THIRTY-ONE

LAST BIT NOT EDITED

THIRTY-ONE

It was some intense stare off, both our eyes locked on each other's and both reluctant to back down. There was a time where I couldn't hold his gaze for more than a second but, as this twisted relationship bloomed, I wasn't as threatened by him anymore.

The deadly silence that continued to brew around us was deafening. I could hear my own pumping heart inside of me, dancing close to my throat. Every breath I took was jagged, a funny feeling following as I took short breaths.

I was a fool indeed if I thought Link wasn't scary anymore.

"I think we should call it a night." He said after awhile, his voice a welcoming sound to my ears. Any longer in this silence and I would have exploded in my own head.

"Yeah," I agreed, my own voice smaller than his. I pushed off the chair and walked it back to the front door, avoiding any possible way for Link to say anything further. "Leave the chairs, I'll do them in the morning."

I half expected him to refuse and put the chairs back himself but instead, he too stood up and made his way off the front porch. Clearly he didn't want to spend any longer around here. "Goodnight," he called back without looking over his shoulder and started to walk away.

I watched his figure slowly start to become darker and smaller, until he blended into the night and disappeared. My hand reached out behind me to the door knob but I didn't go inside straight away, lingering by the front for a few moments.

Several images were flashing before my eyes and I had a sickening feeling of regret. I wanted nothing more in life to have a normal life where my parents were supportive and not distance with one another. I hadn't spoken to my Mother what feels like years, my father even more. It felt strange, the feeling that slowly started to evolve inside me was primarily aimed at my parents.

A sudden urge followed that feeling, and without thinking my actions through, I walked back inside the house and quickly grabbed what I needed and walked right out, making my way home.

****

The walk home was long to my feet but in my mind it seemed like I got back to my house quicker than I was prepared for. I wasn't done mentally prepping myself, building a barrier in a way that no one could penetrate it, especially my mother.

As I walked alone the quiet darkened street, I let my mind wonder. I let myself finally just think everything through.

The question that haunted for an answer for more than two years planted itself back in my mind once again. Why didn't I hand myself in? The possibility of allowing the better part of my morality outshine my never ending fear sent shockwaves through me. The possibility of everyone finding out what happened, the shock that would swim over everyone and eventually lead to hateful eyes pinpointed on me led to bile filling in my throat.

I couldn't find it in myself, past all the heavy guilt inside me, to hand myself over. Everything would be worse and for now, I could let all that happened be how it happened. The situation was put to rest, apart from a very avenge-driven brother who wanted nothing more than to put me through a miserable life.

Alas, I was going away soon, moving away from this city and hopefully start my life away from all of this.

I was way too far in the back of my head to register the sounds of another pair of feet hitting behind me in this silent street, until they were suddenly very close. My head snapped up and my ears were wide open, listening carefully to the footsteps behind me and trying to make out what they were doing.

Were they following me? Or just walking fast? Or just walking?

I started to speed up, my pace quicken as my heart beat started to pick up. Nothing good would come to being followed or someone walking really fast behind you. I heard them pick up their own pace, and that's when I knew they were trailing me.

My eyes looked to the side, seeing if they could catch anything without my head having to move. With no avail, I decided to after mustering all my courage, to quickly turn my head around and hopefully catch the person who was behind me.

But when I turned... There was no one there.

I halted in my step and furiously looked around. I could not let this be passed of as my imagination. I couldn't let it get to a point where I actually heard something as clear as daylight for it to be nothing.

Regardless of my internal war, I couldn't see anything around the street and not even a figure far away incase they ran. There was nothing.

I didn't stick around to prove myself wrong. Instead, I hurried down the street, making sure that I had my eyes and ears peeled out for anything strange. I was scared, there was no doubt about that so it didn't help that I felt as though something was watching me. As close as my own shadow but hard to catch whenever I turned around.

I walked quicker than before, the hairs on the back of my neck standing as my head couldn't shake of the feeling that I was being watched... And followed.

