Chapter 22

It's been a week.

A week since I found out that I had an uncle...

An uncle who's disappearance probably has something to do with Hayden McAndrew

Once again I was stuck in a dead-end, I couldn't ask mom about the details, not after the way she reacted the last time.

Why did he suddenly disappear without a trace?

Why didn't they get the police to involve? Instead, they kept it a secret...

I would have to find a way to find out about it myself.

The past week has been pure hell for me, he didn't make any sexual assault on my body but his painful grips, shoving me around lockers and desk, tearing my assignments sheets and his crude words were still enough to make my life miserable

I would always feel his gaze on me though, the intensity of it always made my blood run cold, I couldn't help but fear the cruel intentions behind those stormy green eyes.

I kept my assignments on the nightstand and switched off the lights.

I lay on my bed trying to force myself to get some sleep, no more than a minute later my cellphone binged

Without making many thoughts to it I withdrew it from under my pillow.

It was a text from some unknown number.

I tapped on it and the three words I saw had my blood running cold...

I'm watching you bitch;

The hairs on the back of my hair all stood in alarm, I took a swift glance around my room.Although I had shut the windows closed earlier, the binds were still drawn upwards

I got off the bed slowly, my legs were shaky and my heart was thundering too loud

It was so dark outside so I couldn't see anything, I thought I heard some rustling outside, I yanked the binds down in one pull and ran back to my bed...

What was that sound?....or was it a figment of my imagination?

The phone binged again, I picked it with shaky fingers, it was from the same unknown number

I will kill you; it read

Then another came

You'll die bitch,I'll watch as the blood drains out of your heart and get a taste of it;

I clasped a hand over my mouth to swallow back a scream, beads of sweat began to form on my face

There was no doubt in my mind as to who sent the text.

It has to be him. Hayden.

But he has never done this before....never has been so creepy, why now......?

To torture me...

To scare me...

And it was really working, my fingers were shaking uncontrollably, my breaths uneven.

I read the text again and this time a wave of fear zipped through me.

What if he was watching me this instant?

Calling for help crossed my mind for the briefest moment

But I couldn't.

It has always been like this, I have never been able to voice my many fears.... all the bone-wrenching nightmares to them, I always feel that they wouldn't understand.

They would look at me differently

I turned off my cellphone and clasped it over my chest tightly...

My eyes were wide opened, there was no way I would be able to catch some sleep...

Not when he's out there.

Watching.

************************************

The last class for the day finally came to an end, all day I just kept pacing in and out, I couldn't get those text messages out of my mind no matter how hard I tried.

He was absent today, it should have been a relief to me. Only it wasn't .....it made me even more tensed.

"are you alright? These days I just think there's something off about you " Lyn spoke disrupting my trail of thoughts

I nodded slowly, she looked like she didn't believe my words in the least so I spoke to reassure her.

"um.. actually I'm just worried about our final exams.... that's all" I lied

She scoffed aloud, shooting me an 'are you kidding look'

"you're so smart and you have to worry about it? It should be me talking about that and not you "

I chuckled at that as I opened my locker to keep my books inside, I was just about to slam it shut when my gaze fell on something.

Everything in me froze, the blood drained out of my face...

Oh god!

"Gracie what........ " she also trailed off as her gaze followed mine, a loud gasp escaped her mouth.

I couldn't take my gaze away from the horrific sight, I was paralyzed by it.

It was a doll.... splattered over with red stains, a rope hanging from its neck

A sob escaped my mouth as I ran blindly, it was all too suffocating... I couldn't breathe.

Then I ran...

Ignoring her calls after me, I just needed to get away from it all, I needed to breathe.

I made a sharp turn around the hallway and stopped just in time from bumping into a person.

It was Brittany.

We stared at each other momentarily before I hurried past her.

Ever since that gym class incident she was staying far away from me, it was quite relieving.

I felt her gaze boring holes into my back, I don't know why I did, but I looked back, she was indeed staring at me..... but it was something about her gaze that held me in my spot, she averted her gaze quickly and hurried off.

But I already saw it.

She hates me.

Very much. It was brewing like a storm in her gaze

I pushed it aside, that was the very least of my problem right now.

I came to a stop just outside the school...

The images kept replaying in my head...

I'll kill you;

The blood.....

The doll and the rope...

Tears kept streaming down from my eyes and I allowed them to

"Gracie!" Lyn called out panting for breath

She must have run after me