AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I wasn’t entirely sure where I was going with it at first, but before long, Manson’s house began to take shape on my paper. Idrew it with a new front porch, focusing in on little details in the wood and framing around the windows.
It wasn’t true to life, but that was the point. A big part of my job was being able to envision what could be, the potential within a building or plot of land. That possibility needed to be captured, put on paper and perfected before it could be made real.
Before I knew it, time had gotten away from me. When I lifted my head from my sketchbook, stretching the ache out of my neck, it was already dark outside. I set my drawing aside and picked up my phone, finding another text from Danielle.
Hey girl! Are you down to hit up Billy’s? It’s karaoke night!
I sighed, tossing my phone aside on the couch. No, I wasn’t down to spend the night at a dive bar with Danielle, Nate, and whoever else they brought along. I knew exactly what Danielle was doing too. She thought they’d taught me a lesson, knocked me down a few pegs so I’d keep my head down and fit back in with the group.
We’d done the same damn thing to new girls on the team. If anyone came into the team a little too cocky, we’d find a way to break them, then keep them close, making them earn back our good graces.
It was fucked. There was a reason Wickeston’s cheerleading team had been considered so vicious — I’d helped make sure it stayed that way.
Besides, why go to a dive bar when I finally had the opportunity to watch whatever documentaries I wanted without my mom or sister complaining they were boring? I put a bag of popcorn in the microwave and sat on the kitchen island as I waited for it to cook, mindlessly scrolling my phone.
Click.
I paused. That had sounded exactly like the latch on the storage room under the stairs. Itcouldn’thave been, obviously. Butthen…whathadthat sound been?
I slid down from the island and peered into the hallway. The storage room door was closed. The only sound was the decorative wooden clock on the shelf next to the stairs, slowlytick-tick-tickingtoward the next hour. The house was so quiet I could have heard a pin drop.
The first of the popcorn kernels burst and the sound made me jump so hard I laughed. It had been so long since I was home alone; I was actually getting freaked out. I shuffled back into the kitchen, and after browsing through my mom’s wine collection, I poured myself a glass of Moscato. That would help me chill out.
I returned to the living room with my popcorn and wine, but I was feeling too chilly now to keep going around without pants. I was on my way to the stairs to get my sweatpants when I walked into the entry hall again and realized something had changed.
The screen and keypad for the security system were blinking as if they’d been reset. I typed in the code to arm the system, but the pad beeped, and ERROR flashed across its screen.
I sighed heavily, but it wasn’t worth messing with. Our neighborhood was hardly dangerous. As long as the deadbolt was locked, then —
The front door was cracked open.
I stood very still as I stared, the slightest whisper of wind squeaking in through the crack. I couldn’t remember stepping outside even once today. Did my parents forget to lock up this morning? I could have sworn it was closed only minutes ago.
I closed the door, turning the lock and the deadbolt. Goosebumps prickled over my arms, and I waited, listening intently. Iknewthe door had been closed. I’d walked through the hall multiple times that day and had never noticed an error on the security system.
A thump made me whip around toward the stairs, my heart pounding. A footstep? I started for the stairway but abruptlystopped myself. This was not a horror film and I wasnotabout to become the first to die by running to investigate a mysterious noise. I hurried back into the living room and grabbed my phone.
A text from Lucas was waiting for me.Are your doors locked, fucktoy?
Cold realization dawned on me, and I cursed, the frightened tension easing out of my chest. I should have known they had something to do with this.
I texted back.Yeah, my door is locked.Why wouldn’t it be?
They thought it was funny to break-in and scare me? Oh, I’d show them something funny.
I snatched one of my mom’s magazines off the coffee table and rolled it up. I kept my phone in my hand as I crept back into the hall, all my senses on high alert. Which one of them was it? Or was it all of them? My stomach quivered with excitement, like I was playing a twisted game of hide and seek.
A message from Vincent popped up next.If a cheap lock pick kit from the joke store can get through your deadbolt, I wouldn’t trust it to still be locked, Jess.
Jason’s text followed right after.Tell your parents to replace your security system. The company hasn’t even patched a three-year-old security exploit, they can’t keep you safe.
Another soft sound came from the second floor as I started up the stairs. I tucked my phone away and gripped the rolled-up magazine a little tighter.
“I know you’re up here!” I called, my loud voice sounding strange in the empty house. It was so silent.
My trepidation only grew as I reached the landing, and my gaze flickered to the doorways before me. All other rooms were closed, but the bathroom and my bedroom were open.
“Come on, guys,” I said, my voice trembling despite myself. “Stop hiding! Do whatever it is you came here for and…” I fell silent as I peered into my room. Something had been written on my vanity mirror in red lipstick, the words unreadable until I got closer.
