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Description
It was early morning. Small white flakes glided gently from the gray skies, blanketing the earth in its pure grandeur. It looked beautiful. A small shiver ran through me as I observed the weather from my classroom seat. There was sereneness about the snow. Despite the fact I had a low tolerance for the cold I adored the scenic view it bestowed.

A dark shadow passed my vision, marring the perfect white scene. I blinked, unsure of what I saw. It looked too tall to be a student, but I hadn't gotten that close of a look. Whoever it was had breezed by when I was caught in my thoughts.
I shook my head, drawing my attention back to my teacher. The lesson was simple grade eleven social studies, reviewing some of the concepts we had covered in class since the beginning of the semester. I should have been paying attention. The teacher called upon me and I stared at her dumbly for a moment, glancing down at my textbook. I murmured a quick answer upon hearing whispers from my friends about the question.

The bell rang shortly after and I hurried from my seat, eager to get out of class and to lunch. I slipped my headphones into one of my ears and hit the play button on my iPod. Conversation stirred up around me as students chatted amongst their peers. I didn't focus on the words around me, just on the soft music playing in my ears. Goosebumps suddenly arose on my skin and I found myself glancing at a window as I passed.

Another dark flash. I frowned glancing around the hall. No one else had taken notice. I hurried out into the main hall, away from windows and paranoid thoughts. Late movie nights were finally catching up to me. I rationalized as I trekked up the stairs to my locker.

"Did you see that guy that's been hanging around here?" A girl gossiped to her friend near my locker.

She nodded. "I wonder who he is." She said. "Maybe he's like a detective or something. I heard about that murder that happened a little while ago."
"Or maybe he's the killer!" a boy teased, pushing them lightly. "Hunting for his next victim."

I grunted as one of the girls bumped into me, knocking me over. "Oh, sorry." She quickly apologized.

I murmured under my breath, grabbing my things and heading off. The news of the man troubled me, coupled with what the boy had said put me into a higher state of unrest. I shook my head. Paranoia was getting the better of me.
I glanced at the stairs to my left, contemplating heading to the higher levels of the school. Generally only the main floor and second floor were used as school facilities. The remainder of the building was set as storage or for different sorts of activities. The building had previously been some sort of government facility. Like a hospital or experimental facility back in the day. Something like that, I never did pay much attention to the history of the building.

Mind being made, I headed downstairs to the main floor, ready to simply enjoy my lunch. I contemplated going outside to sit for a while in the snow, but thought better of it. I made my way to the entrance way of the school where my friends and I usually sat.

It was surprisingly quiet amongst them today. "Hey guys," I greeted. "What's up?"
They murmured a quick hello, glancing amongst each other. A frown crossed my face. "What's wrong?"

"We've just been interrogated by the police," my friend Merlyn stated. "They've been calling people all morning about the murder of a girl that goes here."
Ryan nodded, looking oddly pale. "I heard they were keeping her body in that old morgue near the back of the building." He shuddered. "Down that creepy hallway in the basement."

I raised an eyebrow, leaning against the wall. "Where'd you hear…"
I trailed off, a figure catching my eye outside. It was a man, probably about late thirties early forties. His hair was short and brown and a scruffy beard covered his jaw. His black trench coat stood out against the white snow falling around him.
Goosebumps arose once more on my skin and for a moment our eyes locked. I couldn't see what color they were from the distance he was at, but his gaze was intense. I forced myself to look away, heartbeat quickening rapidly.

Merlyn frowned, looking at me with concern. "Are you okay, Emily?" she inquired.
I nodded absently. "Fine." I mumbled. "I'm going to go for a bit. I'll see you all later."

With a slight wave I went back into the common area. A shiver ran down my spine. It felt slightly more comfortable to be closer to a large mass of people but the feeling of fright wouldn't leave me. A uniformed officer approached me, tipping his hat slightly. "Miss Short?" he inquired.

I nodded curtly. "I need you to come with me for a moment." He said, walking away.

