Page 45 of Seek Him Like Shelter

I made sure my volume was silenced, and I lowered my screen to as dark as possible, not wanting the light to give me away when I finally got myself relatively safe.

I was watching my screen, praying to see the dot-dot-dot that said he was paying attention, that he would come to save me, when I heard the pound of my attacker’s feet moving through the library, frantically trying to find his missed target.

“I’ll find you, you stupid bitch,” he snarled, sounding winded still from the steps as I curled myself tighter, as if I tried hard enough, I could just disappear.

With no way for the adrenaline to escape now that I was stationary, it had me starting to tremble, starting in my belly, then moving outward until my whole body was shaking so much that I didn’t trust myself to lift my phone again to check and see if Elian had responded to my call for help yet.

Suddenly, the handle of the door was rattling, making me have to press my hand over my mouth to keep from whimpering, from crying out, as my breathing went fast and shallow again.

Sweat on the back of my neck dripped down my spine as he pulled it harder and harder.

He knew I was in here.

He was going to get in.

Then I had no hope of escape.

Both his hands slammed onto the door, a frustrated, childish move.

But then… then he was retreating, his footsteps growing quieter as he moved away, retracing his footsteps.

I pulled my hand from my mouth, cradling my phone with both of my hands so there was no chance of dropping it, and seeing a message from Elian. Several, actually.

Where are you?

What’s going on?

Are you okay?

Tell me where you are.

Elizabeth?

I could practically hear the panic through his words as I tried to type with my shaky fingers.

Town hall @ Jackson Middle School. Man here. Chased me.

It wasn’t long before I got a response saying he was ten minutes away, telling me to just hold on, asking me if I was safe.

Hiding under a desk in the office in the library. He tried to get in, but couldn’t. Walked off.

He texted me again, telling me to stay put, to keep calm, that he was coming to get me.

I had no idea what was going on outside of this office, if the town hall meeting was still going on, if there was still a crowd of people around.

All I knew was that Elian was coming, that I would be safe with him.

But no amount of knowing that eased the adrenaline still coursing through me, making my heart race and my skin feel like it was vibrating.

I did manage to slow my breathing, focusing on slow pulls in through my nose and hard exhales out through my mouth.

Slowly but surely, I wasn’t gasping for air anymore, wasn’t terrified that my attacker might come back before Elian could get to me.

My phone lit up against my leg, making me reach for it, still worried the low light might be seen through the window.

But it was Elian texting me, telling me he was here, that the meeting was over, and the place seemed deserted.

Panic swelled again, the idea of my attacker in this sprawling building, maybe hiding somewhere, waiting for me to think it was safe and move out, of him getting Elian instead.

---