Truth Out Of Darkness
Chapter 36
Chloe's blood turned to ice and she shivered involuntarily. She drew a shaky breath.
"What?"
Belle explained. "Think about it. We've been thinking that Phillip was behind everything because the phone calls started right after you broke up with him. And we had seen enough of his obsessive, abusive behavior to know that he was capable of it. But what if we were wrong? What if the two things have nothing to do with each other? What if, by sheer coincidence, they just happened to occur at the same time? Or..." Belle broke off as a new idea suddenly occurred to her. She spoke slowly as she thought outloud.
"What if it wasn't coincidence? This person who has been stalking you, has been watching you for awhile and knew that you were getting ready to break up with Phillip. He planned everything so that Phillip would be blamed. And now that Phillip's gone - he's laying low, lulling you into a false sense of security before he strikes." Belle finished softly.
Chloe looked at Belle - her heart pounding erratically in her chest. She struggled to catch her breath and her knees were weak.
"No." she said shakily. "It HAS to be Phillip. Who else would do this to me?" she cried.
Belle bit her lip before continuing. She hated what she was thinking, but she had to say it. Chloe's life could be in real danger.
"Chloe, your naked body was displayed on the internet for the entire world to see. We both know that there are all kinds of sick predators who use the net to prey on young girls. What if somebody came across your pictures and, for whatever reason, developed an obsession for you? It wouldn't have been too difficult to track you down, not for a half-decent hacker. I mean, Shawn is hardly a computer geek, and yet it took him no time at all to hack into the site and find out that Mimi set it up. And in order to set up that web account, she had to use personal information, like what town she lived in. Probably once the stalker came here, he found out what school she went to and used the school records to find out about you. Think of all the information that is stored in those records; names, addresses, phone numbers. Even our locker numbers and combinations are in those files. The person stalking you doesn't have to be someone you know."
Chloe just stood there, racking her brain trying to find something to disprove Belle's theory. It was just too horrifying to be true. "The phone calls - he said he missed me, that I would be his again, that I tried to get rid of him. It HAS to be someone I know. It has to be Phillip." She stated emphatically.
Belle shook her head slowly. She hated doing this to Chloe. "Chloe, my mom herself will tell you that people with obsessive disorders create all kinds of things in their heads. He probably saw your picture and built up this history with you in his mind. Like you two had this great love affair, but you betrayed him and left and now he's come to take you back."
Tears were now clearly visible in Chloe's eyes. "But... but I recognized his voice." she pleaded.
Belle spoke gently. "Chloe, you said he disguised his voice, remember? You heard Phillip's voice because you wanted to, because you had already told yourself that it was Phillip."
Belle continued, her voice thick, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "G*d, Chloe, I want to be wrong. I wish it had been Phillip. That's why I didn't say anything before now. I was hoping against hope that when Phillip left that everything would stop. And maybe it has. Maybe you are just jumpy and imagining things. But, Chloe. Promise me something anyway."
Chloe nodded, unable to speak for her sudden fear.
Belle looked Chloe in the eyes and spoke firmly. "Promise me, no matter what, that you won't go ANYWHERE alone. Not even to my house. Let Brady pick you up, or call me and I'll walk to your house. And don't let yourself be alone in the house either. If Nancy and Craig are gone, call Brady or myself and we'll be over in a flash. This is important Chloe. You are my best friend, but as much as I love you, I love my brother more. Brady would be devastated if anything ever happened to you. So promise me, okay? Just for a little while, until these feelings of yours go away."
Chloe's voice was small and weak. "I promise."
"Good. Listen, I'm going to fill my dad and Brady in on this conversation. See if they have any ideas on how to find out who this guy is, if in fact it's not Phillip."
"Okay." Chloe sounded so far away.
"Look, Chloe. I'm probably wrong and in anycase, you'll be safe as long as you do as I say. You have so many people who care about you and who are looking out for you. You aren't alone. I'll tell Shawn and then you'll have Bo watching out for you - and he's a cop! And you know Brady will NEVER let anything happen to you. He saved you before, he'll do it again. He's a hero." she stated with unwavering faith in her big brother.
Chloe calmed down and allowed herself to relax, remembering how Brady had always managed to come to her rescue. Her eyes clouded over. "He kicks major butt." she said with a small smile.