Hesitantly, I followed. He led me silently around the bustle of hungry students, bringing me to the humanitarians corridor, where the language and social classes were taught. I gulped nervously, eyes shifting about. We continued along in a pressing state of nothing but the sound of our footsteps. Through a door and down a flight of stairs in silence. I paused. "Where are we going?" I asked anxiously.

"There's something you need to see." The officer stated simply. "Please follow me."
He continued on again, bringing me to the end of the hall. He motioned for me to enter the room. I gulped, eyeing the sign that clearly stated 'morgue' on the door. The stone walls did nothing to remedy my state of unease. Taking a deep breath, I stepped in.

At that moment I was ready to heave. "Oh god…" I gagged, covering my mouth and nose with my hands.

Lying on the steel table for me to see was the greenish-gray corpse of a school girl. Her skin was wrinkled like she had been sitting in water for a long amount of time. Jagged marks covered her neck where her head had previously been on the body. "Look at these incisions!" a man boomed loudly, holding up the severed head by the hair.

I had to turn around, feeling the bile rise into my throat. "Oh…" the man realized my presence. "There's a sink over there."

Without a moment's hesitation I heaved my breakfast into the sink, coughing and gagging further on the sickening taste in my mouth. "Sorry about that, miss." He apologized. "I didn't realize you were coming."

"W-why…"I stammered, trying to regain my breath without inhaling the grotesque odor of the rotting corpse. "Did I have to see this?"

"Because we believe you might be a target." The officer replied softly, handing me a wrinkled and smudged photograph.

I squinted, turning the picture on a slight angle. It was hard to focus on it. I vaguely made out that the smeared image could resemble me, and probably about a dozen other girls. I was sure the officer would speak with anyone else with similar characteristics as the water logged photo as well.

The officer nodded to the man, most likely the coroner. "I'll be right back. I need to speak with a few more people."

He nodded absently, setting down the head. "I'll be here. Erm…" he eyed me warily.

"Miss Short, I know this is difficult, but I need you to take a closer look at the body." The officer urged gently. "Tell the coroner if you recognize her at all. Someone should be here shortly to offer you protection as an extra measure."
I nodded meekly, dreading having to look at the disemboweled body. The officer exited, the door closing with a soft click. Hesitantly I turned, attempting not to vomit again. "Try breathing through your mouth," the coroner suggested. "Makes it a bit more bearable and less putrid."

Taking a step closer, I did as he said. It made it a bit better, but not by much. I eyed the head warily. Her face was shriveled slightly, eyes shut and mouth contorted into a tight line. Her hair was stringy and dirty but I recognized that it used to be a pale reddish-brown color. I gulped, forcing my eyes to stay trained on her. "I think she was in my physics class," I muttered. "Her name was Fiona Babrel I think."

The man nodded, watching the body curiously. "Come here and look at these wounds." He invited. "These ones on the chest here."

He brushed his gloved fingers over the long gashes made along her upper torso. I cringed slightly, backing away. "It looks like an animal got her." I stated.
The coroner chuckled. "Only if you know of any tigers hanging around the school."
I began to gag again. "I…I need to go to the bathroom." I quickly excused myself, heading towards the door.

I opened it, stopping quickly. My heart dropped into my stomach when black met my vision. I gulped, tilting my head slightly to look up at the man. "Erm…" I hastily moved out of the way, opening him up to the room.

He stepped inside, gray-green eyes trained intensely on me. My heart jumped in fright. "Ah," the coroner distracted him. "You must be the body guard for Miss Short, eh?"

The man looked back at me but I was gone. "Yeah…" he murmured in a deep voice, a smirk playing on his lips. "Her bodyguard."

He opened the door, peeking out to see me disappear up the stairs. I ran up the stairs. I ran up the stairs as fast as my inexperienced legs could take me. I cursed being such a lazy, computer loving geek. Where was the athlete in me when I needed it?

I sprinted through the emptied common area, heading quickly up the stairs and to the upper levels. Perhaps I thought that if I stayed on the move he couldn't find me.

I doubted it, but it gave me something to latch onto, some meek feeling of hope. The terror that gripped my belly was like nothing I had ever experienced before. It was more than just a scary movie or someone jumping out at you unexpectedly. It was real and it was terrifying.

