Louise was terrified to
leave the safety of her own apartment. She didn’t know if she was going crazy
or if she was being pursued by dark figures. They appeared only at night, as soon as the sun set and darkness fell across the town.
Last evening the shadows
had stalked her all through town right up to her front door. Once inside, she’d
locked her door and all her windows. She was determined to keep out whatever or whoever was waiting for her outside.
She’d hidden in her
apartment until the next morning. Only then did she dare to peek out from her
windows to check out the deserted beach in front and the dark mountain in back. After making sure that the strange beings weren’t
waiting for her on the deserted walkway, she’d quickly darted down the path to
town without daring to glance behind her, even once.
The rest of the day she
was busy working in her dress
shop, refusing to venture outside where she might encounter her
elusive stalkers. She had even closed her store early for the day so she
wouldn’t have to walk home alone in the dark.
The identity of the
menacing beings remained a mystery to her. She had no idea who or what they
were: she couldn’t even tell if they were human. She just accepted the fact
that she had to stay clear of them or else risk ending up as one of the names
on the long list of unsolved murders and disappearances in Oasis.
At the beginning, Louise
had tried very hard to make new friends in town, but it hadn’t worked out that
way. Linda and Shana had never included her in their activities. Shirley and
Minnie had never been too friendly to her beyond a quick hello or goodbye. She had
the sinking feeling that no one in town liked her; even Todd acted evasive
whenever she spoke to him.
She was curious if anyone
else in town was being stalked; she couldn’t believe that she was the only one.
Then she thought about all the young girls who’d gone missing from town over
the years. Maybe they’d had similar stalking experiences before they’d vanished
for good. These disappearances had never been discussed nor fully investigated.
She had to be extra careful in the evenings, or else she could end up like these
girls—who, she was certain, would never be found alive.
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