Don't Fall in Love in Witness Protection

Chapter 2: Playing Hooky

C H A P T E R ( 2 )

Charlotte could feel someone watching her. She shrugged it off as paranoia and continued chatting with her friend Stacy. They had just finished school for the weekend and were planning a girls night for Saturday; movies, chocolate the usual. As they exited out the front double doors of the school Charlotte couldn't help noticing the strange weather that afternoon. The sky was dark and cloudy, and there was a low rumble of thunder off in the distance which was so rare for that time of year. Kids were calling out to each other, laughing, happy that it was the weekend but Charlotte couldn't shake her strange, eery feeling. It had been seven months in their new town and Charlotte had finally felt comfortable walking to school by herself after countless talks with the detectives and counsellors to try and live a normal life. She tried to snap herself out of her little funk and turned to say goodbye to Stacy. She was being stupid, paranoid and needed to get over herself.

That's when she saw him.

Standing by the school gate, wearing a long black coat and dark beanie. He was staring straight at her, confused as though trying to comprehend the change in her appearance.

She felt an icy dread wash over her, like a cold bucket of water and she stood very still, their eyes locking across the grounds.

'Charlotte?' Stacy turned around and looked at her friend worried. 'What's wrong with you sweetheart?' She had noticed her friend had gone deathly pale, she looked like she was about to throw up.

Charlotte's hands were shaking and she felt frozen in her spot.

'Charlotte?' Stacy tried again waving her hand in her face.

'It's him,' Charlotte whispered to her, not taking her eyes off his face. 

'What?' Stacy frowned following her gaze and looking around the grounds. 'Who?'

Suddenly his face broke into a broad smile and he started walking toward her. That was the kick in the guts Charlotte needed, she knew she had to get home to their safe room where they could call the detectives. She took off without another word, sprinting down the side of the school and clearing the small hedge on the border easily. She didn't turn back to see if he was following her, she knew he was. She hit the fork in the road and made the split decision to cross through the small wooded area, as it took minutes off the trip home. The other way was through suburban streets but was much longer.

'Wait!'

She heard his voice, and it was louder than she expected. He was closer than she thought. She turned her head to peer over her shoulder and spotted him only a few meters behind, Charlotte picking up the pace feeling that panic spread through her body when suddenly she tripped on a branch lying on the path. Her whole body fell forward with a smack onto the floor....

Charlotte woke up with a scream.

Grace was at her door in seconds, 'What? What is it?'

Once she acknowledged it was only a dream, her breathing returned to normal and Charlotte frowned at her mother. 'I had that dream again.'

Grace sighed and sat down on the edge of her daughters bed, 'Which one?' She could see Charlotte was terrified, every time she had these dreams they almost went back to square one.

'Where he showed up at school, when we were in Ranger Downs...' Charlotte sat up in bed wiping the visible sweat off her forehead. 'When he chased me through the woods, only this time I woke up when I fell just before he caught up to me...'

Grace frowned and rubbed her daughters legs through the blankets, 'You poor thing. I'm so sorry about all of this.'

'Mum, it's not your fault,' Charlotte shook her head.