I paused for a moment, heart thundering in my ears as I keeled over to catch my breath. Never in my life had I run that fast for that long. I was so out of shape.
Footsteps reached me past the loud beat of my heart and I stiffened, eyes snapping to the door. I took one final inhale of breath and took off once more, racing to the opposite end of the building. I found the adjacent stairwell and leapt down them, taking several steps at a time.

People, I thought hurriedly. I need to find other people.

A screech escaped my lips as I missed a step. I caught onto the guard rail, barely managing to stop a stumble down the rest of the stairs. A short sob wracked my body. The adrenaline and fear were gnawing away at me, wreaking havoc on my emotions.

The door leading to the above floors opened and I spotted the man's grinning face peek over the rail. I choked, almost freezing as I locked eyes with me. He was going to kill me. I realized. Slice me up like that girl in the morgue.

Somehow, I managed to convince my terror-wrought brain to move my legs. If I could just get to a classroom, I figured I'd be safe. For a small amount of time. I bolted from the steps and out the door, racing for dear life.

I glanced hurriedly at the classrooms, trying to recover the rational part of my brain that would explain to me what class I had. It wouldn't come. Instead horrified thoughts filled my head. The dead girl, the stench of death, the face of the man. "It's Victor, Emily." I heard a deep whisper behind me.

I yelped, whipping around and falling straight onto my butt. He leered above me, a sadistic smirk plastered on his face. "It's interesting they showed you that body," he said thoughtfully. "They didn't show anyone else."

A sharp voice cut through my trance as I stared up at him. I momentarily looked away, spotting Merlyn and Ryan. I glanced back to Victor but he was gone. I took a deep inhale of breath. He was like a ghost…

Merlyn rushed over, falling to my side. "What are you doing?" her brow furrowed. "You look like you saw a ghost. What's wrong?"

"E-exploring." I stammered with a forced chuckle. "Nearly fell down the stairs. Frightening stuff…"

I rose to my feet, brushing myself off. "What are you two doing out of class?" I asked, distracting myself.

"We're both out to make a movie for religion." Ryan stated, waving the camera in his hand. "How's your spare going?"

Spare? I cursed silently. No wonder I couldn't recall my class. I didn't have one. "Er…Interesting." I replied. "I'm going to hang out with you guys while you're filming."

Ryan nodded and Merlyn grinned. "Awesome!" she beamed. "You can be in it and help us record too!"

I nodded, walking close beside them. Chills wouldn't leave me. I shuddered ever so slightly, rubbing my arms. "Ever feel like you're being watched?" I chuckled slightly, not feeling the least bit amused.

Ryan chuckled. "Sometimes, like it's the cops!" he joked. "Or maybe it's ghosts."
Merlyn nodded, grinning happily. "Maybe silly ghosts, in top hats and rainbow suspenders!"

I couldn't help but giggle as the image popped into my mind. "So where are we filming?" I inquired.

"First, I say we go to Starbucks." Ryan suggested. "And get something warm to drink that can get us thinking of ideas."

Merlyn agreed and I nodded along. The three of us made our way outside, trudging through the snow. "Oh!" Merlyn exclaimed, eyeing the chain link fence near the edge of the grounds. "Let's film something over there before we go. It could be like an action scene or something."

Enthusiastically, Ryan agreed and the two began to race over. I chuckled, slowly following after. A shiver ran down my spine once more. I glanced behind me, feeling eyes burning into the back of my skull. A dark coat caught my eye and visibly grimaced. Victor sent me a smirk, eyes twinkling maliciously.

My pace quickened to catch up with my friends. They were discussing how to clamber over and who would film it. "Can you do it?" Merlyn inquired. "Then after we can head over for hot chocolate."

I didn't have much say in the matter as Ryan thrust the camera into my hands. "Thanks, Em!" he beamed.

I grumbled quietly under my breath and opened the camera. "Ready," I called. "Action!"

