Heaven and Hell (Sherlock x Reader)

Chapter 2: Haunted

Before I continue the story, I want to place a TRIGGER WARNING here. This story is going to include themes of stalking, (occasionally) violence, and emotional distress. 

This chapter, in particular, may be especially distressing to some readers. When another chapter such as this one occurs, I will always provide an additional trigger warning at the top. Most chapters will not contain these themes as heavily as this one to ensure a pleasant and safe reading experience for everyone!

Take care of yourselves! Thank you so much for your support <3

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You ran inside and quickly locked the door behind you. You kicked your purse to the side and, with a lot of effort, pushed the heavy wooden table in front of the door. Wiping the beads of sweat off your forehead, you collapsed against the table and cried into your hands.

This was daily life ever since he appeared in your life.

It had started out with odd calls to your workplace. The phone would ring and, when you'd answer, the person on the other end would stay silent. All you'd hear was his heavy breathing into the speaker.

When that lost its effect, you began to receive emails filled with insults and threats. After several days, you had taken these emails to the police, but they had been unable to trace them and couldn't do much else.

The threatening emails soon turned into threatening letters. First, these letters were addressed to your place of work, but soon you were finding these letters on your own doorstep. It terrified you, but, again, the police did nothing.

One day, when you returned home from work, you found another letter on your doorstep. This time, it was soaked in blood. You spent that night at a hotel, too afraid to stay in your home.

Soon, the letters no longer satisfied your stalker. One morning when you left for work, you noticed your front door was covered in red paint. When you approached your car, you saw the threats and slurs that were scratched into the lacquer.

The police did nothing.

You became increasingly paranoid and afraid. It was taking over your life. You rarely left your house anymore, only going from and to work when you had to. Whenever you were outside, you would look over your shoulder at every turn, terrified he would be following you.

You installed four locks on each door leading outside in your home. You'd check and check the locks constantly. When that no longer worked to make you feel safer, you resorted to placing heavy furniture in front of your doors. It would buy you time if it ever came that far.

When the banging on the door and the footsteps in your garden started during the nights, you broke.

You had become a shell of the person you had always been. The young, kind, and nurturing woman you were had been crushed.

You needed it to stop. You needed to start over.

A loud crash at the door made you scream. You ran upstairs and hid in the bathroom, locking the door and pushing a cabinet in front of it. You grabbed your phone and rang the police.

The phone rang and rang but no one was answering.

You heard heavy footsteps ascend the stairs and stop in front of your bathroom.

"Help me!" you screamed at your phone. "Somebody help me, please!"

Another loud crash echoed through the house. The door trembled and shook with every punch.

"Help me!" you sobbed. "Please, he's going to kill me!"

No one heard you. No one came to help.

As your stalker landed his final punch on your door, it snapped open, taking the cabinet with it.

You screamed and cried, banging at the small window for anyone to hear you and save you.

The stalker put his hand on your shoulder and, right when you were about to see his face, you woke up.

You sat up in the hotel bed, drenched in sweat and tears rolling down your cheeks. You smashed the light switch and jumped out of bed, checking all the doors and windows.

It was a dream. It was only a dream.

You were in London, in your hotel. You were safe. He wouldn't find you here, not yet.

You were safe.

But for how long?