The Killer Among Us

Chapter 8

2:34 am

Aria

Fear is the most catalysing of emotions. It can make you strong, brave, smart. In my case however, fear left me utterly helpless - it literally paralyzed me, like a venomous poison attacking my brain.

I still remember so clearly the shrieking noise to my left, coming from my window. It drilled through my dreams, waking me up to a state of utter confusion.

Almost instantly, the confusion turned to fear. When the fear took hold of me so suddenly, I found myself unable to move, unable to scream, unable to even think.

All my life I thought I was a fighter, a warrior. In that moment, however, I was simply a lamb being led to the slaughter.

The gust of wind that crept in through the window confirmed my fear: something or someone forced their way inside. Ringing through my mind continuously were the words I tried to ignore with all my power, "I am coming for you."

He was here now, fulfilling his prophecy.

I dared to glance toward the window and almost immediately regretted it. It felt like I had no power over my body, I was simply an observant, shaking in terror.

He slowly entered my bedroom, bringing with him the cold of the night. His heavy boots silently hit the floor. Somehow, he made no sound, like he was meant to do this, like this was what he did best.

Lying flat on my back, I looked up to the ceiling, hot tears streaming down my face and hitting the pillow. My fists were clenched and my entire body was shaking, giving me away.

He must have known I was awake. He must have known that I was unable to fight this.

His coarse breathing hinted at the arousal he was experiencing. My reaction must have only encouraged him more, it must have even excited him.

Light footsteps were approaching the end of my bed now, careful and precise. Like approaching his prey, he was stalking his way toward me, making no sound but his breathing, no swift motion whatsoever. Instead, he took his time, further indicating how confident he was in his ability to not be caught.

Everything he did was a power play.

When he stepped into my vision, my mind went blank. There was nothing to adequately describe the horror I saw. He stood so tall above me, full of power, full of strength.

His figure was but a shadow, dressed in only black. Broad shoulders, lean muscles, long arms - all indicators of the perfect predator. For a second I was wondering if he was even real or just a figment of my imagination, a glimpse of a night terror.

His face was hidden behind a black mask, terrifyingly expressionless. That's what scared me the most. There was no way to tell what he was feeling, no way to know what he wanted. The only features that were visible were his eyes.

My eyes met his for a split second, when suddenly, I was blinded by a bright, white light. I wanted to let out a scream, but he covered my mouth with his gloved hand.

I had no idea how he moved so fast, standing at the end of my bed the one second and in the blink of an eye pushing me down on my bed with unhuman force.

I felt the entire weight of his body and being that close to him made me sick to my stomach. Sweat and tears were the only indicators that my body was aware of the threat.

"If you scream, I will kill you," he commanded through clenched teeth, with a conviction that made me shiver, raising goosebumps all over my body.