The two haphazardly climbed the fence, acting like goofs while they did so, making all sorts of noises. I giggled, stopping short when a hand fell upon my shoulder. "I'm afraid I'm going to separate the three of you," Victor smiled slightly, attempting to look apologetic and polite. "I need to speak with Miss Short."
They nodded, not questioning him. He took the camera from my hands and tossed it over to them. "She'll be caught up for a little while." He said. "Sorry to spoil the fun."

"It's alright," Merlyn nodded. "We'll see you later."

The two of them scurried off quickly, leaving me in the hands of the psychopath. My legs tensed, readying to make a mad dash. My heart hammered against my rib cage, trying to escape the confines of my chest. He smirked darkly, tightening his grip on me. Sharp nails digging into my flesh. "I think you've done enough running today, Emily."

"W-what do you want?" I stuttered, shrinking meekly under his intense gaze.
"That's simple, Em." He purred. "You. "

I tensed, springing from his grip and tripping over my own feet, falling face first into the snow. It filled my mouth and eyes, burying itself into my coat and onto my flesh. I shuddered, coughing it out. "You've got the wrong person," I tried to reason.

Victor grabbed the back of my collar, hauling me up. "No, you're the right girl alright." He chuckled, taking a deep inhale close to my neck. "That scent is unmistakable."

I eyed him warily, attempting to pull away from him once more. My heart raced, hurting my chest and quieting the sounds around me. A low growl cut through my panic, coming from deep within his throat. He pulled my closer, his other hand reaching into his jacket. "You can comply and come willingly, or I can force you to accompany me."

A soft whimper emerged from my lips. I forced my body to go weak, to show my submission. Ashamed, I looked up at the school building with pleading eyes, hoping for someone, anyone to see and to call for help. No one was there, no one was paying attention. No one cared. "That's a good girl." The sound rumbled through his chest, rocking through me like an earthquake.

A sharp pain erupted in my shoulder and dark edges crept into my vision. I fell back into him, gasping out. A smirk broke onto Victor's face, smug as he caught my limp body. The last thing I saw before darkness completely consumed me was his cocky face staring down at me.

Description
It was early morning. Small white flakes glided gently from the gray skies, blanketing the earth in its pure grandeur. It looked beautiful. A small shiver ran through me as I observed the weather from my classroom seat. There was sereneness about the snow. Despite the fact I had a low tolerance for the cold I adored the scenic view it bestowed.

A dark shadow passed my vision, marring the perfect white scene. I blinked, unsure of what I saw. It looked too tall to be a student, but I hadn't gotten that close of a look. Whoever it was had breezed by when I was caught in my thoughts.
I shook my head, drawing my attention back to my teacher. The lesson was simple grade eleven social studies, reviewing some of the concepts we had covered in class since the beginning of the semester. I should have been paying attention. The teacher called upon me and I stared at her dumbly for a moment, glancing down at my textbook. I murmured a quick answer upon hearing whispers from my friends about the question.

The bell rang shortly after and I hurried from my seat, eager to get out of class and to lunch. I slipped my headphones into one of my ears and hit the play button on my iPod. Conversation stirred up around me as students chatted amongst their peers. I didn't focus on the words around me, just on the soft music playing in my ears. Goosebumps suddenly arose on my skin and I found myself glancing at a window as I passed.

Another dark flash. I frowned glancing around the hall. No one else had taken notice. I hurried out into the main hall, away from windows and paranoid thoughts. Late movie nights were finally catching up to me. I rationalized as I trekked up the stairs to my locker.

"Did you see that guy that's been hanging around here?" A girl gossiped to her friend near my locker.

She nodded. "I wonder who he is." She said. "Maybe he's like a detective or something. I heard about that murder that happened a little while ago."
"Or maybe he's the killer!" a boy teased, pushing them lightly. "Hunting for his next victim."

I grunted as one of the girls bumped into me, knocking me over. "Oh, sorry." She quickly apologized.