"He certainly does." Belle answered, not understanding the reference. "Anyway, no more of this. Tonight's going to be wonderful!" Belle exclaimed with her usual optimism.
They paid for their dresses. (man, that was a slow moving line!) and went to exit the store. Chloe wasn't paying attention to where she was going and so collided with a tall man.
"Oh! Excuse me. I'm so sorry." she cried.
"That's quite all right, miss." he returned and walked away.
"Geez, Chloe watch where you're going!" Belle teased.
"Chloe?"
Chloe was standing still, back stiff as a board. Eyes staring blankly out in front of her.
Belle immediately recognized that look. She walked Chloe out of the store and into a secluded area of Salem Place. She sat her down at a bench and tried to bring her out of her trance.
"Chloe!" she called. "Chloe!"
But there was no response.
"That's quite all right, miss." The words echoed through her mind. That was the Voice. The Voice that had haunted her dreams ever since her first phone call. It was the same Voice, in person, and not muffled, but still the same.
Chloe stood in a long hallway of an old house. She was lost in the murky grey depths of darkness. Shadows flickered along the walls; dead objects appeared alive and moving. She walked down the hallway toward the old door at the end. The hallway lengthened in front of her, teasing her as if to say, you'll never make it! She kept walking, though, pace steady. She eventually reached the door and stood in front of it. She could hear voices on the other side.
She opened the door with a small creak.
"No,.... please don't....please." She heard herself beg. She suddenly found herself lying in bed, being crushed by a heavy weight.
"I love you, my sweet little Chloe." the Voice grunted in her ear. Hot, sweaty, panting breath on her neck.
"Be a good girl, and let Father show you how much he loves you."
She couldn't answer, immobilized by choking panic and despair. She closed her eyes to escape.
And then a searing pain ripped through her.
Craig shined a flashlight in Chloe's eyes. "Her pupils are dilated. Still no response."
Chloe sat on the couch in the Wesleys' living room and stared in front of her. She had been like this for 30 minutes now and Craig was beginning to worry.
When Belle had been unable to bring Chloe out of her daze, she immediately called Brady. His heart raced as fast as his jeep on the way to Salem Place. He too had tried to bring her out of it, but failed. He wondered in frustration why it wasn't working. He had been able to reach her before.
He called Dr. Wesley, who had just gotten home to get ready for the Ball. Craig told Brady to bring Chloe there. Everything he had tried failed and Chloe continued to sit, unresponsive to any outside stimulus.
He was just about to call Marlena when Chloe blinked her eyes and looked around, startled.
"Chloe!" they all cried in relief.
"How did we get here?" she asked, still somewhat dazed. Her eyes grew wide and filled with tears. Her lips trembled as she spoke. "It happened again, didn't it?" Brady pulled her to him and enveloped her in a close embrace. He held her for a few minutes while she tried to calm down.
"What do you remember?" Craig asked.
Chloe pulled away from Brady and looked at Belle. "I remember Belle freaking me out in Ballistix." She said weakly with an attempt at humor.
Belle recounted for them her suspicions and they agreed that it was plausible, even though they didn't want to accept that Chloe might still be in danger.
"But that is a good idea - and I'm making it a rule. Until we know more about what's going on, you are NEVER to be alone. Understand?" Craig told Chloe. Chloe nodded.
"Maybe you should skip the Ball tonight." Brady suggested. Craig nodded in agreement.
"Oh no! You have to let me go! I've been looking forward to it. Tomorrow's going to be hard enough, let me enjoy tonight. Besides, I'll be with Brady, and you and Nancy and the entire town will be there. I'll be perfectly safe. Please?" Chloe begged.
Craig relented with a sigh. He could never refuse her anything. "Okay, but ANYTHING happens and Brady takes you home, got it?"
"Thank you, Craig!" She gave him a deep hug. "Oh no! I've got to get ready! See you later!" She gave Brady a quick hug and flew up the stairs.
"Me too!" Belle said as she pulled on Brady's arm. "Come on Brady - I've only got TWO hours!" Brady chuckled as his sister dragged him out the door.
