Someone Waits in the Shadows
He was always there. Every corner, every phone call came from him. He was just a boy, just another boy she befriended in school. But something about Bradley Atwater was off from the beginning. For the past couple of years Maya Bennett was being stalked. It had become a game she was not willing to play.
Looking out her kitchen window she noticed his car go by one more time and she was absolutely terrified. She felt like she was in a bad b-movie that she couldn't shut off. She didn't understand why he was tormenting her like this, she was never anything but nice to him.
The phone rang again and she froze in fear, not another call. She tried to tell herself if she just ignored him, ignored the phone calls and the constant harassment eventually he would leave her alone. But he had made it clear to her on several occasions that he would continue his game until one of two things happened. He died or she did.
Maya drew in a breath and forced herself to stay composed. Picking up the receiver she greeted the caller hoping it wasn't someone she didn't want to talk to. Her hopes were shattered as soon as she heard his raspy voice.
"I told you to stop calling me," she hesitated for a moment only to press the record button on the old answering machine her father refused to throw out. Thank heaven for small favors. "What do you want from me anyway?"
"Why won't you talk to me?"
"Please don't call again."
"I don't like to be ignored."
"Goodbye," with that she hung up the phone only to hear it ring again.
Taking another breath she picked it up. It was him again but this time he didn't get past her name. She slammed the phone back down a bit too roughly. She was beginning to hate this man. Actually if she were honest she would say her hatred began a little over a year ago when she found her car smashed and the words slut and bitch written across it in spray paint.
The phone rang again, but this time she continued to ignore it, eventually turning off the ringer all together. Picking up her cell phone she called the police detective that had been working on her case for the past few months. She knew they were doing their best. But like in so many of these situations it was a matter of he said she said, and her statements were just dismissed as overreaction.
That is until she began to record his phone calls and document every step he took while stalking her. She was going to see this guy go to jail if it was the last thing she did. Which was something her family was not willing to let happen. That was why in another week she'd be on a ship that traveled the world and docked in foreign cities far away from New York, and sadly her home.
The doorbell rang and Maya jumped startled by the noise. While she cautiously made her way to the front door she thought she heard a noise from behind her but only saw her orange tabby so continued. She made sure to look out the peep hole before opening the heavy object. Thankfully it was just a fedEx man on the other side. But as she signed the clipboard and he handed her the box she saw something that terrified her.
Brad's car sat across the road from her house, the only thing is, it was empty. Making a full circle she looked around her and listened for any sounds that may or may not be real.
"Miss Bennett are you alright?"
Suddenly the person in the car sat up and drove away and she found herself sighing in relief.
"I thought I heard something," she replied. "But, I'm sure it was nothing. This is an old house and its always making strange sounds."
The man looked around her a bit warily. He seemed to be taking her comment into advisement, but when she once again thanked him and let him know that everything was fine. He reluctantly had no choice but to believe her.
"Have a good day miss."
"Thank you," she replied before closing the door behind him.
She was about to open the box when she again heard the same noise. Rolling her eyes she moved forward, "Chester, where are you, you crazy cat?"
She put the box down on the coffee table and decided to take a quick sweep of the house. Not finding anything of importance she made her way upstairs and into her bedroom. Exhausted, from what she didn't know, she plopped down on her bed. She opened the box and pulled out a yellow manila envelope which had nothing written on it.
She looked at the name on the package, but it was a name from some company she didn't recognize. She was still a bit leery from earlier and wasn't sure if she should open it. Still curiosity got the better of her and she ripped open the flap.
She let the contents fall onto her bedspread and almost had a heart attack. There were pictures, at least a couple dozen of her sleeping, and eating and walking, running errands, at her friends, at the lake, at the mall, it went on and on and on. Then she heard a noise. The laptop on her desk beeped as another picture began to form. She cried, it was of her standing in the kitchen just a few minutes ago listening to the answering machine. He was in her house.
Instantly a fear she'd never known engulfed her and she looked out just in time to see him ascending the stairs. She immediately locked her door, ran into her closet and hoisted herself up into the safety of her attic. Sealing the over she locked herself in blocking all possible entrances she flipped open her phone and dialed nine one one.
"Nine one one operator," the voice rang over. "What is your emergency?"
"My name is Maya Bennett and there's an intruder in my house," she replied trying to keep calm. "He's been stalking me for over a year and I think he's finally snapped."
"Maya, I know you're here, open the door," he shouted. "You can't hide from me forever."
She heard the door to her room downstairs being kicked open. She prayed that he wouldn't see the opening in the closet. "He's in my room."
"Don't make a sound the police are on their way."
"Maya!" he shouted again. "I just want to talk to you."
Maya had to keep a hand over her mouth to keep from shrieking at the sight of a mouse scurrying across the floor in front of her. She wondered how long it had been since her father had the house fumigated.
"Are you still with me Miss Bennett?" the operator asked. "Our officers have shut off their sirens and are just arriving."
"Yes," she replied trying to keep her voice as low as possible so that he wouldn't hear her.
She wasn't sure where in the house he was, but she wasn't willing to leave her hiding place to find out. She couldn't hear him anymore so she hoped he was at least on the first floor so the police could get a hold of him. But she was mistaken when she felt a jolt underneath her. Running over she held the cover to the entrance shut as he used his fist to try and pry it open.
"I'll kill you."
"Stay away from me," Maya shouted hoping he would listen. "Get out of my house."
The next thing she knew she heard other voices. She'd never been so happy to hear anything in her life.
"Put the gun down," one by one the officers shouted.
"This isn't over!" Brad growled.
"Put it down," she heard another say. "Now put your hands on your head and face the wall. Do it."
A few minutes later when she finally opened the entrance, Brad had been given his Miranda rights and placed in the back of a police cruiser. Shaken and scared she let the officers help her down and then made her way over to the window seat where her cat curled up beside her. She caught a glimpse of the pictures still spread out on her bed and had to turn her face away from the sight. It still rattled her but she hoped that those snapshots would be helpful in finally garnering charges that stick.
Maya stood on the deck of the S.S Tipton and gazed out into the vast ocean before her. For the first time in awhile she felt like she could breathe. Like she had nothing holding her back and the feeling was amazing.
She decided then and there to put the last two years behind her. Brad Atwater was in jail, a place he'd remain for the next eleven months. Surely by the time he got out he would have forgotten all about her. And even if he didn't he would never be able to track her down. No one knew she was coming to school on this ship, no one but her parents, and she was thankful for that.
No Maya Bennett was free and nothing would ever destroy that.
AN: Famous last words anyone? Sigh…poor Maya and Zack…um…I mean poor Maya! :)
I don't know why I have a sudden inkling to write suspense. It couldn't have anything to do with the old eighties detectives shows I've been watching. Or a comment in a review by a certain author, oh well. Please read and review. ;)