I murmured under my breath, grabbing my things and heading off. The news of the man troubled me, coupled with what the boy had said put me into a higher state of unrest. I shook my head. Paranoia was getting the better of me.
I glanced at the stairs to my left, contemplating heading to the higher levels of the school. Generally only the main floor and second floor were used as school facilities. The remainder of the building was set as storage or for different sorts of activities. The building had previously been some sort of government facility. Like a hospital or experimental facility back in the day. Something like that, I never did pay much attention to the history of the building.

Mind being made, I headed downstairs to the main floor, ready to simply enjoy my lunch. I contemplated going outside to sit for a while in the snow, but thought better of it. I made my way to the entrance way of the school where my friends and I usually sat.

It was surprisingly quiet amongst them today. "Hey guys," I greeted. "What's up?"
They murmured a quick hello, glancing amongst each other. A frown crossed my face. "What's wrong?"

"We've just been interrogated by the police," my friend Merlyn stated. "They've been calling people all morning about the murder of a girl that goes here."
Ryan nodded, looking oddly pale. "I heard they were keeping her body in that old morgue near the back of the building." He shuddered. "Down that creepy hallway in the basement."

I raised an eyebrow, leaning against the wall. "Where'd you hear…"
I trailed off, a figure catching my eye outside. It was a man, probably about late thirties early forties. His hair was short and brown and a scruffy beard covered his jaw. His black trench coat stood out against the white snow falling around him.
Goosebumps arose once more on my skin and for a moment our eyes locked. I couldn't see what color they were from the distance he was at, but his gaze was intense. I forced myself to look away, heartbeat quickening rapidly.

Merlyn frowned, looking at me with concern. "Are you okay, Emily?" she inquired.
I nodded absently. "Fine." I mumbled. "I'm going to go for a bit. I'll see you all later."

With a slight wave I went back into the common area. A shiver ran down my spine. It felt slightly more comfortable to be closer to a large mass of people but the feeling of fright wouldn't leave me. A uniformed officer approached me, tipping his hat slightly. "Miss Short?" he inquired.

I nodded curtly. "I need you to come with me for a moment." He said, walking away.

Hesitantly, I followed. He led me silently around the bustle of hungry students, bringing me to the humanitarians corridor, where the language and social classes were taught. I gulped nervously, eyes shifting about. We continued along in a pressing state of nothing but the sound of our footsteps. Through a door and down a flight of stairs in silence. I paused. "Where are we going?" I asked anxiously.

"There's something you need to see." The officer stated simply. "Please follow me."
He continued on again, bringing me to the end of the hall. He motioned for me to enter the room. I gulped, eyeing the sign that clearly stated 'morgue' on the door. The stone walls did nothing to remedy my state of unease. Taking a deep breath, I stepped in.

At that moment I was ready to heave. "Oh god…" I gagged, covering my mouth and nose with my hands.

Lying on the steel table for me to see was the greenish-gray corpse of a school girl. Her skin was wrinkled like she had been sitting in water for a long amount of time. Jagged marks covered her neck where her head had previously been on the body. "Look at these incisions!" a man boomed loudly, holding up the severed head by the hair.

I had to turn around, feeling the bile rise into my throat. "Oh…" the man realized my presence. "There's a sink over there."

Without a moment's hesitation I heaved my breakfast into the sink, coughing and gagging further on the sickening taste in my mouth. "Sorry about that, miss." He apologized. "I didn't realize you were coming."

"W-why…"I stammered, trying to regain my breath without inhaling the grotesque odor of the rotting corpse. "Did I have to see this?"

"Because we believe you might be a target." The officer replied softly, handing me a wrinkled and smudged photograph.

I squinted, turning the picture on a slight angle. It was hard to focus on it. I vaguely made out that the smeared image could resemble me, and probably about a dozen other girls. I was sure the officer would speak with anyone else with similar characteristics as the water logged photo as well.

The officer nodded to the man, most likely the coroner. "I'll be right back. I need to speak with a few more people."

He nodded absently, setting down the head. "I'll be here. Erm…" he eyed me warily.

