Then, why?”

Private number: “Because I love you, so I love everything about you, even your attitude. Just don’t go too far with it, cause you won’t enjoy seeing me mad.”

Okay... So I know one thing for sure. He will not kill me soon or ever, because he “loves” me. I slightly shivered at the thought of it.

But he will kill someone close to me if I anger him. Isn’t there a way so that he can just leave them alone? Or even better...me?

Private number: “You’re also cute when you’re deep in thoughts,”

I groaned in annoyance. “Is there a way for you to get out of my life and leave me and my family alone?” I asked anyway.

Private number: “NO” He responded quickly.

I sighed in disappointment.

Private number: “But there’s a way for me to leave your family and friends alone. You wanna know?” I glared at my phone cautiously. “What?” I asked.

Private number: “If you become mine.”

This just irked me in the wrong way, however, I was seriously contemplating this. “Maybe if I just offer my body it will be alright?” I asked myself in a low whisper.

But he clearly heard that cause he immediately send another text.

Private number: “Oh and I just don’t want your body (even though I would love to have you in my bed now) I want you, your mind, your body, your soul, but mostly...your heart. Also, when you become mine, there will be no way you will see your family or your friends EVER again.”

Fuck, well, that’s not going to happen. “Never mind, then.” There’s no way that I’m going to leave my best friend and family behind, just like that. I’m just going to find another way to get this psycho in jail.

Private number: “You’re going to be mine, anyway. You were mine to begin with.”

“We will see about that.”

…

I was sitting at a table with cherry in a café at the shopping mall. I was sipping my blue berry bubble tea while cherry was drinking her coffee mocha.

She looked at me and smiled. “Thanks for coming with me to the mall. Brandon was supposedly to come with me but he was called to work.”

I just nodded slowly and smiled. “No problem, what are best friends for?” I grinned.

She puts her mocha slowly down and puts on a serious face. “April?”

“Yes?” I slowly asked.

“Don’t you think it would be for the best if you just slept at my, our place for some weeks?” She stares at me.

“Aww... are you worried about me?” I cooed while pinching her cheek.

She slowly pushed my hand away. “April I’m serious. If there’s really a killer at loose who has it out on the company, then he may slowly kill us off one by one and seeing that he killed three people from our department, he may have some grudge against our department.”

Damn, I hate it when she is being super sharp. I can’t have her figuring it out cause that could get her killed, plus I’m sure that private number (I really have to come up with a name for him) has some type of listening device on my phone so he may have heard the conversation.

“C’mon Cher, you’re being too overprotective. I assure you I can take care of myself, also I don’t want to become a third wheel.” I said the last part with a scrunched-up face. The last time I was a third wheel, it was horrible. It was pretty much after they just started dating. They were literally all up in each other faces and I had to stand there and witness all of it.

And I’m sure that it’s going to be awful now that they are living together. Don’t get me wrong, I love those two to death, but I am not going through that again.

She leaned back a little. “You’re not going to be a third wheel. Even better, Brandon said that you had no choice after hearing what happened. If I’m overprotective, then just wait when Brandon gets you.” She smirked.

Ughh stupid Brandon for being such a protective jack ass. “No, really, it’s fine. If anything, I’m sure that the killer will not even kill us.” I waved it off.

She raised her eyebrows. “Oh... really? How are you so sure about that?” She questioned as she hunched over the table.

‘Because the killer is my freaking stalker who just is madly “in love” with me and who will only kill the people that I love if I somehow misbehave. In short, he won’t kill as long I don’t rub him in the wrong places.’ But of course I couldn’t say any of that.

“Just think about it. Those three people that he had killed were horrible people and you know it. That’s why I think he had a grudge especially towards only those three. But yeah, we wouldn’t know that for sure unless he kills someone else from the department.” I took another sip while averting my eyes from her.

She leaned back in her chair again and scratches her head in confusion. “I guess you’re right.”

‘YES!’ I made an imaginary fist bump.

I felt her grabbing my hand. Causing me to look in to her eyes. “But promise me you will immediately call one of us if something goes wrong.” I could only nod at that with guilt in my heart for lying to my best friend.

…

After going our separate ways, I waited for my bus at the bus stop. While waiting for the bus, I played best fiends on my phone. Hey it’s a pretty damn addicting game. I’m currently at level 123 and let me tell you this; it’s not easy. 

Private number: “I hate how sharp your friend can be.”

