Stalker 101 (Book 1)

// 9 //

Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes
Crybaby - The Neighborhood

"If you wanted to a play game, you should have asked! Rather rude for you to start without me! But, nevertheless, if it's a game you want, a game you will have." My heart races faster than my legs as I dodge through the trees. The sun was now above the horizon and allowing the ice and dew to sparkle. I could feel the twigs and rocks cut into my feet, but my adrenaline was buying me some time from the pain.

"Since you graciously gave yourself a head start, I'll count to five. I hope you get this spirit of yours out of your system soon, god knows I can't deal with this rebellious phase any longer," I wanted to laugh at that comment, but I keep silent. I dodge through a few more trees before jumping over a log and crouching down as I land on my heel. If I couldn't outrun him, I could outsmart him. Well, I could try and if push came to shove I would beg. A shudder runs down my spine as I imagine begging for my life, especially from that.

"One, two, three, four, five!" A loud boom sounds right after the five. He must have shot the gun, what a waste of bullets. Then again, every bullet he fired meant another one that wasn't in my head. I pull my knees up to my chest and try to calm my radical breathing.

"You know, I think we could have been lovers in our past lives. Doesn't the idea just sound sweet to your ears? You and me for eternities, no one else every coming between us," My hands tighten around my legs. What could he possibly be going on about?

"So, tell me, Acacia? Why fight our obvious connection? We've been tied since birth, why fight nature? This is natural!" I wanted to scream at Jase about how unnatural all of this was. It wasn't natural, none of this was. Forcing someone to love you wasn't natural. Locking them in a room wasn't natural. Holding a gun to their head wasn't natural. Chasing them through a forest wasn't natural. It made me wonder who taught him that any of this was natural.

The crunching of leaves starts to grow closer to my hiding spot. My heart races. Was it too obvious? I tried so hard to make it look like I went one way and then another. I wanted to peer over my hiding spot so badly, but I restrain myself. The crunching of leaves stops and I hold my breath. What was happening? What was he doing?

The wood from the log splinters out next to, shards hitting my shoulder and arm. I leap up and run. How did he know I was there?

"Ah, there you are! Just as I thought, such a lousy hider," I run past a tree just as more wood hits my arm from the hitting the tree. I might be a lousy hider, but thank god he was a lousy aim. Any closer to me and I would have been more than nicked by wood.

I could feel the rocks piercing my skin, burrowing into the calluses on the balls of my feet. I couldn't stop the cries and tears coming from me anymore and let them out as I run. Jase was close on my heels, relentlessly chasing me down. I wanted to give up, I wanted to fall onto my knees and let the sobs take me. Yet, I knew better than to give into my emotions. I needed to get away from him. I wouldn't let him live out the sick fantasy that I loved him any longer.

The trees start to thin out and I could see a vast field. The green of the grass made me run faster, my knees bending at impossible speeds if I wasn't being chased. The cold no longer seemed to nip my face when I see the dusty orange horizon and the blue sky. The wet grass kisses my feet as I run into the open field, finally past all of the trees. My lungs wanted to explode, my tongue was as dry as a desert and my feet were no doubt in horrible shape. I wouldn't put it past if I wouldn't be able to walk after this.