11 Days

PROLOGUE

It was always the same. The only day that I had nightmares as vivid as the reality in which I was forced to exist, was during the anniversary of my boyfriend’s death and my stalker’s disappearance. I used to be a happy girl, with extracurricular activities, my grades were not bad, my friends were my little world and my boyfriend -Aaron Davis- was the reason why I got up every morning. My uncomplicated life was stopped by a letter. It's strange to think now of all that letter caused just by existing. And it wasn't just the fact that it existed actually, no, oh, no. The letter had been handwritten, with blood, and the words on it still give me chills. Exactly five years ago, twelve days before my sixteenth birthday, Aaron drove me home after school. We planned to meet up later to see a movie and take care of my little brother - who was sick with a terrible flu at the time - while my parents were out of town. My parents trusted me completely, that filled me with indescribable pride. The car pulled up in front of my house then Aaron turned off the engine and leaned in to kiss my cheek lovingly. "Do you want me to bring something to eat later?" he asked with that beautiful smile of his. That smile that completely mesmerized me and drove me mad with the need to kiss it out of him until we were both out of breath. “Or we order something when I’m here?”

I shrugged. I actually didn't have any kind of preference for that sort of thing. I could eat a carrot and be satisfied but Aaron's appetite was even bigger than mine. Both his stomach and ... other things. Lately he had become insatiable when we were alone. It's not that I didn't love him that way, but every girl's dream was to make her first time something special. Aaron understood that and accepted it. He promised to wait patiently but still he wanted more. And so did I. "You could get a dozen donuts from the bakery I like." I suggested biting my lower lip.

“That’s hardly considered food!” He groaned pressing his back against his seat. “It’s just sugar and flour pressed all together into this ring of delicious goodness.” He sighed whipping a hand across his handsome face. He sighed in defeat and said, “What kind?”

I quirked him a grin. He flashed one at me in return and leaned in once more to devour my breath away from my lips. I had to push him back slightly. There was still daylight on the streets and people in the suburbs were a bit nosy. Including me. "Why don't you save all that energy for later and earn extra points by bringing those donuts?"

"I'm afraid the bakery will have to surrender all their donuts to me. I'll tell them there is a girl I desperately want to impress."

“I can’t wait!” I laughed and blew him a kiss as I got out of the car and closed the door delicately. He hated that I did it roughly. Aaron waited patiently for me to enter the house and lock the door. Once inside he sent me a text asking if I had put the safety on the door. I said yes and immediately heard the car's engine roar back to life and drive away. The house was a bit cold when I walked in that afternoon. There were no sounds other than my breathing and the hands of the clock in the kitchen. "Matt?" I called my thirteen-year-old brother from the foyer. More silence. I frowned at experiencing the strange quietness that reigned in the house. These last few days when I came back from school, he was always playing in the living room with his cell phone or shouting in his room at the television after losing a match in one of his violent video games.

I took a few tentative steps without trying to make a lot of noise. I stood in front of the kitchen entrance and walked through the archway into the spacious place. There were no dirty dishes in the sink. There was no indication that Matt had come into the kitchen to eat something and that was strange. My insides almost lurched over at the thought that he could have hurt himself being here alone and there was no one to help him. I quickly turned to rush out of the kitchen and take the other entrance that led directly to the stairs, but just when I stepped on the first step and looked up I let out a scream of pure terror as I saw in front of me what seemed to be the mutilated face of a clown. Shock made me recoil and I fell on my rear.

“I got you!” A muffled voice said mockingly.

I recognized that voice immediately. My fear evaporated into fierce rage. Matt removed his mask revealing his mocking face, his brown hair slightly lighter than latte was disheveled and a bit sweaty.

“You little s**t!” I growled at him. “How could you?!”

He rolled his eyes and tossed the hideous mask on the floor, it flopped awkwardly next to my bent knees. “I’ve been waiting for hours. I couldn’t decide whether I should scare you both later tonight or if I should just have my way with you.” A cough escaped him after he finished speaking.

"You shouldn't be out of bed." I scolded him. "If you keep pushing yourself like this you won't get better." I got up with his help, despite not needing it, he still offered me his hand. Although he was younger than me by a few years, Matt was almost as tall as me and that bothered me. It was something that he always took advantage of to make fun of me. "Have you eaten something?" I asked him in a bad way. Not that I bothered to prepare something to eat for my brother, but he had earned my mistreatment.

“Yeah,” he coughed again making me grunt in angst. “I had some leftovers from last night’s dinner.”

