THIS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON Culver's was less populated than normal; usually, there would be fifteen people, give or take, at a time. But so far there had been ten at most and the place had been open for three hours. Lottie wouldn't admit it, but she was glad for the quiet. With everything that went on, she was still uneasy. 

As she wiped down a table in the far back, she was deep in thought. Before going to bed last night, she had made sure to check every window in the house. They were all clean. Yet, somehow, those muddy fingerprints were there by morning. 

But how?

Lottie finished up with the table, then looked around and sighed. There were no more tables to do, which meant it was time for the inevitable: cleaning the restrooms. Head down, she made way for the female restroom to the far right when she heard a voice. 

"Lottie?"

Lottie didn't bother stifling her groan. "What is it, Hazel? You should be at the register. We might get a customer."

Hazel's eyes pierced into hers. "This place is pretty much empty. Besides, we've got Dave working a register just in case." Then she put her hands to her hips. "But this isn't about work; it's about you-"

"-now's not the time."

Hazel gently tugged her to the front, away from the customers. "Normally, you say a thing or two, but you haven't and it's already 1." She kept her tone low. "You know, you're about as quiet as Dave and he's always mute, so spill."

"Well, before this job, I've been at McDonald's since seven and I'm there till eleven," Lottie sneered. "Then I must be here by twelve just to make a living. So I'm sorry, Hazel, if I'm not always in the mood for your nonsense."

"Hey-"

"-and to think I'll be here until seven."

"That's my point."

Lottie quieted down, searching her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"You work five days a week, girl, so you might as well make the most of it." With that, Hazel shook her head. "Well, I'll be here if you ever decide to tell me." 

"You know, Joseph's a chatterbox and he's been just as quiet as me."

Her co-worker paused, glanced back, then chuckled. "You and I go back three years, which makes us friends by convenience. Joseph, on the other, I've known for a month. Not to be rude, but... I don't care for the guy." But then her face stiffened. "Though, I admit, it is rather weird..."

-

Two hours had gone by and Lottie wasn't having it.

Heavy-lidded, Lottie cleared away another table as she bit back her words. It wasn't worth causing a scene over, she decided, but soon curiosity got the better of her.

She finished the task, then paused, contemplating, and turned around. "What is it?"

As before, the lone man continued to drum the table, his grey eyes narrowed at her. In the next moment, he stopped, considering a response. "Nothing. I'm just sitting here."

"Yeah, but you've been staring at me for the last ten minutes," she sneered back, then lowered her voice. "Is it... my scar?

"Oh, no." His words were monotone, his eyes never leaving hers. "I was just admiring the view."

Lottie scoffed, barely holding it together. "I've had enough boyfriends to know that it never works. Relationships aren't worth it, so get something for here or to-go, then leave." She didn't get enough sleep for this.

"I'll have a burger," he said finally. "A cheeseburger with ketchup."

"Go to the front and tell them your order," Lottie affirmed, gesturing with a hand. Despite herself, the woman pondered on him for a moment before leaving. She noted his brown shoulder-length hair, his short, stubby nose, and his dark, grey eyes.

It almost looked like him.

As the woman got back to work, her mind spun with questions. It would be a few moments after he received his burger that she could have sworn she heard it; something she'd heard many times before.

"I wanted it plain."

-

Lottie tightened her hands over the wheel. The closer she got to home, the more her mind spun. What if there were new marks? If so, did the trespasser get inside? What did the neighbors tell Penny?

"Calm down, Lottie." She let out a long sigh, her home just up ahead. "I'm sure everything's fine."

After stepping out of her vehicle, the woman quietly closed the car door, then looked ahead. She pursed the long pebbled path, passing the short-stubbed bushes when she came to a stop. To her left, the tall-standing bushes began, which separated their homes. After a moment, Lottie continued forward into her own place. Penny might be busy.

That was when she decided to do the inevitable.

Lottie reached for the knob and paused, then stumbled down the porch steps. She didn't need a weapon to search the yard; no longer was she a child. So, after wringing her wrists,  she took a final breath and began. 

Lottie circled the place once, then twice, before stopping in the back to catch her breath. There were no new footprints, she decided, and chuckled. "Who would be stupid enough to come back... a third time?" She began for the front of the house, considering the notion. Well, if they came a second time...

"Hey, Charlotte!"

Lottie was halfway up the porch steps when she flinched, losing her balance. After tumbling to the bottom, she snapped a glare at Penny. "Why'd you sneak up on me like that?!"

