Chapter 1
She stared at the two pink lines like it was about to strangle her.
"What? How...how... I...i never"
She still consumed by doubt got off the toilet and went to go buy another pregnancy test.
She sat back on the toilet, took a deep breath and peeked at the pregnancy test.
She let out a sigh of relief.
"Ha. Only one line. I knew it was possible." But the relief didnt last long. The test went blank and before she could blink two lines appeared.
"What the f**k!" She threw the pregnant test away and jumped to the far end of the room, cold sweat breaking on her back.
"How could this be? I've never even seen a man. I've never..."
But before she could finish
She heard his voice–deep and unmistakable.
"How could you forget yhe things you did to me little flame?
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
Kayla walked home from class with her bag hanging loosely from one shoulder.
“You're seriously not coming?” Mia asked, walking beside her.
Kayla shook her head. “No. I'm tired.”
“It's one party, Kayla.”
“I know.”
“And you're still saying no?”
Kayla smiled faintly. “Maybe next time.”
Mia groaned. “You always say that.”
Kayla laughed. “Then maybe I'll surprise you.”
After saying goodbye, Kayla continued home alone.
The streets weren't particularly quiet, but something about them suddenly felt wrong.
She slowed down
She slowed down.
A strange sensation crawled up her spine.
Someone was following her.
Kayla glanced over her shoulder.
Nothing.
Just an empty stretch of road.
She frowned and kept walking.
A few seconds later, she looked back again.
Still nothing.
“I'm being paranoid,” she muttered.
She walked faster.
By the time she reached her house, she had almost convinced herself that she'd imagined it.
She unlocked the door, stepped inside, and immediately locked it behind her.
Click.
She leaned against the door for a moment and sighed.
“Finally.”
Then she noticed the table.
Food.
A plate sat neatly in the middle of it, still warm.
Kayla stared at it.
Her eyebrows pulled together.
Again?
She walked over and touched the edge of the plate.
Warm.
She looked around the house.
“Hello?”
No answer.
She checked the kitchen.
Empty.
The living room.
Empty.
Kayla slowly turned back toward the table.
She had stopped asking herself who left the food there a long time ago.
Instead, she simply carried the plate upstairs.
At the end of the hallway was a door she almost never opened in front of anyone.
She unlocked it.
The room beyond was small and dim, its walls covered with photographs.
Photographs of him.
She closed the door behind her.
This was the only place in the world where she allowed herself to be completely honest about her obsession.
A desk sat beneath the window. On it were several notebooks, folders, and books she'd collected over the years.
Kayla placed the food beside them and pulled one of the notebooks toward her.
She flipped through the pages.
Names.
Dates.
Photographs.
Notes.
Plans.
Her finger moved down a handwritten list.
She stopped at one item.
A small smile appeared on her face.
“Done.”
She drew a neat tick beside it.
Then she turned the page.
Another plan.
Another memory.
Another photograph.
Kayla leaned back in her chair, completely absorbed.
She didn't notice the shadow move beneath the crack of the door.
And she didn't hear the quiet sound of footsteps stopping outside.
