Shadows of Deception

Chapter Two

I looked around, startled, realizing that I was back in the bathroom. I felt a sudden twinge in my stomach. I looked down to see that I was bleeding... I had a large open wound across my lower stomach. I gasped, seeing the blood ooze out. I frantically tried to apply pressure with my hands. I looked around... I was alone. The light was still flickering and I paused to make sure no one was coming. I struggled to sit upright... My whole body ached. I felt like I hadn't eaten in days. I continued to apply pressure as I slowly tried to crawl out of the tub because I was too weak to stand. I flopped onto the floor, my blood making my skin slick. I reached for the handle but I stopped when it started to rattle. I gasped, and tried to find a weapon of any kind, but had no luck. The door squeaked open, and I stiffened, trying not to make a sound. I saw two tendril like fingers curl around the door frame. I screamed and kicked the door shut. That's when the figure barged into the room, barreling towards me. I wrestled backwards, every movement sending sharp pains throughout my body.

"Brinley, wake up!" I heard a voice say. I gasped, jolting forward. I was panting and shaking. I met the eyes of Alice. She looked extremely worried.

"What happened?" I questioned, because she looked even more uneasy than I was.

"There was another murder Brin." She sighed, and I could hear the television in my living room going berserk. My eyes got wide, and I instantly threw myself out of bed and hustled into the living room. I wanted to know what was going on, even if it scared the hell out of me. When I sat down, I instantly regretted looking at the screen. There he was, lying in a pool of his own blood with his intestines slowly slipping out of his skins grasp. His eyes were opened, and he looked absolutely terrified. Tears poured from my eyes as I recognized the man to be Blake, the victim's brother. I was crying so hard it was starting to get hard to breathe. The incision on Blake's stomach was the same as mine in my dream. I couldn't help but feel responsible.

"I made him leave the coffee shop Alice. I made him leave! He'd still be alive if he was still sitting at that damn table! I'm so stupid! Oh god, I'm so stupid!" I screamed into a pillow as my body shook in agony.

"It's not your fault Brinley. Listen to me... It's not your fault. You had no way of knowing that this was going to happen to him... None at all, and if you did, we all know you would've let him stay in a heartbeat! Brin... It's not your fault." I looked at her, and she was crying too.

"Who would do this sort of thing Alice?" I questioned, my lip trembling. I hadn't known Blake for more than an hour, but I still felt a deep aching in my heart because of his death. Alice shook her head. "I just don't understand... I don't understand at all." Something caught my eye on the screen and I drew closer.

"A bystander caught this photo of a man leaving the scene last night. We have suspicions that this man could be our murderer. If you have any information on who this may be, please contact us at...." The lady continued to talk as I looked closer at the photo. The man wore a black mask, similar to the ones in my nightmares. He seemed very tall and lanky, but no identifiable features were shown. All I knew was that I wasn't safe.. No one was safe.

"Brinley, I have to go to work." Alice stated, her voice sounding dull. I swiveled around to look at her. "I'll be alright, I promise!" She tried to sound cheery, but my mind diverted to seeing her on that screen.

"You text me when you get there, when you're about to leave, and when you get home. If you ever feel scared, just text me and I'll come right away." My voice was shaking. She just nodded, knowing not to argue with my demands like she usually does. She started for the door, but I rushed to hug her. I had a sudden feeling that she wasn't coming back. "You be safe, okay?" She nodded and closed the door behind her.