Chapter Six: Nightmare
The letter arrived the next morning, Nick had gone
to answer a knock on the front door, no one was there, just a
plain white envelope, no date stamp, no postage mark, no address,
just Charismas name on the front, in blue hand written ink.
He shrugged, picking it up off the front door mat.
He’d stayed the night at her apartment, and probably figured
the letter was from a fan or something, though the writing on the
envelope was hauntingly familiar.
He placed the letter on the glass table and went
back to making the breakfast his stomach was calling for.
“Someone at the door?” Charisma
questioned
“Yeah and no, no one was there, just that
letter” Nick remarked, pointing to the table where he’d
placed the letter
Charisma thanked him with a smile as she took the
envelope into her hands. She opened the sealed flap and
pulled out a single sheet of paper, and began to read.
To Strike or Not to Strike – that is the
question?
History will repeat itself.
You will die.
I will win again.
Fear me, for I am your god, determining whether
you live, or die.
You will die.
X
“What is this?” Charisma sniffed, her
eyes widening as she read across the letters again. She
handed it to Nick, falling perfectly into his arms.
“No, NO!” Nick screamed, his eyes
reading over the letters
“Not again, god, not again” he cried
loudly as the familiar writing style, stabbed him hauntingly.
“Are you sure it’s the same person?”
an officer, Nick had come to know well, inquired
“God damnit, yes I'm sure. The writing
style is the same, the short sentences, the way its written, the
paper, the ink, everything is the same, it’s the same damn
person that killed Melissa” he announced, pacing around the
room
Officers were scouring the neighborhood, asking if
anyone had seen anyone, or anything – of course, no one had.
~ LATER THAT NIGHT ~
“I don’t understand why this is
happening” Charisma cried as Nick and her sat cuddled o the
sofa
Nick breathed slowly, it was time for her to know
– for her to know everything.
“Charisma, there’s something I need to
tell you” he began
Her tear stained eyes looked up, searching his
own, begging for him to continue.
“Just over two years ago, I was married”
“I know, she died in an car accident right?”
The newspapers had reported that, backed up with
some cagey responses by officers and alike.
“It wasn’t an accident”
Charisma’s mouth gaped.
“There was someone who went by the name of X,
they sent letters as threats mostly emails, exactly like the one
you received. It what him who was responsible for Melissa’s
death, I know it. I can feel it”
“And now they’re after me?” she
sniffed
“I'm sorry, I don’t know what to tell
you”
“The truth, what do you think?”
“Yes, I think they are” Nick sighed
“It’s coming up to what would be our 3 year wedding
anniversary”
“When?”
“Two weeks”
“Nick” she cried “I'm scared”
“I know Carry, so am I”
A figured watched in the background. From a
safe distance, they watched. Binoculars clutched in two
shaky hands. Two brown eyes narrowed in on Charisma, she
was different now. Different hair, different figure, but
behind the make up and the remedial changes, it was still her,
still very much her.
~ MIDNIGHT ~
“Breathe in Abby, feel the power, take it,
use it, live it”
Abby shook her head in fright, the strange
sensation rising up her spine.
“You cant escape it. It’s in
you, it’s who you are”
She
struggled, trying to removed herself from the chair. She
was stuck, tied down, unable to move.
“Don’t
fight it Abby, look at me, I own you, you can’t change that”
“But
she’s here, she’s in my head”
“I'm
in your head, I control you, she is dead”
She
struggled again, screaming as the figure approached. Flames
engulfed her dreams, a smell so pungent, so real, she could taste
it, see it.
Abby bolted
upright, alone in the darkroom. Her eyes scanned the room,
but she was alone, no one was there, no one but her – and
her nightmares.
'