AkumaQuil

He inches closer, a single finger roaming her heated skin. Breath mingling with breath. 

A loud bang vibrates through the room, so thunderous as if god himself was furious.

Slowly he looks up staring out the large glass windows to the backyard, 

"You have a visitor." His rasps calmly.

"Who?" Rose quickly fires, feigning ignorance. She knew well enough who it was. Her nightly visitor has arrived.

Surprising, He only visits when she is alone.

"One who comes out at night. Lurking in the shadows, in the darkness... just like its intensions."

He looks down still leaning on top her, once more pinning her with his intense gaze.

"Are you afraid?" His voice dead serious, eyes going back to look outside.

And Rose lied, "No." 

But is it a lie when her fear was never really rooting enough to make her run the other way but instead often getting mixed with exhilaration.

"You should be."  

He leaves her staring wide eyed on the sofa and goes to stand before the glass panes.

"It's not happy to see me here. I can see the raging pits of fire in it's gaze. Ready to burn me right where I stand." he chuckled, sounding most sinister, "It definitely wants to rip my innards out."

"You should take off your shirt." He suggests casually.

"Excuse me?"

"Let's see if it riles him up even more to shatter instead of just slamming the windows like a wuss." He rouses under his breath, his excited provocative tone not escaping Rose's attention. 

What the hell is he up to?

"This isn't funny." Rose sputters out, standing up from the couch.

"I'm not trying to be." He faces her again, sporting a deadpan face. 

"Whatever. You think I'm one of your stupid fan girls to take my shirt off just because you want to rile someone up? Besides, there's probably no one outside and you're only making it up to see my boobs like a pervert."

His eyes roams her from top to bottom, there was distaste evident in his gaze.

"When he comes at night and leaves a little something for you, maybe then you take off your clothes for him... like a slut." Rome stared into her eyes with nothing behind those icy orbs to show for a lack of meaning behind his words. Because he means every single thing he says to her.

"Get. Out. Now!" Rose boomed furiously. 

"Whatever, I was leaving anyway. This has become boring." He walks towards her front door.

"Wait. How do you know he comes at night and leaves something?" her eyes narrow.

"Because I've seen it before."

"You saw him? It is a real guy?" Rose wanted to confirm, for some reason she thought otherwise.

"I never said I saw him. I've only seen it happening to someone else." 

"Whom?" 

"You don't need to know." He closes off.

"Then at least tell me what happened to her? Can I meet this person?" 

"You can't." Refusing calmly he was almost out the door when Rose pleads against hope.

"Please."

"You can't because she disappeared." Those were the words that finally did it. Brought her racing heart and buzzing head to a sudden halt. "Never to be seen again." 

 "When he stops visiting, that's when you should be most afraid." His words rang like a siren in the silence of her mind as he left.

Now she felt true fear for the first time.

==

In the embrace of her ancestral town, Rose seeks refuge from the echoes of her past. 

Little does she know, her return to her roots will awaken dormant shadows, shattering ordinary her existence. 

For when the darkness falls over the town, from the pitch black rises a shadowy figure that haunt her nights. 

In the darkness he sweeps her off the ground in terrible fear and the allure of sinister intrigue.

And once the sun comes, a man with a god awful attitude, haunts her in the broad day light. Causing her to swell with pure disdain. 

With each passing night, it draws closer to Rose, casting a chilling spell that both terrifies and exhilarates her.

Thrust into a labyrinth of mysteries can she navigate the treacherous path laid before her, or will her nightly visitor consume her whole?

He Comes At Night

She forces another small smile. "PB&J. That sounds good."

Jake nodded, leading her to the kitchen.

The small dining table had never looked so inviting. She sat down, gripping the blanket around her shoulders while Jake moved around the kitchen.

The rhythmic sound of spreading peanut butter and slicing bread filled the air, oddly comforting.

Eating was all a ruse, in truth, Rose just wanted to spend some more minutes of peace and escape before she was alone again, up in her room. The room that looks over directly to where he resides.

"So," he started, placing a plate in front of her distracting her eyes from once again moving to the windows-it was beginning to hurt her eyes, "work's been a bit crazy lately."

Rose took a small bite of her sandwich, if only to appease him. "Yeah? No kidding, you've been pretty busy."

Jake sighed. "Yeah, we just acquired a new business partner. She's… demanding. Very professional, but the workload has been insane." He took a bite of his own sandwich, as if trying to shake off the stress. "Speaking of work, that reminds me…"

He hesitated, glancing at her. "I have to leave town for a few days."

"It's a business trip. Out of the country. I wanted to check with you first, make sure you're okay staying here alone for a bit."

Alone. In this house. For days.

She fought to keep her expression neutral, but the silence must have stretched too long because Jake's brows knit together in concern. "Rose?"

She forced a breathless chuckle, waving a hand. "Oh—yeah. No big deal. I mean, what's the alternative? A babysitter?" She laughed awkwardly.

Jake smiled. "If I could get out of this, I would. But… you're sure?"

"Yeah, totally. Take your time. It's work—you can't help it. When do you leave?" She asks absentmindedly taking a bit out of her sandwich and taking a peek at the window as if he could hear them.

The bite she was chewing was sucked back in her throat as a gasp left her leading her to cough and slightly choke.

Tomorrow? She was hoping to live under his warm protective presence for a few more days before once again battling with the growing darkness of her stalker.

"Oh god! are you okay?" Jake scrambles out of his chair and fetches Rose some water. She nods through the tears that came because of her choking, or so she would like to have him believe.

"I am fine. And I promise I'll try not chewing like a train getting late while you are gone."

Jake nodded, but his eyes lingered on her, like he was still debating if she's really okay. "I was worried about leaving you alone, especially since it's still a relatively new town for you... And of course you choking on food."

"I'm fitting in just fine," she said, though her tone came out flatter than intended. "And I just promised not to choke to death, didn't I?

Jake sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Alright. But... If anything happens, you call me. Okay?"

"Okay I will," she murmured. Or someone else will.

She picked at her sandwich, stomach twisting. She couldn't let Jake know how much she wasn't okay with this.

Because then he'd worry. Then he'd stay. And she couldn't let her paranoia—her stalker—interfere with his life.

Besides being alone wasn't the actual problem, Rose was worried about.

It was the fact that she had a feeling she wouldn't truly be alone in this house.

Because she didn't know if she had ever really alone in this house anymore.

And once again, she found herself gazing out the glass panes and into the shadows of the night engulfing the woods and what lingers behind.

104. Alone in the House