A Thief in the Night...

Ch. 6 - A Mad Idea

Taurtis hadn't touched his phone all day, shell shocked from the message. He hadn't even opened it, the words embedding themselves into his brain. He wanted to convince himself that someone was just trying to scare him, deciding to play a very mean prank, but he couldn't. He was next. He was the next victim of this unknown killer. He knew he should tell someone, at the very least, Grian, but he couldn't. Just shoved his phone to the bottom of his bag and hoped that some vortex opened up and took it as far away from him as possible. Even worse, he had to keep up a happy attitude for the rest of the day. Though he was sure that by the end, Grian was beginning to have his doubts.

Taurtis was terrified, walking to Dom's house, since he promised he'd come over after school and after checking in with Sam, so he didn't do something crazy. He held his phone in his hands, debating whether or not to unlock it. He had to know what picture was attached. He just had to, no matter how scared he was.

He turned on the screen, seeing the message flash at him again. He swiftly unlocked his phone and clicked on the messaging app, scanning over the picture. It was of him and Dom walking to his house after school the other day. Great. Just great.

He nearly jumped when the other person began typing. He watched the bubble carefully, waiting for someone he knew to say, "Haha! Got You!" But then the message appeared, "I'd answer back swifter next time."

Taurtis sent back a "Who are you?" Had this person just been staring at their phone, waiting for him to open the text? How else could they have known?

"Follow my instructions carefully, and everything will be just fine."

"What if I don't?"

The person sent a video this time. Taurtis hesitated before clicking on the video. It was dark, though a light flicked on, filtering in through slits of what looked like a door, maybe to a cabinet or something. The camera moved to peak out of the slits. Taurtis gasped as he recognized the room. The trophies on the walls, water bottles on the nightstand, the hats placed on the bedposts, and the purple bed sheets. He froze in place when Dom entered the room, throwing his back to the side of the bed before plopping down next to it. He was on his phone, typing away at it. Then Taurtis phone buzzed with a new message. Dom was asking him where he was.

Taurtis started running before his brain caught up. The video was live. Dom was unknowing in the same room as a killer, a murderer. The same murderer that killed Salex.

Taurtis pounded on the door. Dom opened the door, "Hey, what's-" "Hang on," Taurtis bolted up the stairs, he flew the closet door open, only to be met with nothing. He let out a sigh of relief. His phone buzzed again, "Have to be quicker than that."

"Taurtis?" Dom stood in the doorway, "What's wrong?"

"I-I," Taurtis rechecked the video; it ended when Dom got up to answer the door, within that time the killer slipped away, but where? They could still be in the house.

"Taurtis?"

His body shook, "Dom, come here."

Taurtis wrapped his arms around him. Dom rubbed his back, "What? You're kinda scaring me."

Taurtis pulled away, "I think I might be next."

Dom's eyes went wide, "What?"

"I think this killer just messaged me today, and I raced over here because they sent me a live video of you from your closet," he leaned closer and whispered, "I think they might still be here."

Dom glanced around, eyes quickly scanning over his room, "What do we do?"

Taurtis dropped down onto the bed, "I don't know."