Chapter 13

Scarlet POV ~~~

We were all seated in my living room, everyone in their thoughts. It was dark outside and no one had left. I had called Ian and the rest over after Eva showed me the note she had received from the unidentified somebody who is posing as Heather. After sitting and talking together, we all acknowledged the fact that we were all being followed and weird little things have been happening to each of us lately.

“You think she's alive?” Eric asked no one in particular while looking like a fearful child.

“Hey, we all saw her funeral, didn't we? I think someone saw us that day, but they did not report it and resolved to take courses into their own hands.” Selena chipped in, not sure of what she was saying. I looked up at Dylan and surprisingly, Dylan was modest the whole time since letting out about how he was also having weird vibes lately.

“It is dark, I gotta go, I told my mom I would be home before dark” Ian proclaimed all of a sudden.

“He's right, it's late I think you should all leave now, we will address the issue more again tomorrow,” I said while getting up and glancing at everyone one after the other. Everyone was in their sentiments.

Just when they attempted getting up to depart, ping sounds came from all directions, and we looked at each other with terror. The clanks were coming from everyone's bag or pocket. I pulled out my phone from my pocket and there was a message...

“ ENDING TOO SOON? OPPS...BUT I HAVE A LITTLE SURPRISE FOR YOU. A SHORT PERIOD OF DARKNESS TO MAKE YOUR LITTLE GATHERING PERFECT!!!”

LOVE

HEATHER.

I raised my head from my phone with my breath quickening in anxiety and looked at the others just to see the same look on their faces with their phones in their hands. It didn't take me a second guess to know that, they had also received the same messages, just like mine. Britney was trembling with apprehension. Since getting checked out of the hospital she has been a different person, she evolved into a very quiet and hoarded person, well who wouldn't after going through a life and death situation like the one she went through. Fortunately, there was no serious damage, just a few bandages which rejuvenated quicker than anticipated. It took a lot of effort to make her come to my place. She didn't want to come, but we all perceived it would be in her best interest if she was here.

Before we could even say “Jack”, the lights went out and the place went dead. I couldn't see a thing except for the glittering pebbles on Eva's purse. Someone muffled whines in the dark and I suspected it was Brit. A clanking sound came from outside and my heart skipped a beat. I looked around trying to figure out what to make of the sound.

“Did you hear that?” Selena stuttered with anxiety.

“I think we all did” I answered back nervously.

I switched on the torch on my phone and pointed it in the direction the sound came from.

“Who the fu$k is tryna mess with us” Dylan exclaimed. “Hey, show yourself and stop being a damn fucken coward!!!” He continued shouting in anger while banging the window with his clenched fist.

Another ping from someone's phone made everyone look again in the direction it came from. Eva looked slowly at us one by one, terrified as she stared at her phone in her right hand. She opened the message and whatever it was that she saw terrified her immensely. She froze and stared at the phone wide-eyed and raised eyebrows in shock. Suddenly, she flopped on the couch behind her and let out muffled cries.

“Eva what's wrong?? Are you okay??!” Brit pleaded has she made her way to Eva, that was the loudest she has spoken since she came here. Dylan also walked to Eva and took the phone from her.

“What the fu$k!!” He cussed while looking angrily at the phone. I walked to him still presuming what it could be that has gotten Eva all riled up. grabbing the phone from Dylan's hands, I looked at the content and gawked in disbelief, “OMG!!” I clamored.

I stood at the same spot staring at the content of the phone. It was from the same anonymous number.

It was a picture of Mrs Anderson, Eva's mom. She was in their house lying on a couch without moving. She looked comatose with her hands barely brushing the tile.

“ Is she conscious?” Selena inquired over my shoulder rhetorically. I avoided her question while my eyes adjusted on the phone in awe. My eyes fell on the clock hanging in their living room and a thought occurred to me. Hastily, I peeked at the time on my phone and I noted the time difference between when the picture was taken and the present time.

“Hey, I think the picture was taken twelve minutes ago” I announced with slight hope.

“Give me the phone, I have to contact her! God, why didn't I think of doing that first! I'm soo dump!” Eva cried out in frustration practically in tears. I handed her phone to her, and she starts dialing her mom's number almost instantly. The call was going through alright but no one answered it. She dropped the phone to the ground and plopped back onto the couch in tears. “

“What if she's still alive, and it's just some kinda prank?” Eric mumbled, biting his lips in anxiety not sure of his outburst. Eva tilted her head abruptly in his way with confusion written all over her face.

“I need to go” she stated as a matter of fact and ran out of the house slamming the door behind her leaving us all confused.

“Are we gonna go after her or what?” Dylan stared at me impatiently. He knew I would agree to go. I nodded my head slowly and looked at the rest for confirmation. Britney slowly nodded her head with hesitation.

“There is someone still out there!” Selena whispered while looking at the window with fear.

“We still have to be there for Eva, let's stick close to each other, and we will be able to make it out if here without anyone getting hurt” I asserted, a sense of a determination rising up in me out of nowhere. I understood Eva wasn't the likeable type of person, but we are all in this together, and we have to watch each other's backs.

My phone starts to ring and everyone became alarmed again. I turned my hands slowly and looked down at the caller ID. “Its Eva!!!” I blurted out.

I gazed at the answer button anxious of what the call was gonna be about and swiveled my head to look at the rest. Eva was rubbing her hands together in anticipation and Selena who was perched on the sofa was fidgeting uneasily in apprehension. I bit my lips in distress and pressed the answer button.