"I... wasn't trying to," Penny said, offering a hand. Then, with a sigh, she pulled her neighbor to her feet. "I just spotted you and I thought you were curious."

Lottie's face softened after looking her over. "Fine, whatever. What is it?"

"It seems we're the only ones being targeted. Whoever this person is, they weren't stalking anyone else." Penny fiddled with her leathered bracelet. "Well, I'll leave, but let me know if there are new ones. This happens again and I'll-"

"-call the police, I know." 

Her neighbor gave her a lingering look, before departing around the bushes. "See you tomorrow, Charlotte."

-

She contemplated, staring up at her ceiling, sprawling across the couch. Her book was on the floor beside her, long forgotten. 

Joseph was strangely quiet today, but why?

Lottie sighed and rubbed at her heavy eyes when she looked to the nearby chair. My phone. As she reached for it, she stifled a yawn and then a groan. It was 6:23 pm; she had been doing this for an hour. But after a forced chuckle, her face hardened.

She shot upright, suddenly pale. Why had she dismissed his phone call yesterday? "Was he the one?" However, then the woman scolded herself. "'Course he wouldn't stalk us..."

Right?

Her curiosity got the better of her. After scrolling through her contacts, she paused at his name and tapped. 

It took a few moments for him to pick up; another few before he spoke. "Lottie? Why'd you call?" His voice was mumbled, almost incoherent. "I've got things to do..."

"I shouldn't have hung up." Lottie paused, choosing her words. "You called yesterday a-and I don't think it was for your usual stupidity." But then she stopped, facepalming herself. Why'd I say that?

"Lottie?"

"Yeah?"

"You're right. I said it was urgent and it was." A pause. "But then you hung up."

"Well," Lottie said slowly, "care to elaborate? Strange things have been happening here and I need answers."

There was a sigh on his end. "There's something I need to tell you; something I couldn't tell you at work. It's going to be har-" When she scoffed, he took a moment. "Okay, so I was at home, sitting on my couch. At the time, my mother was away on an errand. I had been there for an hour when-"

"On with it!" she ordered, raising an octave. "Just get to the point."

"That's when I heard a knock." His voice was hesitant as he stumbled over his words. "It was a man and he asked about you specially."

"Really?" Lottie was done being polite. "Answer me and answer he fast: what did he want to know about me?"

"He wanted to know of our relationship." Then Joseph exhaled heavily. "I still don't know why."

"That's it?" Lottie spat. 

"Well, that was mainly it, yes, but the man also wanted to know trivial questions like your favorite places and hobbies. It was quite weird."

The woman pinched the bridge of her nose. "Joseph, you didn't... tell them anything, did you? Because if you did-"

"No." And with that, he hung up. 

Lottie stared down at her phone, taken aback, before dialing him again; then one more time. He never picked up. As she bit back choice words, she stood and crept to each window, carefully looking them over. They were no news marks, she realized, and plopped back on her couch. 

"Things will be okay, girl." But then she closed her eyes, feeling the side of her face. "Nothing like this will ever happen again." 

-

She froze, at a standstill, dropping the slip of paper to the ground. It couldn't be; it wasn't possible. Then, she retrieved it in a bout of anger and stomped back up the porch steps, slamming the door behind her. 

She must destroy it. 

Lottie hurried to her bedroom, paper in hand, then looked down at the paper shredder. As she read the words one last time, she wiped at her eyes:

Why'd you leave us, El?

-

She cried soft tears, willing them away, but it was no use. After a long moment, she finally removed her hands from her face and leaned back into her chair. "One day, you'll move from this place and... y-you won't have to see them ever again. Well, Auntie ever again." 

Only when she heard soft thuds descending the basement steps did she grow quiet. 

"Lottie?" came a gentle voice, then the door opened and her eyes were met. "What's wrong?"

"Eliott?" she asked, sniffling. "Why are you down here?"

"You left down here an hour ago and never came back."

"You two were looking over your photo album. I didn't think you'd noti-"

Her brother slowly confronted her, offering a smile. "Don't worry, sister," he said, giving her the biggest of hugs, "I'll never leave you, and I know you won't leave me. We'll be together forever, El."

I hope you enjoyed that twist at the end. It was supposed to be a big, revealing moment! Lottie's definitely going to be worked up in the next chapter. 

Well, you've made it this far! It's now time for the most important part of the chapter: the interrogation! *long, drawn-out laughter*

Question: What's your favorite genre? 

Personally, I love drama and horror stories. Anyhow, I wish you the best and God bless <3