Page 3 of Haunt Me

The fear of a break-in or someone already inside grew with each step. Every creak and rustle heightened my nerves. I tried to breathe steadily, hoping not to beheard. The deafening silence and the fear of not being alone suffocated me.

This is it. I’m getting killed tonight.

At least I don’t have to write the exam then.

I take a deep breath as I move cautiously through the rest of the house. Every step feels like an eternity as my heart pounds in my chest. Fear grips me as I wonder what I might find. But as I scan the room, everything seems to be in its place. My heart skips a beat as I hear a loud thump from outside the window. I whip around to face the source of the noise, my eyes wide with terror.

For a moment, I stand frozen, my mind racing with possibilities. What could be out there? But as I take a few deep breaths, I try to calm myself down. Despite the fear that courses through me, there's also a strange sense of euphoria. The adrenaline pumping through my veins feels thrilling and terrifying all at once.

With my heart still racing and my breath uneven, I slowly approach the window. I'm not sure I can handle any more surprises. But I know I have to face whatever is out there.

As I reach the window, I use my fingertips to pull back the curtains, just enough to get a peek. And there,on the ground outside, I see the culprit: a small, black cat. It had knocked over one of my plastic flower pots, causing a loud thump that had set my heart racing.

Are. You. Fucking. Kidding?!

“You asshole,” I muttered, trying to get my heart to a normal beating rate.

Trying to calm myself down, I take deep breaths and make my way to the kitchen. After all that excitement, my mouth feels like a desert. I quickly down a glass of water to quench my thirst. Gulping it down, the coolness of the water ran down my throat, soothing my parched mouth.

After ensuring that my front door is locked, I head to my bed. Scattered papers on the bed remind me of the chaos that I had just been through. I tidy up and gather all the papers, making sure that everything is in its place.

With a deep sigh, I get under the covers and glance at the clock. It's 3 am—the Devil's hour. The eerie silence of the night surrounds me, and I try to shake off the feeling of unease that creeps up on me. As I close my eyes, I try to calm my racing mind, hoping to get some rest.

Chapter 2

Starlet

Recently, I’ve been strugglingto sleep well. It feels like I haven’t slept in days. Every night, I wake up at three in the morning for no reason. I’ve tried warm milk and meditation, but nothing works. The lack of sleep is affecting my daily life. I’m exhausted all the time.

I can’t shake the feeling of being watched. It’s frustrating, to say the least—likely a result of the spine-chilling experience I had just last week.

As I sat in the classroom, my mind was filled with a mix of nervousness and anticipation. I had spent countless hours studying for the exam, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of dread as I waited for the Professor toarrive. Meanwhile, Chloe was rambling on about her brother's high school friend, who had returned after several years. I tried to focus on her words, but my mind kept drifting back to the exam, wondering if I had studied enough to pass.

“Is he hot?” Benji asks with a smirk on his face.

Benjamin Alton—aka Benji, is a close friend of ours and a complete man-whore. He’s a real sweetheart and handsome, no doubt. With his dark brown hair, cut short with curls on the top of his head: Ocean blue eyes, tanned skin, and a body to die for.

Girls fall on their faces to get to him, but the thing is—he’s gay.

“Sorry to burst your bubble, Benj, but he doesn’t swing that way.” Chloe, in fact, did burst his bubble.

Highly upset, Benji just rolled his eyes and sat back in his chair, like a child who didn’t get candy—making Chloe giggle.

“You two sound like a bunch of horny teenagers. And be quiet now. I see the professor coming.” Suddenly, my phone starts vibrating. Taking it out of my pocket, I glance at the screen.

*Unknown caller*

That’s odd.

Frowning, I press the phone against my ear, “Hello.” I say in a hushed tone, but there’s no response. Something about this phone call makes my skin crawl, and the hair at the back of my neck rise. I quickly end the call just as the professor walks in.

I try to get my head back to the test, but I can’t help but feel that this phone call has something to do with everything that has been happening to me. If so, how the hell did this person get my number?

“That test was brutal, Mr. Thompson saideat shit,” Chloe complains as we sit on my couch, having a well-deserved drink.

“It wasn’t that bad, I think I’m gonna ace it.” Even though I spaced out most of the time. The unknown caller really messed with my head and after the test, I had another two missed calls from the unknown number.

“Yeah, well, says Miss Perfect who’s been studying for more than a week.”

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