chapter 31

WHEN LITTLE THINGS GO WRONG, 

DON'T IGNORE.

BE WARNED! 

EVIL STARTS WITH THINGS SO SMALL, 

BUT AT THE END, YOUR LIFE WON'T BE YOURS. 

                    Adrianne 

"Adrianne... That's a very lovely name, my dear." Jason said, smiling at me in a creepy way I didn't like at all. We were having dinner at Jason's house and I was not happy about the words he whispered about my mom to make her blush. Boy, was she naïve. 

She had been seeing him for two months now and she was very happy. Every morning, she ratted out words about how awesome and nice he was until I had to put in my airpods to block out her voice. 

"So, my dear, how is school? I noticed you were walking home that day. Do you not have a car?" Here he was, trying to get me to chat with him. I pushed my food around in my plate. 

"If I answer your hundred questions, what will we talk about?" I said, with a light sprinkle of mockery and a dollop of sarcasm he didn't detect. Mum did. 

  He gave a rich laugh and it only angered me. "But you didn't answer any." OK this guy was good. 

"School is fine and I'm perfectly fine without a car." 

He cocked his head to one side and smirked. "Feisty, aren't you?"

I stiffened. What did he just say? Mum didn't notice this exchange and if she did, she gave no indication of it. Oh, she never noticed things now. 

  "I'm sorry. I don't feel very well. Mum can we go?"

Mum frowned and was about to speak when I stood up and walked out of the door. 

  "What is wrong with you, Anne?" mum said, walking out of the house. I was standing outside and the cool evening breeze teased my curls. 

"Wrong with me? Mum, he said the exact words that thief said. Doesn't that bother you?" I said, exasperation creeping into my voice. 

  "Anne, there is something called coincidence. He didn't know that you,clearly, have something against him and those words. Besides, you were feisty, rude and sarcastic."

When your mother turns against you, what can you say? I felt hurt as I entered the unlocked car. I didn't want to be  here anymore.

Jason had tainted the car with his stupid cologne. 

  I froze again as I inhaled the cologne. It was exactly my dad's cologne. What did that guy have up his sleeves?Mum had gone inside to explain that we had to leave and I saw Jason kiss her. 

My insides squirmed with disgust as mum opened the car door and turned her head to buckle her seat belt.

  I was the only one who saw it. Saw him through the glass. Saw his lips curve into a victorious smirk. A sly smile full of mischief,malice and hatred. An epitome of pure evil. I was the only one who always saw things as mum looked but never saw.

  I was frozen in the back seat as the car drove off into the night and I was left alone with his evil smile in my mind. Like always, I was alone once again. 

                        Becca

Two months ago, my life turned upside down. I was attacked by my stalker, had my hand stabbed and my ear bruised. 

None of this came close to the overwhelming numbness I felt everyday. None of this came close to the stares I got around college. 

  At the same time , my fucked up stalker decided it was time to mess up my messed up life. Now, every day, I awaited death. I expected everything because Adams was a very confusing person. 

My house had been placed under surveillance as I had one of the most wanted men in US on my tail. A man responsible for fifteen mrders and maybe more. Every where I went, there was a detective either in uniform or in casual clothes. At Starbucks,at a restaurant, at my school, everywhere.

Apparently, the police thought I had this man wrapped around my pinkie finger and I could bring him out for arrest. I just needed to be bait.

I wish they knew that I didn't have him around any finger on my bruised hand. I refused to be bait because I knew he would kill me once he found me. There were times the numbness deserted me.

Today made it two months and three days since that attempt on  my life and since then Adams had slipped into the dark. Just  the way a nightmare disappears and reality sets in. 

Liz and Luke had been banned from seeing me but Liz still called while Luke was 'randomly' in every class I took.

I had to admit, today was a fine morning. I walked down the small hallway towards the dining room where my mom was sipping her coffee. My cousin was temporarily running my mom's company so she was free to stay with me. She bought a two bedroom flat at the outskirts of town to attract very little attention. 

"Hey, Bec. How are you?" mum said, tearing her gaze from her laptop. 

I bit down the sarcasm and said, "I'm pretty good." she was searching my face for something I didn't know. 

I grabbed a banana and walked towards her. "I'll be fine mum. Do you want to drive me to college?" 

She nodded, grabbed her keys and walked out of the house. As I followed her, I spared the kitchen a glance and smiled a little. Today was too good and I knew something bad would happen,Soon. These things just came unexpectedly. 

                  Adrianne 

  When we arrived at our mansion, I got out of the car, typed in the key code and walked into the house. I didn't look back, didn't even throw an annoyed mutter over my shoulder. 

I was disappointed and from that... I shivered. That smile that Jason had given me, it only showed he was the devil's advocate.

I opened my door, walked into my room and laid on my bed. I was enclosed in the darkness but I didn't care. Why did Jason say those words? Who was this guy?

