"Have you received any more white roses after that first evening?" Agent Callaway asks, breaking the silence.

After telling him about discarding one of the key pieces of evidence, the room had grown rather quiet. Everyone had been looking at me, attempting to comprehend why I would throw away something that important.

"Yes, almost every night," I half-whisper, not wanting to lie anymore. "A couple days ago, this came with the rose. It's the only physical message he's sent so far."

I pass the note to Callaway, who examines it carefully. Officer Jenkins' eyes narrow at me as he questions my words. "What do you mean by 'only physical message'?"

A panicking feeling rises to my throat as I try to figure out what to say. I can't tell them about the texts or calls, they'll take away my phone for good, which would take away my contact with Xavier. "Nothing," I tell him firmly. "It's nothing, wrong choice of words."

Jenkins still gives me a suspicious look, but doesn't say anything more. Agent Callaway looks back to me, handing the note to one of his other agents. "Is there anything else Skylar?"

I decide to keep my mouth shut about the realistic dream I had about my stalker running his hand over my arm and neck. "No, that's it."

His eyes narrow. "Are you sure, Skylar?"

I nod quickly, "Yes."

Agent Callaway sighs and stands up, his posture slumped like he's exhausted. "Make sure all of your windows are locked at night, and if he drops by again, let me know. I'll make sure I have agents assigned to watch over you and your mother, Skylar."

I nod again, pulling myself to my feet. I extend my hand for Officer Jenkins, and then Agent Callaway to shake. When Jenkins takes my hand, his grip is firm, and it almost crushes my fingers. The look in his eyes is unpleasant, and I try not to squirm under his gaze. It's almost as if he's trying to read my mind, unearth everything that I haven't told them. He seems almost too interested about what has gone on for the past few weeks, so intrigued that he had snapped at an FBI agent. Finally, his grip lessens and he mutters quietly, "We'll see you soon, Melanie."

By the neutral looks on everyone's faces, I can tell they didn't hear what he had said. I rip my hand away, giving him a small glare. My skin is still crawling from Jenkins' words when I shake Callaway's hand.

We'll see you soon? What does he mean? And, why did he say my real name?

"Remember to call if anything, absolutely anything arises, I want to be the first to know," Callaway tells me firmly.

As I watch the swarm of cops and agents leave, I notice Jenkins giving me that look again, the analyzing one. He wants to see my reaction to his words. He wants to see the panic in my eyes before he leaves, I can tell.

I cannot let him see that I'm weak; I don't want to seem like a sniveling sixteen year old girl who can't function by herself. I straighten my posture and stare right into his brown eyes, challenging him to see if he'll react. Jenkins doesn't take the bait however, and walks out of the door without a word.

As I turn away from the door, I hear Mom come up behind me.

"Skylar? I think we need to talk," she says quietly.

•••

Mom's 'talk' lasts for over two hours. She pries me for anything about my stalker that she should be concerned with, and I tell her the same thing I told the police. I'm not going to worry her any further than I already have. What I want to talk about with her is the day my stalker mentioned. What happened on that night that he wants me to know about...that is the real question. After a few minutes of silence, Mom finally lets me head up to my room when I finish talking about the roses for the fifth time.

By now, it's eight in the evening, and I'm almost too tired to stand. This past night, I was up until six in the morning, too frightened to even close my eyes. Images of my stalker trying to enter my room have never stopped flashing in my mind since it had happened.

After checking the lock on the window at least three times, I climb into bed, pulling the covers over my face as I always used to as a child.

No nightmares...no nightmares.

Closing my eyes, I drift off into a deep sleep.

•••

"Melanie." A person taps my arm and my eyes shoot open. I place my hand on my forehead as my head begins to pound, and my breaths become ragged from the pain. By the looks of the blurry brick walls surrounding me, I'd say I'm in an alley. What I'm wondering is...how did I get into an alley? I had just been in bed with the windows and door locked tightly.

I feel another tap on my shoulder, which causes me to turn. At first, I don't see her, but a blur of lights. "Who...who are you?" I manage to whisper, my head pounding even harder.

"Why didn't you save me?"

I squint, trying to see the person standing before me. Then, a sharp stab in my back causes me to gasp loudly. My vision and headache clear instantly and I fall to my knees, grasping at the knife handle stuck in my back. It's so slippery that I can't seem to yank it out.

I now stare at the feet of the person standing before me; Laura. She looks down at me, her face stricken with grief. At first, I don't see anything wrong with her, but as I try to stand again, blood begins to dribble from her mouth and nose, soon turning into a steady stream of crimson. The pain in my back starts to become unbearable, and I fall forward, my hands protecting my face.

I cry out in pain, partly from falling and partly from the knife sticking out of my upper back. As I try to assess the deep scratches from the sharp rocks on my hands, a drop of hot blood falls onto the asphalt beside me. I feel my breaths becoming more unsteady, and I know I'm dying. Slowly, but surely, I'm passing on.

Following the drops of blood now creating a small pool on the floor, I look back up to Laura. Although, as soon as I do, I wish I hadn't. Laura is now clutching her torso, where blood begins to soak through her clothes in a familiar pattern. "Why didn't you save me?" She says, her voice more hoarse than before.

I'm too horrified to reply. My nickname, Mel, is slowly being cut into her flesh with an invisible knife. It's like her murder all over again, but this time, I'm witnessing it.

I watch her sink to the ground, her eyes wide in pain. Her bloodstained hands reach out to me and she screams, "Save me, Melanie! SAVE ME!"

The pain I feel in my back fades as my head falls, my vision going black. I'm slipping into deep, dark oblivion with Laura's eyes burned into my mind.

Laura...

_______________________________________________________

I know my updates haven't been very good, but I will be editing the chapters even further when this novel is finished.

I'm not sure if the update for Deadly Obsession will come tomorrow...I'm not doing very well right now.

A new update for Find Me comes Wednesday!

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