"Alright, let's get you to bed." I pushed Matt forcing him to climb the stairs in front of me. Once on the upper floor we turn left and push open the first door in the hall. If someone asked, hey what is your brother's room? All I had to say was, oh that door with a lot of strange pictures and death threats. There were clothes thrown on the floor, the controls of their video game consoles were also abandoned on the floor near the dirty clothes. "Why is it so hard for you to put the clothes that you take off in the basket?" I heard him complain about my scolding as he climbed onto the bed and rolled into the rumpled sheets. I made sure he was comfortable first and then picked up the mess in his room. I don't know why I should bother if he will do it again. Once the room looked decent, I left and closed the door behind me. I went to my room feeling a little calmer and smiled when I saw how the rays of the sun illuminated everything they touched in my room. I loved having a window that faced the street, so I made the most of listening when Aaron pulled up or when my parents came from somewhere. Before throwing my heavy backpack on my bed to see it bounce, something caught my attention. On top of a pillow was a white rose and an envelope with my name on it. In black ink it read Aviana Teegan. It seemed to have been written with great delicacy. Another joke from Matt? The rose still had thorns, so I did not dare to touch it. I carefully lifted the envelope and shook it lightly to make sure there was nothing inside but paper. Pushing it off my face, I tore one end and dropped a folded sheet of paper on my bed. I sat on the edge of the bed and carefully began to unfold the paper, revealing a letter written in red ink. It had a strange smell. I began to read aloud the words that completely changed my life.

Dear Aviana

I have watched you for a long time and I cannot help but think of you as a helpless bird that has been condemned to live in a cage. Your prison does not allow you to reach your greatest potential and that breaks my heart into a thousand pieces. I wonder if you feel burdened by the mundaneness of your existence. Let me tell you that you are without a doubt the most exquisite creature ever created. Your golden skin begs to be used as a canvas. Would you let me carve my name on the plains of your body? Your long red hair wrapped around my hand as I pull it to bite your neck making you scream my name in ecstasy. Your dark eyes, a pool of desire. Your life, your soul, all of you completely at my mercy. When you think no one is watching you as you lie down every night and run your hands over your body wishing they were those of that stupid boy you call a boyfriend and moan to yourself, I watch you. I moan with you. You don't know yet, but you need me as much as I need you. And because I believe in you and I know you want more than what you have now, I will give you eleven days to guess who I am and succumb to me. Do not fear, my little bird, I only exist to adore you.

Yours, The Hawk.

When I finished reading the letter, I froze. I was speechless. This had to be a joke. I felt the skin on my cheeks suddenly get wet and didn't understand that I was crying. I quickly ran out of my room and entered Matt's room who was lying asleep. I woke up my little brother asking him if someone had come to the house today, if someone had knocked on the door. But he said no and when he asked me what was wrong, I couldn't contain my overwhelming fear any longer. I cried relentlessly in front of my concerned brother. Matt was the one who called my parents and told them something bad had happened and they needed to come home. The next day my parents had returned from grandma’s house, who was very ill at the time, and they demanded to see the letter I had received. My parents didn't pay much attention at first, they downplayed it. They were convinced that it was nothing more than a bad joke. But they soon changed their minds when they saw how every morning when they woke up there was a new letter. The writings became more disturbing, more violent, more s****l and gross. Aaron never left me alone now. He had offered to sleep at my house to make me feel more secure, but I told him it wasn't necessary.

My time had run out and I still didn't know who this monster was that seemed to know everything about me. And so, my birthday came. At three in the morning I woke up feeling cold. When I opened my eyes the first thing I saw next to me was a mannequin dressed in a bloody tuxedo. My room had been lit by the burning fire of candles that had been placed along the walls and on my furniture. I gasped sitting up too fast realizing I had been stripped off my pajamas and I was left in nothing but lacey white underwear I didn’t even own. My floor had been completely upholstered in white petals. I started to cry when I saw that on the mannequin's face Aaron’s name had been scrawled with what I could only assume was fresh blood. On its chest there was a velvety box with a note that said Happy Birthday, little bird. With shaky hands I took the box and slowly ripped the lid off. A chilling shriek came out of me when I saw a finger inside. My parents and my brother shouted my name on the other side of the door, but they couldn't open it no matter how hard they tried for it had been sealed by boards. Minutes passed and I just stood there in the middle of the bed, half naked watching how Aaron's finger floated in a small pool of blood.

My name is Aviana Teegan, I am twenty-one years old and on the run.