"Miss Short, I know this is difficult, but I need you to take a closer look at the body." The officer urged gently. "Tell the coroner if you recognize her at all. Someone should be here shortly to offer you protection as an extra measure."
I nodded meekly, dreading having to look at the disemboweled body. The officer exited, the door closing with a soft click. Hesitantly I turned, attempting not to vomit again. "Try breathing through your mouth," the coroner suggested. "Makes it a bit more bearable and less putrid."

Taking a step closer, I did as he said. It made it a bit better, but not by much. I eyed the head warily. Her face was shriveled slightly, eyes shut and mouth contorted into a tight line. Her hair was stringy and dirty but I recognized that it used to be a pale reddish-brown color. I gulped, forcing my eyes to stay trained on her. "I think she was in my physics class," I muttered. "Her name was Fiona Babrel I think."

The man nodded, watching the body curiously. "Come here and look at these wounds." He invited. "These ones on the chest here."

He brushed his gloved fingers over the long gashes made along her upper torso. I cringed slightly, backing away. "It looks like an animal got her." I stated.
The coroner chuckled. "Only if you know of any tigers hanging around the school."
I began to gag again. "I…I need to go to the bathroom." I quickly excused myself, heading towards the door.

I opened it, stopping quickly. My heart dropped into my stomach when black met my vision. I gulped, tilting my head slightly to look up at the man. "Erm…" I hastily moved out of the way, opening him up to the room.

He stepped inside, gray-green eyes trained intensely on me. My heart jumped in fright. "Ah," the coroner distracted him. "You must be the body guard for Miss Short, eh?"

The man looked back at me but I was gone. "Yeah…" he murmured in a deep voice, a smirk playing on his lips. "Her bodyguard."

He opened the door, peeking out to see me disappear up the stairs. I ran up the stairs. I ran up the stairs as fast as my inexperienced legs could take me. I cursed being such a lazy, computer loving geek. Where was the athlete in me when I needed it?

I sprinted through the emptied common area, heading quickly up the stairs and to the upper levels. Perhaps I thought that if I stayed on the move he couldn't find me.

I doubted it, but it gave me something to latch onto, some meek feeling of hope. The terror that gripped my belly was like nothing I had ever experienced before. It was more than just a scary movie or someone jumping out at you unexpectedly. It was real and it was terrifying.

I paused for a moment, heart thundering in my ears as I keeled over to catch my breath. Never in my life had I run that fast for that long. I was so out of shape.
Footsteps reached me past the loud beat of my heart and I stiffened, eyes snapping to the door. I took one final inhale of breath and took off once more, racing to the opposite end of the building. I found the adjacent stairwell and leapt down them, taking several steps at a time.

People, I thought hurriedly. I need to find other people.

A screech escaped my lips as I missed a step. I caught onto the guard rail, barely managing to stop a stumble down the rest of the stairs. A short sob wracked my body. The adrenaline and fear were gnawing away at me, wreaking havoc on my emotions.

The door leading to the above floors opened and I spotted the man's grinning face peek over the rail. I choked, almost freezing as I locked eyes with me. He was going to kill me. I realized. Slice me up like that girl in the morgue.

Somehow, I managed to convince my terror-wrought brain to move my legs. If I could just get to a classroom, I figured I'd be safe. For a small amount of time. I bolted from the steps and out the door, racing for dear life.

I glanced hurriedly at the classrooms, trying to recover the rational part of my brain that would explain to me what class I had. It wouldn't come. Instead horrified thoughts filled my head. The dead girl, the stench of death, the face of the man. "It's Victor, Emily." I heard a deep whisper behind me.

I yelped, whipping around and falling straight onto my butt. He leered above me, a sadistic smirk plastered on his face. "It's interesting they showed you that body," he said thoughtfully. "They didn't show anyone else."

A sharp voice cut through my trance as I stared up at him. I momentarily looked away, spotting Merlyn and Ryan. I glanced back to Victor but he was gone. I took a deep inhale of breath. He was like a ghost…

Merlyn rushed over, falling to my side. "What are you doing?" her brow furrowed. "You look like you saw a ghost. What's wrong?"

"E-exploring." I stammered with a forced chuckle. "Nearly fell down the stairs. Frightening stuff…"

I rose to my feet, brushing myself off. "What are you two doing out of class?" I asked, distracting myself.

