He's Always Watching

Chapter One

 New Story! I usually dive right into the action the first chapter (as a lot of my fans know) but I'm actually giving things time to unravel! *applause* Anyway, feedback really appreciated(: Enjoy, guys (:

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     A suffocating darkness draped its heavy curtains over the forest I was standing in, giving a horrifying backdrop to the dense, bare trees. Howling October wind whipped my hair in every direction, making the branches of dead oaks creak and giving way to faint moonlight. The silver beam leaked through small cracks, throwing white light on the dirt path at my feet. Not that that mattered much, with the fog beginning to curl around my ankles. I refused to believe it was real. None of it was real.

    All of a sudden the world seemed to be put on mute, the wind no longer screeching in my ears as it scraped past the trees. A piercing scream ripped through the now deadly silent air, forcing me to clamp my trembling hands over my ears. I whipped my head around, trying to find the source of the unbearable wail. That’s when I realized the horrid screams were escaping my own lips, betraying the silence I had been keeping up before. I had to move. I had to run, or he would find me. I couldn’t let him find me! I spun on my heel, preparing to take off through the mass of tree trunks and dead bushes, but it was too late. He found me.

   “No,” I gasped, stumbling backwards until my leg caught on a tree root and I plummeted to the dusty ground below.

   “Hello, Cassandra.” A hooded figure loomed over me, his brilliant white smile flashing through the shadow that was his face.

   “No!” I screamed, smacking away his gloved hand that began to inch towards my waist. “Please, stop.” I begged, feeling a warm tear roll down my cheek.

  I shot forward in bed, wiping at my sweat-drenched forehead. It was just a dream. Just another bad dream. I raked a hand through my knot of raven hair, trying to calm the erratic breaths escaping my lungs. The warmth of my bed embraced me as I slowly laid back down, trying to sort through the nightmare. I seemed to be having a lot of those lately, and they were all about the same thing. A hooded man chasing me around.

  Unable to find the grogginess that had once shrouded my mind, I shoved the tangled mess of blankets off my legs and padded into my attached bathroom. Flicking on the light, I realized what a mess I really was. The messy bun that had once been my hair was now a sweaty, tangled mop. My electric green eyes were framed by dark circles that seemed to be painted onto my lightly tanned skin. Final conclusion, I needed a cold shower.

  The icy water was a welcome sensation as it pounded down on my bare back, smoothing away all the knots in my tense shoulders and sending shivers down my spine. My hair slowly untangled as I ran my conditioner-coated fingers through it, smoothing out all the tangles. Goosebumps rose on my exposed flesh with each icy droplet that licked down my skin, bringing my entire body to life. A contented sigh escaped my parted lips, the sweet smell of cocoa butter and rosewood body gel tickling my nose. That was exactly what I needed after a heated nightmare that left me in cold sweats.

  Grudgingly, I reached down and turned the steady flow of water off, leaving my body to tremble in the still air as I quickly snatched my towel up and wrapped it around myself. I stepped out onto my fuzzy black bathmat, noticing the improvement in my appearance as I appraised my revitalized reflection through the mirror that hung above my sink. I hurried back out into my bedroom, pulling a pair of soft pink pajamas from my dresser and quickly slipping into them. I let the towel drop to the floor as I slid the pants on before picking it back up. I tossed the damp towel in my hamper and sank down on the edge of my bed. Moonlight poured in through the window, bathing everything in a milky white. I stared out the polished glass, looking directly into the dense forest in the backyard. Sometimes I felt like I could sense someone staring back, watching my every move with an unwavering gaze. I once voiced that concern to my parents, only to have them wave it off as my own paranoia.