Gwen did not sleep a wink. The fear would not leave her bones. It was like an insistent chill, unable to escape. Her skin felt like ice. Morning came like a slap in her face. She could not crawl out of bed. She wanted to stay there, huddled in the blankets, hoping the warmth would soothe her fears.

She shut her eyes. School was out of the option.

-----------

It was well past noon when she awoke once again. She took her phone from her nightstand and saw twelve missed calls from Pauline. It was one in the afternoon, lunch time. Gwen quickly called her best friend and told her she was not feeling well. Pauline insisted she came over. Gwen usually declined, but this time, she wanted the company.

Pushing herself out of bed, she trudged to the bathroom, peeled off her clothes. The hot spray of the shower soothed her nerves. Her mind soon drifted to the cold memory of the night before.

Was it really him? She questioned. Yet no doubt had crept into her mind. Her neck felt cold, as she remembered his touch, the warmth of the shower doing nothing to suppress it.

It was definitely him.

Gwen stepped out of the shower and toweled herself dry. She made her way towards the sink and wiped the condensation from the mirror. Her dark brown wet hair clung to her skin, she looked paler, thinner.

Now what?

Why did he come? To taunt her? Threaten her? Wasn't it better to stay away from her in the first place? Why did he take such a risk?

What was he planning?

Gwen was facing a serial killer. He knew who she was. And he knew of her actions. She was in a precarious position. Treading deeper would be walking on thin ice, as if she were not already. Gwen clenched her fists. Let the ice crack, she would swim in freezing waters if she had to.

--------------

By three o'clock, Pauline had already arrived.

"Starbucks and Willie's Wraps. You're welcome," she said as she walked into the apartment. She dropped the food on the coffee table and sat on the couch.

"So what's up?" she said, a frown marring her pretty face. Gwen sighed and sat cross-legged beside her. She pulled out the wrap and dug in. She did not speak, even after she finished the entire roll.

"You need a haircut," Pauline said, noticing Gwen's unwillingness to talk about the thoughts that were bugging her.

Gwen stared at her hair, hanging just above waistline. "Those split ends are not doing us any good," she said.

"I'm taking you to the salon. Now!" she exclaimed, jumping out of the couch and pulling Gwen along with her.

"What? Why now?" Gwen muttered.

However, Pauline was not taking no for an answer. Gwen soon found herself staring at her reflection in a beauty salon, a hair stylist busy trimming her hair. Pauline sat beside her getting her hair done, too.

"Wanna go for a body massage later? Or a facial?" She said as she flipped through a magazine.

Gwen sighed in frustration, "Seriously Pauline? Why are we pampering ourselves?"

"A girl never needs a reason to pamper herself! We just do it," Pauline said with a shrug.

"You said it, sweetie," the plump hairstylist said. Gwen rolled her eyes.

After a good wash and some setting, Gwen could not help but gawk at her reflection. Her hair looked fuller and wavier than it had ever been. All she remembered it looking like was a nest.

Had she been not taking care of herself?

Pauline was just done with her hair. Gwen glanced at her best friend. Pauline knew of her disheveled life and was doing all she could to make her feel better.

Gwen smiled, "You know what. I think I'm up for that spa day," she said.

Pauline laughed, "You think I would have taken no for an answer?" Let's go, girl!"

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Gwen's body felt as light as a feather when she returned home. The haunting memories of last night were almost completely pushed to the back of her mind. She was ready for a peaceful rest.

But the night was still full of lurking nightmares she was unaware of.

Just before going to bed, she opened her window and stared at the bright moon. The air was still, she felt sound muted to her ears. A pressure on her back made her heart thump. She was frozen in place. Before she knew it, something pushed her forward, out the window. She flailed in the air before crashing into the ground. She felt a pull.

She was staring at her own body, as if it were another person. She was sprawled on the ground, blood oozing out of her head, her legs bent to an odd angle, her eyes lifeless. However, her mouth was moving; she was saying something.

"I am... I am..."

The body convulsed and sprang towards her.

"I am coming for you!" it growled with a raspy voice.

Gwen screamed from the top of her lungs.

She flickered her eyes open and realised, she was dreaming. Her body heaved with heavy breaths. Her heart was thudding painfully against her chest, she was shaking violently. Gwen closed her eyes once again; however, the image of her dead body kept creeping back into her mind.

She huddled up in a ball, her eyes wide open, as if worried to fall back asleep. He was messing with her mind. He was trying to scare her. Gwen clenched her fists. How long could she keep this up before she cracked? His words from last night came crawling back to her.

You sure are a tough one to crack.

But everyone breaks with time.