His Mission

Stalker.

I freeze in place when I hear his voice. My hands curl into fists to use as weapons, and I slowly turn around to meet the person who's been stalking me. He's standing several feet away from me and I immediately begin to walk backward to create distance between us. How long has he been following me? How did I not know?

"Get away from me," I say confidently, hoping he doesn't notice the trembling in my hands. My hands may be balled into tight fists, but I don't know how to use them if I need to. I figure I'll kick, scream and thrash around with panic if he tries anything. The man appears to be in his early forties. He has dark short hair with stubble lining his jaw. His dark eyes narrow in my direction and he takes a step forward. He's much taller than me which means he towers over me with his height. "Stay away!" I yell at him while extending my hand to keep him at a distance. The man doesn't say much, but his eyes tell me everything I need to know. He doesn't have good intentions.

"Why are you out here alone, Emily? You shouldn't be alone." The man questions me, acting like we're familiar with each other. I stare back at him in disbelief. Chills cover my body, and I feel the moisture strip from my mouth. My heart thuds away in my ears and I force myself to remain calm so I can get out of here alive. "Who are you? What do you want with me?" I snap back at him. I've never seen this man before in my life. I would remember the darkness in his eyes and the intimidation he radiates from his presence.

"I know your father," the man tells me quietly. It feels like all of the air is knocked out of my lungs."My father is dead," I respond bluntly. Does he have me mistaken with somebody else? His dark eyes cloud with emotion, and he begins shaking his head repeatedly. "No, no, no." The man says over and over again. I feel the urge to flee, but I know he's going to chase me if I start running now. I slowly reach into my pocket for my cell phone when the man's dark eyes narrow in on my hand.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he warns me with darkness in his voice. I feel a whimper of fear build in the back of my throat and I drop my hand from retrieving my phone. How am I going to get away from him? "I don't know you. Please leave me alone," I whisper while keeping my hand outstretched. He doesn't make another attempt to approach me, but it doesn't ease the panic bubbling away in the pit of my stomach.

"I can't do that, Emily. I can't leave you alone. Not now," the man says with a distant look in his eyes. As soon as the words leave his lips, I turn around to bolt in the direction I came from. I'm not hanging around to be murdered in the woods by a crazy man. I run as fast as I can physically go. I hear footsteps approaching me from behind, so I begin screaming for help.

"Help! Somebody help me!" I scream at the top of my lungs. The footsteps behind me quickly stop, but I don't slow down my pace to check if he's still following me. I run until fire explodes in my lungs and it feels like I'm running out of air. I don't stop running until I'm safely back at Jake's house. I slam the door shut behind me before sliding down to the floor. My legs feel paralysed and I'm gasping for breath. "What happened to you?" Tobias calls out to me. He's standing in the middle of the stairs and he's looking at me with an arched brow. I gasp for breath before pointing at the door.

"T-there's a man out there! He was following me." I explain, feeling like I'm on the verge of a panic attack. Tobias' eyes cloud with darkness and he rushes toward the front door before throwing it open. He scans the surroundings with his shoulders squared, ready for a confrontation. I remain on the floor with the stranger's face firmly planted in my thoughts. His eyes were emotionless and I shiver at the possibilities of what could have been if I didn't run away from him.

Once Tobias is satisfied nobody is around, he storms inside the house before dropping down in front of me. His dark eyes scan my face. "What did he look like? Describe him to me," Tobias urges me. I shake my head before gesturing at my chest. I need a moment to catch my breath before I'm able to speak. Tobias whips out his phone before holding it to his ear. His chocolate brown eyes remain fixed on me the entire time. He doesn't make an attempt to help me, but his eyes flash with concern. I hear a muffled voice come from the other end of Tobias' phone.