A Chance Ecounter

Something Hunts

Ava lay in bed, her mind racing with events of the day. The video, oh lord! Someone was actually in the penthouse with us? She recalled the video she had just watched. There she was, standing in the penthouse, tears streaming down her face. The video looked like she was arguing with herself. “At least Mum’s image was saved.”

The argument with her mother, the strange phone call, the video, the spooky penthouse, the realization that someone was watching her, and had heard the quarrel she had with her mum…it was all too much for her. She felt like she was drowning in a sea of drama and uncertainty.

As she stared up at the ceiling, Ava made a conscious decision to shut down her mind. It's all just a dream. She tried convincing her mind to let go. She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, willing herself to relax.

“It’s all just a dream” she kept repeating like a mantra.

As she drifted off to sleep, weighed by stress, pain, hurt, and fear, she imagined herself walking away from the chaos, leaving it all behind like a bad dream. She pictured herself in a peaceful place, surrounded by calm and serenity. In her mind's eye, she saw herself smiling, free from the weight of her worries. And with that, she let go, surrendering to the darkness of sleep hoping tomorrow would bring a brighter, more peaceful day. Who am I kidding?

The sun had barely risen over the horizon when Rachael was already pacing back and forth in her living room, her phone glued to her ears. She had seen the video! And her mind was racing with damage control.

“Tessa, I need you to work on this right away!” she said, her voice firm and urgent.

Tessa, Ava’s assistant, answered groggily “What's going in Racheal?”

“There's this video of Ava circulating, I don't know who took it, but she looked crazy, hurt, and rejected all at once.” It's like a ticking time bomb waiting to destroy our family’s reputation! Racheal spat, her voice seething with anger and disgust. “We need to take it down, right now!”

Tessa felt the urgency of the situation and sprang to action, quickly alerting the media agencies, they worked to start scrubbing the web of the damaging video. Various blogs have posted it with different captions, each one more hurtful than the last.

Thanks to Tessa, the Rutlands connection, and of course their money, they had successfully taken down the video from every platform online, limiting the damage to a minimum.

Ava slowly opened her eyes, taking in her surroundings. She was met with a wave of dizziness and a throbbing in her head. Yesterday’s event came flooding back, and winced, remembering it all. But she was determined to start the day with a positive mindset. She took a few deep breaths and swung her legs over the side of the bed, trying to shake off the lingering fogginess.

Just as she was about to stand up, a text beeped her phone. “Call me” from their Tessa.

“Hey Tessa”

“Good morning Ava, I have some good news,” her assistant said, trying to sound relieving for Ava’s sake.

Ava’s mind was still foggy, and couldn't quite place what Tessa was talking about. “What's it?”

“We were able to take down the video, it's no longer online” Tessa announced.

Ava’s heart skipped a beat, The video! The penthouse, the feeling of being watched.

“Oh, yeah… the video”. Ava said, trying to sound calm but her shaky voice gave way.

Tessa noticed the change in tone. “Ava, what's going on? It's scary thinking someone was monitoring you to get that perfect video. It was so clear… almost up close. Who could have done that?

Ava took a deep breath before launching into the story of the penthouse.

“I thought someone was watching me, but I couldn't see anyone. And then… then this video appears out of nowhere. I don't know if I was the first to see it, but someone sent it to me.”

Tessa's voice was laced with concern “Ava, you need to be very careful. It seems someone might be after you. We’ll increase security and keep a close eye on things, be vigilant too, and keep out of the penthouse for now.”

Who could have done this? And why?

Ava wrapped herself in a plush towel and headed down, feeling refreshed after her bath. She was greeted by the sight of breakfast served on the table, but what caught her attention was the empty seat across from hers. Her mother's plate was already cleared, and Ava couldn't help but feel a sense of relief that she hadn't had to face her yet.

“Maria, can you do me a favor?” Ava asked the maid who was busy pouring orange juice into a glass.

“Of course, Miss Ava. What do you need?”

“Can you go to my mother's room and get me the number of the new driver? I need his service”

Maria nodded and quickly disappeared upstairs. She returned with a piece of paper and handed it to Ava. Ava thanked her and dialed the number on her phone. Jason answered on the first ring.

“Hey, Jason, I need to go shopping today”. Jason agreed of course and Ava hung up, feeling a sense of relief. She loved shopping, and it was a great excuse to get out of the house and do something for herself without getting into any trouble.

When Jason arrived, Ava was already waiting at the door. When he saw her, he smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he took in Ava’s radiance. His gaze lingered on her soft beautiful face and her eyes which shone like diamonds in the morning light. He tried to control himself, but he couldn't help seeing perfection in her. He imagined for a moment, how it'd feel to kiss her, those rosy lips, looking deep into her eyes, grabbing her waist, clenching their fist together. Tight, fast, moans.

“Jason! Did you get any of what I said?”

“Yes, Miss Ava, let's get going.”

As they arrived at the shopping mall, Ava felt a sense of excitement. She loved browsing through the store and getting new clothes. But as they walked through the corridors, she started feeling uneasy and she knew better than shaking it off.

And she was right! A man was lingering around the windows. He was trying to act nonchalantly but Ava could feel his eyes on her. But it felt like she'd seen those eyes before. She quickened her pace and Jason noticed.

“Miss Ava, Is everything okay?

Her heart was racing, she wondered if she was just being paranoid or if something sinister was actually at play.

“We need to leave, Jason, Now! Anywhere but here”.

“What's wrong?”

Ava’s heart was spinning, her eyes scanning the crowded mall with a growing sense of fear.

“I don't know, but I feel like we're being watched. And I can't shake it off”.

Jason’s heart ached at the thought of Ava being scared. He quickly ushered her toward the exit.

“I know a place, Miss Ava, trust me.”

As they reached the car, Ava’s eyes widened in horror. Scrawled across the windshield in red chilling ink was a message!