Finding Madeline

Chapter 12

~3 WEEKS LATER~

Matt:

I looked at Madeline's beautiful, innocent face as she slept. She was extremely brave and strong. Her ankle was healed and her burns were transformed into scars. I got up every few minutes to check to see if the windows and doors were locked and secure. I was very alert but getting tired quickly. I had been on "night duty" lately, which meant that while Madeline slept I would stay awake until 3 am to watch the house. Her mom agreed with the idea of me staying here with Madeline because she was leaving for a business trip soon and she didn't want to leave Madeline alone for a month. The eerie silence of the night was abruptly interrupted by the ear piercing ring of my phone. I quickly answered it in attempt to keep the room quiet for Maddie, but she had already woken up to the noise.

"Matt is everything okay?" She mumbled, obviously still half asleep.

"Its my mom," I whispered.

"Matt I need to talk to you. I would rather do it at home than over the phone. Can you come home tonight?" My mom said to me.

I couldn't leave Madeline but I knew I needed to obey my mom. I would need to find an excuse to come back right away without giving away any clues about the real situation. Madeline and I agreed not to tell anyone what was really going on because if whoever was doing this to Madeline found out that we told the police, who knows what they would do. They could frame us and make it seem as if we are guilty of something. We couldn't take that risk because detectives were already suspicious of Madeline because of when she answered the question wrong in the interview for the brick incident.  She had to be interviewed again but Madeline told me they looked as if they didn't buy the story Madeline and I made up. We couldn't risk being framed and we knew that our parents and family would go straight to the police if they found out what was happening.

"Yeah mom sure but I need to come back soon, how long is this going to take?"

"Matt honey, I need you to spend a few nights away from Madeline. This, this is serious honey."

"Is everything okay? Wait mom, Madeline can't stay home alone while her mom's away!"

"Honey she's going to be fine I'm sure she's stayed alone before. I need you to come home."

"Um okay I'll be right over," I said as I hung up the phone.

"What's going on?" Madeline asked.

"I-I have to go home. My mom said she has something serious to talk to me about."

"Oh my gosh is everything okay?

"I don't know but are you going to be okay here alone?"

"I'll be fine...just call me and tell me whats going on because I'm worried now," She responded as she sat up in bed.

"Okay I'll see you soon," I said as I walked out of her room.

I was extremely worried to leave her alone but I was also worried about what my mom was going to tell me. I was so glad it was Thanksgiving break because these past two weeks had been stressful and my grades would've probably dropped if I was staying up all night to keep watch on her house. I walked out the door and a chilly wind hit me. I stepped off her front porch and shivered. I glanced around and saw the shadows of the trees and houses cast onto the road. I stiffened and became very alert to every noise around me. I walked over to the street where I parked my truck. I didn't park my car in front of her house because we didn't want the stalker to know that it was staying there 24/7. As I turned the corner, I noticed my truck was gone.

"What the heck?" I said as I whipped around in confusion looking for my truck.

I walked passed a few houses looking but it was nowhere to be found. I walked back to Madeline's house and suddenly felt like I was being watched. I whipped around and didn't see anyone so I shook the feeling off and continued walking back to her house. I heard footsteps behind me and turned around once again, this time too slowly. Before I knew it a black hooded figure hit me in the head with something hard. I fell to the ground barely clinging onto consciousness. I raised a shaky hand to my head and touched the spot where my head was throbbing with a sharp pain. I pulled my hand in front of my face and saw my fingers covered in blood through my blurry vision. The last words I thought before I passed out were, What's going to happen to Madeline?