Jonna's life as a teacher is all routine, until she receives an online invitation from a near stranger, Zachary, and drops everything for a weekend of fun.
As the weekend evolves into much more, Jonna explores many facets of herself, with another s...
They spoke on the phone for just a few more minutes.
Laney suggested they meet at a nearby sushi restaurant, with Jonna agreeing wholeheartedly.
Their niceties petered out into strained silence. Finally, Laney sighed, promising to arrive on time.
Jonna chuckled.
From under the door, papers slid across the floor. As Jonna bent to pick them up, the glossy sheen revealed they weren't papers at all. They were photographs.
Jonna froze when, on the other side of the door, she heard the unmistakable sound of heavy breathing.
She summoned the courage to ask sharply, "Who's there?"
Jonna kept the phone cradled between her shoulder and ear.
"What's that?" Laney wanted to know.
"Laney..." The words caught in her throat when plodding footfalls receded in the hallway. Though she couldn't be sure, the stillness convinced her she was alone. "Nothing. I'll see you tonight."
After hanging up, she thumbed through the photographs. Initially, Jonna had trouble understanding what she was seeing.
The photographs were all of her.
One featured a dimly lit bar, with Jonna staring up at a bald and smiling Zachary. Another was of her strolling across campus, chatting with a male student. The last one was the silhouette of two women stepping into a dilapidated house.
Laney and me.
Someone had been following her. Watching her.
No, not justsomeone.
Despite her instincts screaming not to, Jonna wrenched open the door.
There was no one to greet her. Now she was the one breathing heavily, poking her head around the corner to catch a glimpse of her stalker.
But the empty hallway seemed to mock her. Shane had to have been there only moments before.
Jonna stepped back into her office, closing the door firmly behind her. She held the doorknob, willing it to grow a lock. Instead, she settled for leaning against the door. With the back of her head resting against the wood, she took in a deep breath and closed her eyes.
Fear bloomed in her chest. The feeling overwhelmed her, nearly choking her. A few strangled breaths later, she managed to calm herself slightly.
Jonna sent her brother a message:
- you home?
Next, she called the police.
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