Chapter 2
Caydence
I’m out for my nightly walk when I see the stranger. Him. I don’t know for sure that it’s a him, but judging by the build, it is.
He’s at the corner of my street, wearing all black with a mask over his face. The only thing visible is the glowing green eyes. A shiver runs down my spine as I stop at the other end of the block. I glance over at my door before looking back at the man. He cocks his head to the side and studies me. He has to be looking at me. There’s no one else out here at this hour.
I reach into my pocket and slide my cell out. Who the hell am I calling? The cops? He hasn’t done anything to me. My friends inside? What are they going to do?
I hold the phone in my shaky hand as I watch the man. I take a step in that direction and keep my eyes on him in case he moves. He doesn’t. He just stands there, watching me.
Another step, and my heart is pounding in my chest. I can actually feel each beat. I swallow hard and take another step, praying to God that this man doesn’t come rushing at me.
My eyes never leave those glowing green ones as I inch my way closer to the house. I glance down briefly just to dial Megan. Then I lift the phone to my ear.
“Hey, Cay. Where are you?” she asks.
“This is going to sound insane, but I need you to unlock and open the door for me,” I whisper into the line.
“Why are you whispering?” she asks.
“Megan, just do it. Don’t walk away from the door either. Be ready to slam it shut and lock it, okay?”
“Are you okay?”
“There’s a man at the end of the block watching me.”
“What? I’m calling the cops!”
“No! Just get ready,” I tell her. She huffs into the line and agrees as I keep my eyes on the man. He hasn’t moved an inch, and that makes me even more wary of what he’s doing there.
I slip the phone back into my pocket and look out of the corner of my eye to see Megan crack the door open. Then I take off. I full-on run up the front steps and into the house. Megan slams the door and locks it before we both lean up against it.
“What the hell was that?” she asks.
“I don’t even know. He’s dressed in all black and wearing a mask with glowing eyes,” I tell her. She chokes out a laugh, and I glance over at her, confused.
“Like the men in your porn books?” Now she’s full-on laughing. I slap her arm and shake my head.
“Seriously? I could have been taken, Megan!”
“By a masked man? I highly doubt that you would fight him much,” she laughs harder.
“Are you serious? My life isn’t a book!”
“But that masked man is. Are you sure about what you saw?” Now her laughter calms down slightly. I run my hand through my hair and nod.
“Yeah. He was in all black with a mask. He didn’t move, just stood there.”
“Should we call the cops?”
“And tell them what? That some weirdo in a mask was standing outside? He didn’t do anything.”
“That’s still weird though,” she admits.
“Very. It was so weird how he just stood there,” I tell her.
“Well, let’s double-check all the windows and doors,” she says as I follow her through the house. We check everything, making sure everything is locked and secured for the night.