My Silent Devotion

Prologue: Unknown

The Shadow

I feel a cold tingle on the back of my neck, like someone's watching me, but every time I turn around, nobody's there. I keep walking down the sidewalk, ignoring passersby, worried they might be the one. I know I'm being paranoid; I can't help it. Ever since they announced there was a serial killer lurking around Maplewood, I've been on edge.

My phone buzzes in my back pocket, pulling me out of my funk.

“Hello?” I answer.

There's only silence on the other end.

“Hello? Anyone there?”

I knew I should've looked at the caller ID. I ended the call, stuffing my phone back into my pocket. The feeling of being watched intensifies—as if someone is studying me. I picked up my pace, wanting to get home as fast as possible. Inside, I would be safe. Inside, I could shut the world out. Inside, I could relax and not be so paranoid.

Finally, I arrive at my apartment, but the feeling of being watched hasn't disappeared. I unlock my door and swing it open, only to see the interior ransacked, as if someone were looking for something. I step inside slowly, forgetting to close the door. I walk around searching, wondering if someone is still here, or if they have taken anything. I should have called the police, but I was too stunned.

The sound of the front door closing barely registers. A searing pain stabs through my chest, parting my mouth in a silent scream. I look down and see the glint of a blade piercing through my sternum.

The last thing I heard? “You should never have stolen it.”

The last thing I see? A head with a skull mask looking down at me.