  I could hear my mom shuffling around in the kitchen and I heard a glass shatter. Why did she always make things worse when things were going great? 

Unlocking my phone, I found myself face to face with a picture I couldn't find in me to destroy. It was the picture of my dad and I. We were at Bali and I was getting a tan.

  His dove grey eyes were kind and they were crinkled in smile wrinkles. Tears found their way to my eyes as I let them pour. This time, they weren't tears of self pity. They were tears of acceptance. 

  My phone buzzed and a text message from Matt showed on my notifications bar. 

I sniffed and wiped my nose,then clicked it and saw his message:

Matt: Mon Ami!

Me: Hey, Matt.

Matt:What's up!;)

Me: I'm good.

Matt: What's going on?

Me: Nothing,I guess. Nothing you'd want to know.

Matt: Tell me. Pleaseeeeeee.

Me: No, see you tomorrow.

Matt: :(   hey,what happened to my jacket?

Me: *Whistling* see you tomorrow. Goodnight.

I put off the phone and stared at my window. The moon wasn't out but the stars were. 

I picked up my sketchbook and was suprised when nothing... nothing flashed into my head. Ok,this is weird. I thought.

Normally, every time I picked it up,random stuff flashed through my head. Call it gift but, trust me, it created lots of headache.

The face I had sketched was there,staring at me with a smile on her face.

The dream I had in my dad's room wasn't making any sense. If there was a dangerous man on the loose, why hasn't there been anything on the news?

  Someone knocked on my door and I heard my mom softly call out to me. "Anne?" I didn't answer. 

What did she want? To come tell me how feisty I was?

"Anne,please open the door."

  "Why? Just go on ignoring me mom. I bet there's lot of things you have to occupy your time."

She sighed. "Please open the door. I just want to talk to you." She replied.

I opened the door and saw her standing by my doorway, twisting her fingers like a child.

She walked into my room and saw the arranged bookshelf, the well organized closet and the orderly reading table. I wasn't messy.

  She gave me a weak smile, "You know, teenagers normally have their rooms disarrayed." 

I ignored this. "What did you want to talk about, mom?, Want to tell me about how awesome Jason is?" I asked,unable to keep the anger from my voice.

She sat on my bed and looked up at me. "Why don't you like him,Anne? This time, tell me why? I'm trying to understand why you hate him." I gave an exasperated sigh, angry at her naïvetè. 

"I don't like him because he's fake. Nothing about him seems normal or original. He has a creepy smile, his laugh sounds fake and he doesn't seem as if he wants to know me, mom. I'm serious when I say this, he's trying to replace dad. To worm his way into our lives and I'm tired of that."  

Mom nodded but I got the feeling she didn't understand. Or believe me. Probably both.

"So you're saying that you feel he's fake?" I swallowed my sarcasm.

"Anne, Jason has been a good friend. I know you don't want things to change but I'm sorry. Things have to. Please,Anne. "

What did she want me to say to that? Yeah, I understand now,thank you for not explaining and wasting my time? For Christ's sake, if she couldn't see that Jason wasnt what he seemed he was, then fine.

"Sure." I replied, shrugging my shoulders. Mum was confused now. "Sure? Like sure? Just sure?

"What should I say? Oh mum,his cologne smells exactly like dad's? I'm tired and I have school tomorrow. If you like him,go for him. " I said,walking to my bed and drawing the duvet to my chin. If Mom was naive,well,she could manage it for a few months.

She said in a small voice, "Goodnight, Anne. Sleep tight." And left. 

I groaned when the door closed as I knew things had just gone from bad to worse.

                 Becca's POV

While Mom drove me to college,I let the cool morning air blow my hair into my face. A dark blue sedan slowly tailed behind us. It was detective Allen's car. He had taken this case under his wings as he was concerned for my safety. He was angry at the officer who had, apparently, not looked into the first break in and entry at my house.

"So, how are you Becca?" Mom asked,sparing me a glance.

"I'm fine mom. No need to worry." Her lips pressed into a thin line as she gave vent to her pent up anger.

"No need!! I'm your mother and I can't even protect you! You haven't known peace since you were fourteen and that..that.. monster kidnapped you. I'm sorry, becca. I wish I could do more. " She whispered.

I didn't say anything. "It's all my fault.If I hadn't chosen Miami, he wouldn't have caught you. He wouldn't have seen you. " Tears began to run down her cheeks and she wiped them away.

I held her right hand as she wept tears of guilt over something that she couldn't have stopped. My eyes were dry as I had cried my share of tears during the night.

OAU came into view as mom parked in the parking lot. Detective Allen had stopped following us and had parked in a nearby street.

I waited for her tears to subside and slowly, they became dry sobs. I didn't have any words to tell her so I hugged her, told her I loved her and got out of the car.

She watched me walk into the building and saw luke walk up to me. 

Probably the bad feeling that tore at my chest disturbed her too. 

She drove off and the dread settled in my belly again.