Page 39 of Hide Me Darling

Yes I’ll pay the price.

UNKNOWN

Let’s test your willingness then shall we? You want to know if we kill for a reason? Yes we do, we always have a reason behind why we kill.

And this is the issue with playing this game with them, they can give me an answer without giving me any details to go with it if I don’t ask the right question. And now simply because they responded to the question I owe them something.

The seconds drag as I wait for what will be my payment. I can feel my heart starting to beat faster in my chest. Finally, my phone buzzes again, and I quickly read the message.

UNKNOWN

Your first payment is simple. Tell us something personal. Something no one else knows about you.

I take a deep breath, my mind racing through possible answers. I need to be careful with what I reveal. Giving away too much could be dangerous, but giving too little might not satisfy them. I decide on something that is personal, yet not too revealing.

I sometimes wish I could be more like my sister.

I hit send and wait, my anxiety building with each passing second. The response comes quickly.

UNKNOWN

Interesting. A small payment, but it will do for now. Keep asking, little shadow. Every question brings you closer to the truth, but also deeper into our game.

I need to be strategic here. I think carefully, trying to phrase the next question in a way that might yield more useful information.

How do you choose your victims?

I hit send and take a large drink of my coffee, the warmth doing little to calm my nerves. My phone buzzes again, and I quickly read the reply.

UNKNOWN

The people we kill are chosen carefully. They are not random. There is always a reason behind each of our kills and a lot of research goes into selecting them. But that's all you'll get for now.

Tell us about your biggest regret.

I swallow hard, feeling the weight of the question. My biggest regret is something I’ve never shared with anyone. It’s deeply personal and painful. But I need to keep them talking, to get more information.

Not admitting my feelings for someone before I lost him.

I hit send, feeling a pang of sadness wash over me. The response comes quickly.

UNKNOWN

Regret is a powerful emotion. It shapes us in ways we often don’t realize. You’re doing well, little shadow.

So far, their answers are just vague enough to keep me guessing, yet they hint at a deeper, more intricate plan. I need to dig deeper.

Was there a specific event that made you start killing people?

The response is almost immediate, as if they were expecting the question.

UNKNOWN

There was a catalyst, yes. A significant event that set everything into motion. But what that event was... you'll need to earn that answer, little shadow.

Why do you call me ‘little shadow’?

Wait, that wasn’t one of my questions.

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