****

I stood in front of a building that I used call home, regardless of the brick wall that blocked me from my parents and prevented me ever to build a stable relationship with them. Now, it looked like something out of a tv show, like all the accessories around it with props to make the house seem real enough for the viewers. But in the back of everyone heads, they knew it was fake because nothing was ever picture picture like that.

"Home sweet home they said." I muttered to myself, taking the final few steps to the front door. I reached inside my bag, diving right down to the bottom and fished for the key I hadn't used in a while. I finally wrapped two fingers around the cold brass, the familiar shape nearly sending me into overdrive. Memories, old memories came back to me when I was living this made up life where everything somehow seemed coordinated and well put together.

I put my key through the designated hold and unlocked the front door. It was like a bittersweet welcome home embrace as the usual scent of the house sprang up my nose, catching me by surprise at how poignant it was. I stepped inside and slowly closed the door behind me quietly, hoping that I didn't wake up my parents.

Out of habit, I put my shoes off and glanced at the bottom of the staircase. And as if nothing changed, I saw a pair of red wine heels and noticed that my father wasn't there. He probably wasn't home yet or something. I tip toed to the staircase and glanced up, trying to catch a glimpse of a light to indicate whether my mother was sleeping or awake. There were no lights on in the house. That should have been a sign but I foolishly walked up the stairs, forgetting that my mother would never sleep with all the lights out.

When I got to the top, I saw my parents bedroom door was wide open, with the curtains still open and moon light illuminating the room faintly. I decided to just check if my mother was in because her heels were down by the foot of the stairs. Slowly, making sure that I didn't make any sudden sounds, I walked down the narrow hallway and towards my parents room. When I got the door, I poked my head through the door and first saw that, surprisingly, the bed was made and second, my mother wasn't in sight.

She was probably out with my her husband or still mingling around doing god knows what. I was dancing around with a few other thoughts as to what my parents where doing right now in my head when I heard a loud bang doing come from downstairs.

My forehead crunched up into a frown and I slowly turned my head towards the direction of the door. It sounded as if something fell inside the kitchen which would make sense if my Mother had left something out. Nonetheless, I wanted to check so I left my parents bedroom and crept down the hallway, making sure to keep my ears still peeled out for any other sounds.

I wasn't expecting anything as I already crossed out in my head that the sound was something of the ordinary. But when I heard another bag just as my feet touched the last stairs, I was started to think twice about going downstairs.

I followed where I heard the sounds and it led me into the kitchen. I walked around the island, not bothering to switch on the light since I could make out mostly everything. I spotted the culprit within seconds. It was a empty salad bowl that fell to the ground and next to it, another empty plastic bowl that was still circling around its spot.

A huge sigh escaped my mouth. I should have known my Mother wouldn't put everything back. I leaned down and went to pick up the bowls off the floor, all the while thinking how my parents could be living their life so casually whilst I wasn't even there. I wasn't someone big or beyond special but I was their daughter. That should have some significance.

It was when I pushed myself to a stand, placed the bowls onto the counter when I realised I wasn't alone.

There was a black figure, standing opposite me with just enough distance to obscure their face. A silent scream came out my mouth as I quickly scrambled backwards, putting useless distance between the intruder and myself.

They didn't move.

They stood there, stoic in position, their dark eyes watching me as I stood alone, frightened to my core. I glanced at the bowl and without thinking at all, I jumped towards that side of the counter and reached out with both my hands. A few of my fingers barely managed to grab the bowl as I hurled it across the room. One of the bowls hit the figure on the chest whilst the other softly grazed his arm.

They didn't so much as flinch.

As panic washed over me I grabbed whatever was near me and threw it across the room. It was a sugar container and it burst open just as it sailed across the kitchen. The way it burst open and how it landed hard on the intrude shoulder got a reaction out of them. They stumbled backwards but quickly recovered, glancing down as the container rolled across the floor. They slowly raised their head up and I could feel, although not see, a pair of eyes glaring at me.

To my complete fear, they started circling around the island, closing the distance between us. My whole body shook, a scream waiting to shrill out from my guts. My feet moved on their own accord, making sure that as much as the figure moved, it would carry me a few steps away.

