Page 14 of Affliction
I slowly roll onto my side, Ashlynn is passed out next to me, and I slide my eyes over to the doors that lead out to the deck. It’s there. Whateveritis. I can sense it.
The sun is making its descent across the sky and a soft orange hue bathes my bedroom. Without looking at the time, I gather it’s around four o’clock since it’s late fall and the sun, whenever it decides to show up, starts setting earlier than I’d like.
I stare at the doors for what seems like an eternity. Teetering on the verge of hyperventilation and feeling like I want to crawl out of my skin. But I don’t want to scare my friend. What would I say to her if she saw me?
Oh yeah I’m totally fine. I’m pretty sure someone is watching me, but every time I try to see it on camera nothing is there.
No thank you. I feel crazy as it is, it would break me if she looked at me in a similar light.
I continue my stare down with the french doors when I see a shadow make its way closer. An infuriated scream bubbles in my chest, but I stifle it. Not wanting to spook it, hoping it reveals itself and confirms I’m not off my rocker. My eyes begin to burn the longer I keep them open, not wanting to miss my opportunity to catch a glimpse. That’s until the burn becomes so intense I submit to a blink. When I open them again, the shadow is gone.
What the ever loving fuck is happening?
A lump the size of a softball forms in my throat as a rogue tear slides down my cheek and I wipe my nose with the blanket.
I’m not crazy…I’m not crazy…I’m not….
There was something, no, someone there. In the middle of the day. I saw it. Eluding my cameras, fucking with my peripherals, haunting me in a way that every figment in my head is out to get me.
After checking the cameras, and seeing fucking nothingagain,I decide against anymore sleep. Every time I close my eyes it’s like whatever it is senses my relaxation and decides to fuck with me.
Ashlynn wakes up for her shift a little while later and she looks at me with pity, and I hate it. I don’t ever want anyone to feel bad for me. Ever.
“You don’t wanna be late and you need to go home and change. I’m good, I promise. Go. I’ll see you tonight.” I try to assure her. She tries to argue, offering to call out and stay with me a little longer and while I appreciate the thought, I cannot think of anything worse right now. No, I need her to go. After I finally manage to usher her out the door, and making sure once again everything is locked tight, I storm back to my room.
Back in bed on my side facing the locked doors of my bedroom, my Ruger rests next to my head, hand on the grip. I wait and wait, but nothing happens. No shadows, no footsteps, no sense of being watched. Nothing. The lack of solid sleep is getting to me. That has to be it. I resolve to make a call tomorrow to have my security system looked at, and possibly have the cameras replaced. That seems to be the one thing I can control right now, but it doesn’t quell the madness that begins to rage in my mind.
I’m losing it.
I’m drowning in my thoughts for so long I lose track of time. I have to start getting ready for work. Hastily rifling through my chest of drawers, I pull out my clothes and toss them to the bed, dreading another long night running on no sleep.
Chapter nine
PING!
Email after email hits my phone, like clock work. Consultations, new contracts to be signed, but this one is the one I’ve been waiting for. It’s from Slater, one of the men that works with Karson and I. He handles a lot of the techy shit for the business, a genius in his own right, and can hack into any camera system anywhere on the globe. He can also find anything on anyone in record time, so I gave him a name and he delivered.
Parker Reigh Ellis
Date of Birth: January 23, 1996
Place of Birth: The Dalles, OR
Mother: Nancy Elaine Ellis
Father: Jason Michael Ellis
Current Residence: Bend, OR
What?I needed to know more about her.
There are a few more details in the report. Where she went to high school, first job, current employment status, things of that nature. It may seem mundane to most but I pride myself on knowing everything about my targets. I smile to myself as I read the report over and over and overagain, confident I’m wearing down the touch screen with the constant scrolling.
My girl has a perfect background. Good schools, lived in the perfect suburban neighborhood, with what looks to be loving parents who moved to Florida a couple of years ago, a lot of friends. Everything looks perfect.
I call bullshit.
Something about this report seems off to me. No one is this clean. And I mean no one. For some people it’s a minor arrest, flunking a class or two, and some sort of debt whether it’s credit cards, medical bills or loans. Parker has quite literally, the perfect report. It’stooclean. She is either the model citizen, or someone somewhere knows how to falsify a background check. I’m going with the latter.
