10. Aurora

10

The sterile hospital waiting room is suffocating, the air thick with tension. I clutch Dan's hand, his presence the only anchor keeping me from spiraling into the depths of my guilt-ridden thoughts. Every second that ticks by feels like an eternity, each minute compounding the weight on my shoulders.

"This is all my fault," I whisper, my voice trembling with emotion. "If I hadn't involved Charlotte in this mess, she wouldn't be..." I trail off, unable to express the horrific possibilities.

Dan squeezes my hand. "Don't do that to yourself. You had no way of knowing things would escalate like this."

I glance down at the sketch of me in my hands. At least it's the first bit of evidence I've got that my stalker is indeed real, not a figment of my imagination. Tears sting my eyes as Dan's words offer little comfort. I got her into this mess. "I never should have told her. You know how she gets carried away with crazy plans."

The memory of Charlotte's playful teasing about my potential stalker floods my mind, and I feel nauseous. If I had listened to my instincts, maybe we wouldn't be in this nightmare.

"Miss Montgomery?" A deep voice asks.

I glance up to see a police officer standing before me.

"Yes, that's me."

He nods. "I'm Officer Isley, can I take a statement from you? We need to understand what happened to your friend."

I swallow hard and nod. "Of course."

He sits in the chair opposite me with a notepad in his hand. "You and your friend here, Mr. Johnson, found Miss Kelly, is that correct?"

"Yes," I reply.

"Can you explain the events leading up to finding her, please? Just walk me through it."

I glance at Dan, who gives me an encouraging nod. "I felt I was being watched for a couple of days, but I had no evidence. It was just a feeling. So Charlotte and I devised a plan that she would follow me home at a distance and look out for anyone suspicious." I draw in a deep breath, hating how dangerous that sounds now.

"However, when I got home, Charlotte wasn't answering her phone, and she hadn't followed me. I rang Dan who picked me up to go and check on her. When we returned to her apartment, she was slumped against the wall outside with this sketch pinned to her." I pass it to the officer.

He glances down at it, brows furrowed. "So you believe whoever is stalking you attacked Miss Kelly and then pinned this to her as some kind of warning?" He asks, passing the sketch back to me.

I nod. "Yes. Don't you need this for evidence or something?"

He shakes his head. "No, it won't be of any use."

My brow furrows as he continues to write in his notepad.

"Thank you, I think I've got all I need until the victim wakes. I'll be back to speak to her when she does." He pulls out a card. "If you think of anything, give me a call."

I take it from him and nod. Officer Isley walks away, leaving me reeling as I stare down at the haunting sketch. It's so like me that it scares me more than I'd like to admit—as if the artist didn't only capture my likeness but also the darkness that resides within.

Dan clears his throat. "I don't get why they wouldn't want the sketch for evidence. Surely, they can run it for prints of something."

I nod in reply, glancing at him. "It's probably because we didn't ring the cops when we found her." I sigh, rubbing my temples. "We were both too desperate to get her to the hospital."

The sound of footsteps approaching draws my attention, and I whip my head around to see a doctor approaching us. My heart pounds in my chest as I search his face for any hint of what's to come.

"Miss Montgomery?" he addresses me.

I nod, my mouth suddenly dry, unable to form words.

"Your friend is stable, but she's suffered a concussion," he says, his voice gentle. "She's awake and coherent, but we'll keep her overnight to monitor her."

Relief floods me at the doctor's words, lifting a weight from my chest. Charlotte is alive and stable. It's the best news I could've hoped for in this nightmare.

"Can we see her?" I ask, my voice trembling with a mixture of fear and hope.

The doctor nods, a small smile on his face. "Of course. She's been asking for you. Remember that she needs rest, so try not to stay too long."

Dan and I follow the doctor down the hallway, our footsteps echoing off the linoleum floor. My heart races as we approach Charlotte's room.

Will she blame me for what happened?

As we step into the room, my eyes immediately find Charlotte's form on the bed. Her usually vibrant face is pale, and a bandage is wrapped around her head, but her eyes light up when she sees us.

"Aurora! Dan!" she exclaims, her voice weak but filled with genuine happiness. "I'm so glad you're here."

I rush to her bedside, tears streaming down my face as I take her hand in mine. "Charlotte, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."

She squeezes my hand, shaking her head slightly. "Don't be silly. You couldn't have known this would happen. I'm just glad you're okay."

Dan joins us, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. "We were so worried about you. How are you feeling?"

Charlotte manages a small smile. "Like I got hit by a truck, but I'll be fine. The doctors say I just need some rest."

The relief I feel at seeing Charlotte awake and talking is short-lived. Her expression shifts to one of unease. She gives me a funny look, her brows furrowing in concern.

"What is it?" I ask.

Charlotte hesitates for a moment, her eyes darting between Dan and me. "The man who attacked me wore a mask like the ones the guys wear at the carnival… and he said something before I passed out."

My heart skips a beat, and I lean in closer. "What did he say?"

She takes a deep breath, her hand trembling slightly in mine. "He said, Tell Aurora I'm coming for her. She can't hide from me."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. Dan's grip on my shoulder tightens.

I stare at Charlotte, my heart pounding as her words sink in. The man who attacked her, the one who's been stalking me, is coming for me. He knows where I am and won't stop until he has me. In what capacity, I don't know.

All I should feel is terror. I should shake with fear, beg for police protection, and run as far away from this town as possible. But a part of me feels a thrill at his words, a dark excitement that I can't quite explain.

"He's coming for me," I whisper to myself.

Dan's eyes widen. "Aurora, this isn't a game. You need to take this seriously. We need to call Officer Isley and tell him what the guy said. They can get you somewhere safe."

But even as he speaks, I can feel a heat building inside me, a perverse desire I know I shouldn't feel. The thought of this man, this dark and dangerous stranger, pursuing me with such single-minded focus excites me.

It's wrong. I should be disgusted with myself for even entertaining these thoughts. But I can't help it. Something about the idea of being hunted, of being prey to this predator, ignites a fire in my veins.

Charlotte watches me, her expression a mix of concern and confusion. "Aurora, what's going on in that head of yours? You look like you're a million miles away."

"I'm sorry, I just... I don't know what's wrong with me."

Dan takes my hand, his touch grounding me in reality. "There's nothing wrong with you. You're just scared and confused. Anyone would be in your situation."

But he's wrong. There is something wrong with me. Normal people don't get turned on by the idea of being stalked by a violent criminal who just assaulted her best friend. Normal people don't feel a dark thrill at the thought of being at the mercy of a dangerous man. But then, I've not been normal for a very long time.

I close my eyes, pushing away the wicked thoughts. I need to focus on keeping myself safe and finding a way out of this nightmare. But even as I try to be rational, I can't shake the feeling that a part of me craves this with a desperate hunger I've never known.

What kind of monster am I turning into? And how far will I let this depraved game go before it consumes me entirely?