We circled around the island, slowly, both our eyes trained on each other. I saw their hand reach out and to my horror, every thing they came across went flying. The banging, the glass shattering, the cutlery flying. At every loud sound, I jumped and a shrilling scream escaped my mouth.

I was trapped. I was going to die and coming to that final realisation sent cold shivers up my spine. And then wild thoughts descended in my head. The shadow that was following me... They might of followed me home and saw that I was alone. I was going to die and no one could help me.

I nearly cried knowing that I couldn't get out of this. As the figure moved I saw that they were dressed in black from top to bottom, including a mask to hide their identity. From their shape I could put together that the person was quite lean and a male.

I was going to die and... From the corner of my eye, I noticed I was closer to the kitchen door than the intruder was. He realised that too because as soon as I made the quickest dash towards the door, he did too.

I screamed as loud as I could, hoping that maybe someone could hear me although the chances of that happening were extremely low. I ran towards the front door and tried to open it but was too late as he came from behind and a massive hand clamped down on my head. I felt the sharp pain come seconds after he pulled on my hair, dragging me all the way back and away from the door.

My legs and arms were darting out in every direction, hoping to at least catch him and somehow cause him to let go of me. My legs caught his shin as I kicked backwards and my hand grabbed for his arm around my face and dug my teeth as hard as I possible could.

I heard his own scream of pain being muffled by the cloth he had around his face and it caused enough distraction for him to loosen the hold he had on my hair.

With one hard pull, ignoring the furious jabs of pain that appeared on my head and all around my body, I broke free and raced up the stairs.

I fell on the landing but quickly scrambled across the hallway on my knees, all the while trying to tell myself not to panic. I did not realise the tears that streamed down my face until they fell on my hands. I ran to my room, hearing the intruder further break everything around the hallway as he made his way towards me.

I scrambled inside my room and quickly threw the door closed behind me and locked it. This did nothing to make feel any safer and away from him. I looked around my room in a panic haze, until I saw my desk and knew what use it could be for me.

My legs sprinted towards the desk and with this sudden force that appeared out of nowhere, I hauled the desk over to the door and pushed it against it.

My body collapsed on the spot. I could him destroy everything as he came up the stairs. "Oh my god oh my god." I breathed out, my voice cracking over each word.

I knew I wasn't safe but he would have to knock down the door and then come through the desk before he could get to me. Knowing that, I had a few seconds to think it through.

I pat the side of my pants and nearly cried with relief when I felt my phone in my pocket. I quickly pulled it out and without unlocking my phone I went to call the police. My fingers hovered over the simple numbers but they somehow didn't press down on anything.

If I called the police then they would find out everything. My initial fear of the police washed over me and it wiped out every rational thought I could possibly have.

I dropped my head back on the side of my desk and gathered my knees close to my chest. "Oh my god." I breathed out.

This was Link's doing. This was Link in a mask trying to kill me. Tonight, I reminded him that I was the enemy and all these false conversations was just a cloud over reality. I was the enemy. And now he was here to kill me.

My phone was still in my hand and again, without so much as thinking it through I called Link. It was suddenly very quiet. Until I heard him trace his finger around my door, the sound really low but to my ears it was louder than anything else he had done before.

The phone rang in my ear as my whole body trembled uncontrollably. If this was Link, his phone would vibrate and I could hear it.

But as the phone rang, I could him tracing his finger over the door, over and over again. But I couldn't hear any other sound.

Until I heard Link's voice come in my ear. "Hello?"

My heart sank. "Link," I said in a small, broken voice.

"Ori what's wrong?" He asked, instantly detecting that something was wrong.

I sniffed loudly. "Where are you?" I asked in a small whisper him even thought I knew the answer.

There was a pause before he answered. "I'm just around Palmer's house... I didn't actually leave."

"Link if you're not here..." I whispered, a tear sliding down my face. "Then who is behind my door?" My voice broke over the words just as I heard small knocks on my door.

////

>this is officially getting out of hand bye

> tell me who you think it is

>vote vote vote vote vote comment comment comment comment comment comment vote comment

> also guys, if you could check out @Wild_territory_ work! It's always nice to help as much people as you can and to promote positivity rather than negativity <3