I turned, bolting down the hallway. Immediately, I heard the sound of echoing footsteps behind me. Someone breathing hard, running fast. I tried to run faster. It wasn’t a long hallway at all, but it felt as though it stretched on for infinity. My blood turned to pure ice. I was near the door. I could reach it; I could stretch out and touch the doorknob. If I got inside, I could slam the door and call the police, get us help.

A cold hand snapped around my wrist and yanked me backward. I gave a shrill shout, my shoulder threatening to pop out of its socket at the angle my arm had been twisted. I looked into Robby’s dark eyes, the glasses on his face appearing to magnify the dual black holes, sucking in any and all light. He grinned a wicked smile before driving his knee up into my stomach.

I curled over, dropping to my knees. I coughed and sputtered and tried getting up. Another kick landed against my ribs. I cried out for help, but the kicks continued to rain down on me. He started to laugh; I started to cry. I curled up into a ball and covered my face with my forearms to try and get some cover from the barrage.

Jake… he’s—he’s hearing this. He—needs. He needs me.

“That’s what you get for running away from me,” Robby said, blows still raining down on me. The pain blurred into one massive throb, radiating through every single bone in my body. I gasped.

I need to get up— for Jake.

The thought of him being hurt was more painful than the kicks. I found a buried well of strength and reached forward, latching onto a leg and pulling it to my mouth.

I bit down, hard. It was the only thing I could think of doing. An admittedly savage move that also admittedly worked. Robby shouted, “What the fuck!” before stumbling backward, holding the back of his calf. It gave me enough time to get up.

“It was you this entire time.” My lungs felt like they were on fire, but I still managed to get the words out.

“Surprised?”

“Not really,” I said, that well of strength growing. This was it. This would be the end, one way or another. No more looking over my shoulder, no more being scared of shadows and noises. Everything would be brought out into the light.

He lunged at me again, but I was ready this time. I used my shoulder as a brace, hitting him in the chest before he could land a punch on me. That seemed to have surprised him, knocking him back. His fist flew through the air again, this one connecting with my jaw and sending a stinging pain across my face.

“I don’t want to do this to you,” he said, coming at me again like a rabid dog.