"We're both out to make a movie for religion." Ryan stated, waving the camera in his hand. "How's your spare going?"

Spare? I cursed silently. No wonder I couldn't recall my class. I didn't have one. "Er…Interesting." I replied. "I'm going to hang out with you guys while you're filming."

Ryan nodded and Merlyn grinned. "Awesome!" she beamed. "You can be in it and help us record too!"

I nodded, walking close beside them. Chills wouldn't leave me. I shuddered ever so slightly, rubbing my arms. "Ever feel like you're being watched?" I chuckled slightly, not feeling the least bit amused.

Ryan chuckled. "Sometimes, like it's the cops!" he joked. "Or maybe it's ghosts."
Merlyn nodded, grinning happily. "Maybe silly ghosts, in top hats and rainbow suspenders!"

I couldn't help but giggle as the image popped into my mind. "So where are we filming?" I inquired.

"First, I say we go to Starbucks." Ryan suggested. "And get something warm to drink that can get us thinking of ideas."

Merlyn agreed and I nodded along. The three of us made our way outside, trudging through the snow. "Oh!" Merlyn exclaimed, eyeing the chain link fence near the edge of the grounds. "Let's film something over there before we go. It could be like an action scene or something."

Enthusiastically, Ryan agreed and the two began to race over. I chuckled, slowly following after. A shiver ran down my spine once more. I glanced behind me, feeling eyes burning into the back of my skull. A dark coat caught my eye and visibly grimaced. Victor sent me a smirk, eyes twinkling maliciously.

My pace quickened to catch up with my friends. They were discussing how to clamber over and who would film it. "Can you do it?" Merlyn inquired. "Then after we can head over for hot chocolate."

I didn't have much say in the matter as Ryan thrust the camera into my hands. "Thanks, Em!" he beamed.

I grumbled quietly under my breath and opened the camera. "Ready," I called. "Action!"

The two haphazardly climbed the fence, acting like goofs while they did so, making all sorts of noises. I giggled, stopping short when a hand fell upon my shoulder. "I'm afraid I'm going to separate the three of you," Victor smiled slightly, attempting to look apologetic and polite. "I need to speak with Miss Short."
They nodded, not questioning him. He took the camera from my hands and tossed it over to them. "She'll be caught up for a little while." He said. "Sorry to spoil the fun."

"It's alright," Merlyn nodded. "We'll see you later."

The two of them scurried off quickly, leaving me in the hands of the psychopath. My legs tensed, readying to make a mad dash. My heart hammered against my rib cage, trying to escape the confines of my chest. He smirked darkly, tightening his grip on me. Sharp nails digging into my flesh. "I think you've done enough running today, Emily."

"W-what do you want?" I stuttered, shrinking meekly under his intense gaze.
"That's simple, Em." He purred. "You. "

I tensed, springing from his grip and tripping over my own feet, falling face first into the snow. It filled my mouth and eyes, burying itself into my coat and onto my flesh. I shuddered, coughing it out. "You've got the wrong person," I tried to reason.

Victor grabbed the back of my collar, hauling me up. "No, you're the right girl alright." He chuckled, taking a deep inhale close to my neck. "That scent is unmistakable."

I eyed him warily, attempting to pull away from him once more. My heart raced, hurting my chest and quieting the sounds around me. A low growl cut through my panic, coming from deep within his throat. He pulled my closer, his other hand reaching into his jacket. "You can comply and come willingly, or I can force you to accompany me."

A soft whimper emerged from my lips. I forced my body to go weak, to show my submission. Ashamed, I looked up at the school building with pleading eyes, hoping for someone, anyone to see and to call for help. No one was there, no one was paying attention. No one cared. "That's a good girl." The sound rumbled through his chest, rocking through me like an earthquake.

A sharp pain erupted in my shoulder and dark edges crept into my vision. I fell back into him, gasping out. A smirk broke onto Victor's face, smug as he caught my limp body. The last thing I saw before darkness completely consumed me was his cocky face staring down at me.