I groaned. 

April: “Do you have to disturb me even when I’m playing my game? Also, anyone would have said the same thing, you know? I’m just happy that she said nothing about the ominous message that you had left behind on the bodies.”

Private number: “First of yes. I don’t want those stupid games to damage your pretty brain. Also, I’m sure that you 're capable of getting your ‘bestie’ off track. If you want her head still be attached to her body, that is.”

April: “You can be a genuine piece of shit, you know that?”

Private number: “Only for you baby ;).”

Can this person get any more annoying?

A sudden gust of wind came blowing past me, causing me to drop my phone in a startled yelp.

Ugh, come on April, this is not the time for you to be a klutz. I crouched down to grab my phone. I checked to see if my phone was okay. I let out a relieved breath, as I didn’t see any cracks on my screen.

As I slowly looked up, I could see on the other side of the bus stop a dark figure standing in the alleyway. From what I could see, he looked at least 6 feet 5; he was covered in a tracksuit or a hoodie. He wore dark sunglasses and his mouth was covered with a mouth cap, so I couldn’t make out his face. He also wore a black cap.

With his arms crossed, he was leaning against the wall looking my way, or at least that’s what it seems like. He pulled out his phone and typed something; as soon as he was done, I could feel my phone vibrating in my hand.

I was frozen in place. That must have been a coincidence, right?

Seeing how I wasn’t moving an inch, he wrote something again, and again my phone vibrated.

That also must have been a coincidence, right? It’s not like I’m denying any possibilities that my stalker is right in front of me now.

He was getting tired of my behavior, so he pulled out his phone and pointed at it, telling me to read his messages.

I just shook my head, refusing that this was really happening. He pointed at his phone even more vigorously, urging me to read it now. I just kept shaking my head even more vigorously. I was just scared and confused. Scared that my stalker is going to do something to me; confused to why he even was here.

He stopped, pointing at his phone. Instead, he took his thumb and made a slicing gesture at his neck, indicating that I either could read his stupid messages or that he would kill someone again if I didn’t.

I took a big, shaky breath and looked at his messages.

Private number: “You can be such a cute klutz sometimes.”

Private number: “Why? did my presence shook you that much?”

I looked up again and was relieved that he was still standing there.

April: “Why are you here?”

Private number: “Keeping check on my honey.”

April: “Why? Are you that scared that I would say something to Cher about you?”

Private number: “Lmao, no. I could easily kill her if I have to.”

April: “Well, you scared the soul out of me. I thought you were here to kidnap me or something.” I laughed awkwardly.

Private number: “You would have been already drugged and in the back of my car if that was the case.”

… and I stopped laughing.

April: “Great to know that…”

My bus arrived at the bus stop. I kept my eyes on my stalker as I was stepping on the bus; to make sure that he wouldn’t do anything crazy.

He just calmly waved me off as the bus drove again.

I slouched back into the bus seat as realization had sunken in that I just had seen my stalker. Well, I haven’t really seen him, but he sure is fucking real.

Not was I only pretty disturbed by this interaction, it also convinced me he was capable of a lot of things such as that... if he wanted to that he could spirit me away at any moment.

But why was he really there? He said that he was checking up on me, but we both know for a fact that there’s a listening and tracking device on my phone. So what’s there to check on me for? Or has he always just been following me?

‘Aaaggghh I don’t know!’ I scratched my head in annoyance, making my already tangled hair even more tangled up.

I huffed in defeat.

April: “Hey, why were you there?”

Private number: “Doesn’t my little kitten know that curiosity killed the cat? I was there to see if you would do something stupid.”

April: “Yeah, but does my little crazy stalker know that satisfaction brought the cat back to life?”

Private number: “Lol you’re so cute.”

I didn’t reply to that message. But something stupid? I am sure that he means something that would let Cher know of his existence. Hmm… wait… a note? He can’t see what I am doing with my phone, so giving a note to Cher telling her what’s really going on would put him in a tight spot! So that means that there is a way out of this! And that’s the reason he came to “check” on me!

Private Number: “Just so that you know. I’ve installed cameras at your friend’s place, too. So if I even see a glimpse of a paper shining through my screen you would wish that you would have never done that.”

Really!? Does he have a fucking microphone in my brain too!?

April: “I would never~~,”

Private number: “How cute this behavior may be. I will really cause a massacre if you do it.”

April: “Yeah… no note.”

Back to zero, I guess.