I Have an Invisible Stalker (Guardians #1)

Epilogue

Anya's POV

I let out a loud sigh and lean against the back of the chair I'm sitting on. The clock on the wall tells me that only half an hour has passed since I arrived here, yet I'm already bored out of my mind. I have no idea what I did in my past human life, but I doubt it was bad enough to deserve this.

A low curse pulls my attention from the otherwise silent hospital room and I turn to the closed door of the adjoining bathroom.

"Don't you dare touch the cast!" I call out.

As expected I don't get an answer. I am, after all, an invisible creature whose only job is to protect humans from other supernatural forces. I am a Guardian.

Right now I'm stuck in a private hospital room with my sixteen-year-old charge named Sam, or charge number nine as I like to call him. He's been inside the bathroom for far too long, making me guess that he's trying to cut off the plaster cast wrapped around his left foot. But I doubt he'll find anything sharp enough inside the small room.

Just as the sound of running tap water reaches my ears, the door leading into the outside hallway squeaks open. Instead of a nurse, a girl about Sam's age peeks inside. At first only her head emerges, but after a moment so does the rest of her small frame. She stops a step inside and travels with her eyes around the room.

For the briefest second her eyes connect with mine. While I know it's nothing but a coincidence, my entire body freezes. I don't know why, but I feel like I know this girl.

As the girl continues to inspect the room, I notice the backpack she has strapped over one of her shoulders and the pile of notebooks she is holding tucked in front of her chest.

"Hello?" she calls out.

As if on cue Sam pushes the bathroom door open and with the help of a pair of aluminum crutches limps into the room. The moment his eyes land on the girl, he stops.

Because I've been with Sam since the day he was born, I'm sure he has no idea who the girl is. My suspicion is confirmed when Sam first narrows his eyes at the girl and then runs them from the top of her dark hair to the bottom of her white sneakers. The girl eyes him back, but she does so in a more discreet manner. Her eyes linger on his left foot which is wrapped in a white cast and the pair of crutches he has tucked underneath his armpits.

"Who are you?" Sam asks.

For a moment the girl looks like she's going to run. Then she relaxes her posture and shoots Sam the brightest smile I have ever seen. Sam's Adam's apple wobbles—something I know has never happened before. In all of his sixteen years, I have never seen him so flustered because of a girl. Until now video games have been the only thing able to capture his eyes.

"There's no need to be alarmed. I'm not a stalker," the girl says. "My name is Octavia."

I'm not sure why, but for some reason, I find the name unfit for her. Instead, her name should be connected to olives.

"Sam." My charge introduces himself, apparently not sharing my opinion on the girl's name.

"Your homeroom teacher assigned my brother to bring you your homework. But because he's busy with his football practice, he bribed me into bringing these to you instead." While speaking, she offers the books to Sam, but then stops when she notices his struggle to accept the notes while keeping his hold on the crutches. "You know what? I'm just going to put these over there."

Octavia walks over to the nightstand next to the hospital bed and rests the books on top of it. Sam, in the meantime, remains frozen in his spot, too busy observing the girl's every move. When Octavia turns back around to face him, their eyes meet and they both stop. The clock on the wall continues to move forward, yet the two never break eye contact.

The electricity-filled moment is ruined when a loud ring pierces the silence. At the sound, Octavia jumps an inch into the air and then swings her backpack to her front. After she unzips it, she pulls out her phone and lifts it to her ear.

"Yes?" she answers the call and then with a wince pulls the phone away from her ear.

A shrill voice echoes from the other side. The voice is loud enough for both me and Sam to hear, but whoever it is, they are speaking too fast for me to be able to understand anything.

"I know." Octavia brings the phone back closer to her ear. "I'm sorry, Mom. I know it was my fault, but... Can't you just... But I... Mom, I... Fine, I'll be right there."

With the loudest sigh humanly possible, she ends the call and stuffs the phone back into the backpack.

"Sorry about this, but I have to go. My mom is being a pain in the ass." She shoots Sam another wide smile and then waves at him. "See you around, Sam." Without waiting for his reply, she turns her back to him and rushes out of the room.

Sam remains glued to his spot, staring at the now wide-open door for a few seconds. Then he lunges.

"Wait!" he shouts.

I'm struck speechless as he, despite the broken ankle and the two crutches, leaps forward. As fast as he can, he limps out of the room and into the outside hallway.

Before I know what I'm doing, I'm on my feet and move over to the now open doorway. I peek around the side and watch as Sam fights to catch up to Octavia, who is already several feet further down the hallway. The distance between them is widening, but for some reason, I feel like Sam is going to make it.

He's going to get the girl.

THE END

***

Hi!

Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to read this story. I appreciate every single vote and comment you decided to leave behind. It lets me know that someone out there is enjoying what I have written, which is the greatest delight for a learning writer like me.

So once again, thank you and I hope to see you again in any of my future stories. <3

As always I want to give a big shout out to my sister @Lilydpete for editing yet another one of my stories. I knew I was asking a lot of her when I decided to switch to three updates per week, but she surprised me with her quick work.

Thank you, honestly, so much.

Fighting!

And now for the last time in this story, please, remember to vote and comment if you liked the chapter.

Much love

                - E