IP Blog #3

I’d always known that Jacob had had a kind of ardent infatuation for me, but this was getting a little out of hand.

                I was one of the only people that talked to Jacob at school, maybe the only one. Our interactions were very limited, maybe a smile in the hallway, a quick hello, and a goodbye conversation at the end of the day­ – our lockers were right next to each other, just as they had been every year for the past three years of high school.

                I always walked home from school with my boyfriend, Mark. We lived next door together and had since we were both born, our parents were best friends. But today was different, today someone else was walking with us. It was Jacob, walking about 50 feet behind us, following us.

                “Don’t worry about it honey,” said Mark, noticing my panic. “It’s just Jacob, he’s harmless. I’m coming over after work, you won’t be alone for long. Just relax.”

                Both of our parents were going out tonight for my mom’s birthday, so I was going to be home alone all night. That is, until Mark gets off work and comes over, we always take advantage of time we get to spend alone together. It was nice to hang out with my boyfriend without an authority figure constantly watching us.

                Mark walked me to my door and kissed my goodbye. “Relax,” he said, and then he turned around and got into his car to head to work. Maybe all of my worries were superfluous. I was always nice to Jacob, what would he possibly want to do to me?

                It was 9:30, a half an hour after Mark was supposed to come over. I was starting to get really worried, so I decided to call him.

                No answer.

                I really needed to calm down, nothing was wrong with Mark, he probably just got held up at work. 

                It wasn’t until 10:00 when I finally got a call back from Mark.

                “Hello?” I said, anxious to hear his voice.

                “Hey sweetheart,” a voice who was not Mark’s answered.

                “Hello? Who is this? Jacob?” what was he doing with Mark’s phone?

                “Let’s not talk about Mark now, he’s not here. You look very nice tonight by the way.”

                “Jacob, what do you mean Mark’s not here, and how do you know what I look like?”

                There was no answer. I heard the back door of my house being opened.

                I dropped my phone and started to run. I ran out of my living room into the hallway and out of my front door. When I got to the end of my front yard and I tripped over something dank. When I saw what it was I started screaming and crying hysterically.

                It was Mark, lifeless, laying in a pool of his own blood.

                I went for my pocket to grab my phone to call 911, but I realized I’d dropped it in my house. I thought about running to my neighbor’s house to try and get some help. But it was too late.  There he was, walking to me from my front door. I told myself to stand up and start running, but I couldn’t feel my legs.

                And then Jacob got to me, leaned down, looked into my eyes, and smiled a horrifying smile.