Page 57 of Deadly Secrets

I was fucked.

As I frantically checked my surroundings, I saw a small door that seemed to connect with another part of the building, maybe another classroom. It dawned on me that the psycho might have entered through there. Despite a part of me worrying that this door could be closed as well, I realized I didn’t have many options. The psycho was steadily closing the space between us, and the thought of falling into their clutches terrified me. Observing the figure, it didn’t seem like a grown man, but rather someone slightly taller than me, possibly a skinny college-age boy. The adrenaline pumping through my veins urged me to take the chance with the smaller door, hoping it could be my escape route. I lunged for the handle, my heart pounding with fear and uncertainty.

To my immense relief, the door budged, and I managed to slip into the adjoining amphitheater classroom just in the nick of time. My trembling hands hurriedly closed the door behind me, hoping it would buy me a few moments of safety. I glanced around the new room, searching for another way out or anything to help me defend myself. My thoughts raced as I considered my next move, knowing that every decision I made in this situation could be the difference between life and death. I ran down the stairs toward the main door. The door behind me cracked open.

“HELP!!!!” I shouted at the top of my lungs.

With a knot in my stomach, I turned the handle and, with a triumphant “YES!” I yanked the door open. As I stepped into the corridor, my body collided with someone. My lungs released a blood-curdling scream as two strong hands tightly gripped my shoulders, holding me in place.

To my surprise and relief, I recognized Professor Reed’s face, though my panic was still palpable. It took a few seconds for my mind to process that he had grabbed me.

“Miss Moore, what’s wrong?” he inquired, clearly alarmed by my distress.

Tears streamed down my face as I struggled to find the words. “We need to run. They’re gonna kill me!” I managed to cry out, my voice trembling with fear.

Confusion etched across Professor Reed’s face as he tried to make sense of my frantic plea. “Kill you? Who? What are you talking about?” he questioned urgently.

Desperate to break free from his grip and continue running, I tugged at his hands, but he held firm. I knew that if I couldn’t escape, both of us might face grave danger. My mind raced, trying to come up with a plan to protect myself and get Professor Reed to safety as well.

“Calm down. No one is trying to kill you.”

“Please, listen to me, James. Someone is back in that room with a knife, and they’re trying to kill me again!”

His eyebrows rose in surprise as I mentioned his first name, but with death lurking around the corner, literally, there was no room for formalities.

“Again? Miss Moore, stay here. Let me check the room.”

“No, please. Don’t go in there. They’ll kill you too!” I tried stopping Reed, but he strode resolutely toward the classroom I had just fled, leaving my warning lingering in the air.

He stepped into the room, glancing in all directions, only to find it empty. Closing the door behind him, he purposely walked down the hall to check the adjacent class. Also empty.

What the fuck? Where did the psycho go?

“Miss Moore, it seems you’re running from a ghost.”

I knew he wouldn’t believe me. Why would he? I just hoped that he didn’t mistake my behavior for drug use. Perhaps the psycho had made a discreet exit through a window—quite a reasonable assumption, considering we were on the ground floor.

“Let’s go to my office, and I’ll call campus security.”

We walked in silence, my skin feeling cold since the adrenaline rush had left my body. It was the second time they’d tried to kill me, or at least it seemed like that was their plan, and I had felt utterly powerless both times. A little girl cornered without a single ounce of fight in her.

“Here, sit. I’ll make some tea.”

I sat on the leather couch against the office wall to the left and grabbed a blanket to cover my legs. Professor Reed quickly prepared two chamomile teas, handing one of the mugs over to me while wisps of steam playfully danced in the air.

I told him everything, from the notes to the black dahlias to the Devil’s Night Fair incident. I felt like a broken record, repeating myself over and over again, asking anyone to listen and do something about it. The cops wouldn’t open an investigation, and campus security was a joke. I even suggested hiring a bodyguard, but Professor Reed insisted on speaking with the security team first to request any available camera recordings that might at least lend weight to my concerns when taken to the police station. When I started calming down, I took my phone out of my back pocket and dialed the one person I needed to see to feel safe again. After two rings, he picked up.

“What’s up?” Ander responded.

“Hey, could you come to Professor Reed’s office? I’m with him. It’s about the psycho… they’ve tried to…” My throat tightened, making it hard to finish the sentence, but it didn’t matter.

Ander read between the lines and replied swiftly, “I’ll be there in ten minutes. Don’t move,” before ending the call.

True to his word, Ander burst through the door after precisely eight minutes, his accelerated breathing revealing he’d rushed from wherever he was when I called him. Leaping from the couch, I clung to Ander, wrapping my arms around his neck. He circled his arms around my waist, pulling me closer, his entire body pressed against mine. A sob broke free from my lips, and Ander held me even tighter, whispering soothing words in my ear.

“I’m here, love. I’m here. You’re safe now.”

His voice soothed me in a way I couldn’t describe.

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