Craig suddenly found himself alone. {I hope Chloe enjoys herself tonight. Tomorrow's going to be hell.}
Chapter 36
Chloe's blood turned to ice and she shivered involuntarily. She drew a shaky breath.
"What?"
Belle explained. "Think about it. We've been thinking that Phillip was behind everything because the phone calls started right after you broke up with him. And we had seen enough of his obsessive, abusive behavior to know that he was capable of it. But what if we were wrong? What if the two things have nothing to do with each other? What if, by sheer coincidence, they just happened to occur at the same time? Or..." Belle broke off as a new idea suddenly occurred to her. She spoke slowly as she thought outloud.
"What if it wasn't coincidence? This person who has been stalking you, has been watching you for awhile and knew that you were getting ready to break up with Phillip. He planned everything so that Phillip would be blamed. And now that Phillip's gone - he's laying low, lulling you into a false sense of security before he strikes." Belle finished softly.
Chloe looked at Belle - her heart pounding erratically in her chest. She struggled to catch her breath and her knees were weak.
"No." she said shakily. "It HAS to be Phillip. Who else would do this to me?" she cried.
Belle bit her lip before continuing. She hated what she was thinking, but she had to say it. Chloe's life could be in real danger.
"Chloe, your naked body was displayed on the internet for the entire world to see. We both know that there are all kinds of sick predators who use the net to prey on young girls. What if somebody came across your pictures and, for whatever reason, developed an obsession for you? It wouldn't have been too difficult to track you down, not for a half-decent hacker. I mean, Shawn is hardly a computer geek, and yet it took him no time at all to hack into the site and find out that Mimi set it up. And in order to set up that web account, she had to use personal information, like what town she lived in. Probably once the stalker came here, he found out what school she went to and used the school records to find out about you. Think of all the information that is stored in those records; names, addresses, phone numbers. Even our locker numbers and combinations are in those files. The person stalking you doesn't have to be someone you know."
Chloe just stood there, racking her brain trying to find something to disprove Belle's theory. It was just too horrifying to be true. "The phone calls - he said he missed me, that I would be his again, that I tried to get rid of him. It HAS to be someone I know. It has to be Phillip." She stated emphatically.
Belle shook her head slowly. She hated doing this to Chloe. "Chloe, my mom herself will tell you that people with obsessive disorders create all kinds of things in their heads. He probably saw your picture and built up this history with you in his mind. Like you two had this great love affair, but you betrayed him and left and now he's come to take you back."
Tears were now clearly visible in Chloe's eyes. "But... but I recognized his voice." she pleaded.
Belle spoke gently. "Chloe, you said he disguised his voice, remember? You heard Phillip's voice because you wanted to, because you had already told yourself that it was Phillip."
Belle continued, her voice thick, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "G*d, Chloe, I want to be wrong. I wish it had been Phillip. That's why I didn't say anything before now. I was hoping against hope that when Phillip left that everything would stop. And maybe it has. Maybe you are just jumpy and imagining things. But, Chloe. Promise me something anyway."
Chloe nodded, unable to speak for her sudden fear.
Belle looked Chloe in the eyes and spoke firmly. "Promise me, no matter what, that you won't go ANYWHERE alone. Not even to my house. Let Brady pick you up, or call me and I'll walk to your house. And don't let yourself be alone in the house either. If Nancy and Craig are gone, call Brady or myself and we'll be over in a flash. This is important Chloe. You are my best friend, but as much as I love you, I love my brother more. Brady would be devastated if anything ever happened to you. So promise me, okay? Just for a little while, until these feelings of yours go away."
Chloe's voice was small and weak. "I promise."
"Good. Listen, I'm going to fill my dad and Brady in on this conversation. See if they have any ideas on how to find out who this guy is, if in fact it's not Phillip."
"Okay." Chloe sounded so far away.
"Look, Chloe. I'm probably wrong and in anycase, you'll be safe as long as you do as I say. You have so many people who care about you and who are looking out for you. You aren't alone. I'll tell Shawn and then you'll have Bo watching out for you - and he's a cop! And you know Brady will NEVER let anything happen to you. He saved you before, he'll do it again. He's a hero." she stated with unwavering faith in her big brother.
Chloe calmed down and allowed herself to relax, remembering how Brady had always managed to come to her rescue. Her eyes clouded over. "He kicks major butt." she said with a small smile.
