I screamed.
All the words I could not say to anyone were exclaimed through the scream.
Every form of treachery and piqued rage I felt was being pacified through the scream.
Everything that had come crashing down on me was being released through this scream.
There was nobody in the house and I all I wanted to do since I left the police station was to scream.
My legs faltered underneath me and my knees dropped to the floor.
Somebody had been inside my room. Somebody had broken into our house. They didn't take anything because everything downstairs and in my room was in place.
There were papers strewn across the floor and I frantically searched my surroundings, realising there were photographs all around me.
I picked one up. It was of me. I was standing outside the underground fight location, about to enter with my bag in my hand.
I hadn't told anyone where I was going that night, I had just been in a frenzy of emotions and left.Nobody was supposed to know I was there, which meant nobody was meant to be able to photograph me there.
I held it in my hand and crawled towards another photo.
It was me in a hospital bed, the night where I had transformed into purple cabbage salad. Even if Cassie or Stephanie had taken this, they wouldn't have broken into my house and thrown it into my room along with many others.
Then again, who was I to know what they were capable of doing? If I did, I wouldn't be feeling the aftermath of disloyalty.
I kept both the pictures in my hand and moved to pick up another. It was of my brothers at the bowling centre. Justin was saying something to Jace and he was smiling.
Nobody except us knew we were there. Nobody was meant to be photographing us.
Which meant somebody had been stalking me.
I picked up five at once. There was a shot of Brandon and I standing outside the ice cream place. Another one of us sitting on a bench and me feeding him some of my ice cream.
There was even a photo of us sitting in the coffee shop discussing our history assignment. I was talking to him when we were supposed to be preparing for the prom.
There was one of Justin, Jace and I at the supermarket. Another where Brandon and I were sitting at the restaurant on our first date. One where Brandon was holding me up while he was getting the candies and we were about to watch Tangled.
I urgently crawled over to the other photos and in the process tumbling over the clothes littering the floor. I arranged the frames on the floor and spaced them out. They were all of Jace and Justin. Jace at the coffee shop, Justin at the mall. Jace going on a jog, Justin at his university.
I piled them up and rushed to get the others. Brandon. Every single other picture was of Brandon.
Brandon laughing with me, playing football, getting his mail, at the mall, heading to his car after prom. They were all containing Brandon at various times of the day and separate locations. A hot, dry scream spilt through my lips and I kept screaming until my throat felt like sandpaper.
I felt a panic attack rising up. The events of today lined up and my fear of losing everybody I cared for rushed to the brim of my unsettled thoughts. The deception and the pain and the lies were whirling so excruciatingly fast in my mind I was seeing black. The contents of my stomach sloshed against each other and I scrambled to my feet, running to the bathroom.
I vomited everything out. I tried to get rid of the emotional havoc ripping and clawing at my chest. I tried to drown out the buzzing in my ears and the throbbing in my temples but to no avail.
I got up, washed my face and brushed my teeth. I couldn't keep this up; I had to calm down. Somebody had been stalking me and the three most important people in my life. If I didn't view this in a tranquil state of mind I wouldn't get anywhere in understanding who was doing this and where their ulterior motive hid.
I picked up a few more photographs and examined them. They were all consisting of Brandon. The tears came before the realisation. I dropped the photos when I saw the note cradled in an envelope lying on the edge of my bed.
Hello dear, Kate.
I can see you picking this up.
Long time no see. I'm sure you've had an exciting couple of years hiding from me and I am certainly definite you enjoyed the uproar of bewilderment and upheaval you created for me. But everything must come to end. Just like the constant chase. Just like the lives of those around you. I finally found you, dear. Can't wait to catch up. xx
Love,
Your personal Grim Reaper.
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