"He certainly does." Belle answered, not understanding the reference. "Anyway, no more of this. Tonight's going to be wonderful!" Belle exclaimed with her usual optimism.
They paid for their dresses. (man, that was a slow moving line!) and went to exit the store. Chloe wasn't paying attention to where she was going and so collided with a tall man.
"Oh! Excuse me. I'm so sorry." she cried.
"That's quite all right, miss." he returned and walked away.
"Geez, Chloe watch where you're going!" Belle teased.
"Chloe?"
Chloe was standing still, back stiff as a board. Eyes staring blankly out in front of her.
Belle immediately recognized that look. She walked Chloe out of the store and into a secluded area of Salem Place. She sat her down at a bench and tried to bring her out of her trance.
"Chloe!" she called. "Chloe!"
But there was no response.
"That's quite all right, miss." The words echoed through her mind. That was the Voice. The Voice that had haunted her dreams ever since her first phone call. It was the same Voice, in person, and not muffled, but still the same.
Chloe stood in a long hallway of an old house. She was lost in the murky grey depths of darkness. Shadows flickered along the walls; dead objects appeared alive and moving. She walked down the hallway toward the old door at the end. The hallway lengthened in front of her, teasing her as if to say, you'll never make it! She kept walking, though, pace steady. She eventually reached the door and stood in front of it. She could hear voices on the other side.
She opened the door with a small creak.
"No,.... please don't....please." She heard herself beg. She suddenly found herself lying in bed, being crushed by a heavy weight.
"I love you, my sweet little Chloe." the Voice grunted in her ear. Hot, sweaty, panting breath on her neck.
"Be a good girl, and let Father show you how much he loves you."
She couldn't answer, immobilized by choking panic and despair. She closed her eyes to escape.
And then a searing pain ripped through her.
Craig shined a flashlight in Chloe's eyes. "Her pupils are dilated. Still no response."
Chloe sat on the couch in the Wesleys' living room and stared in front of her. She had been like this for 30 minutes now and Craig was beginning to worry.
When Belle had been unable to bring Chloe out of her daze, she immediately called Brady. His heart raced as fast as his jeep on the way to Salem Place. He too had tried to bring her out of it, but failed. He wondered in frustration why it wasn't working. He had been able to reach her before.
He called Dr. Wesley, who had just gotten home to get ready for the Ball. Craig told Brady to bring Chloe there. Everything he had tried failed and Chloe continued to sit, unresponsive to any outside stimulus.
He was just about to call Marlena when Chloe blinked her eyes and looked around, startled.
"Chloe!" they all cried in relief.
"How did we get here?" she asked, still somewhat dazed. Her eyes grew wide and filled with tears. Her lips trembled as she spoke. "It happened again, didn't it?" Brady pulled her to him and enveloped her in a close embrace. He held her for a few minutes while she tried to calm down.
"What do you remember?" Craig asked.
Chloe pulled away from Brady and looked at Belle. "I remember Belle freaking me out in Ballistix." She said weakly with an attempt at humor.
Belle recounted for them her suspicions and they agreed that it was plausible, even though they didn't want to accept that Chloe might still be in danger.
"But that is a good idea - and I'm making it a rule. Until we know more about what's going on, you are NEVER to be alone. Understand?" Craig told Chloe. Chloe nodded.
"Maybe you should skip the Ball tonight." Brady suggested. Craig nodded in agreement.
"Oh no! You have to let me go! I've been looking forward to it. Tomorrow's going to be hard enough, let me enjoy tonight. Besides, I'll be with Brady, and you and Nancy and the entire town will be there. I'll be perfectly safe. Please?" Chloe begged.
Craig relented with a sigh. He could never refuse her anything. "Okay, but ANYTHING happens and Brady takes you home, got it?"
"Thank you, Craig!" She gave him a deep hug. "Oh no! I've got to get ready! See you later!" She gave Brady a quick hug and flew up the stairs.
"Me too!" Belle said as she pulled on Brady's arm. "Come on Brady - I've only got TWO hours!" Brady chuckled as his sister dragged him out the door.
Craig suddenly found himself alone. {I hope Chloe enjoys herself tonight. Tomorrow's going to be hell.}