Run, My Victim | Chapter 1: A Head Start

It was 7pm. The library was empty and it was just me and the librarian. I took a deep breath and turned to the last page I had to read.

“Excuse me, but we are about to close in a few minutes.” I look up to see a taller male with an eyebrow cut design, and a face mask on. I adjusted my glasses and tilted my head. His head turned towards me and we made eye contact. He stared at me with confusion in his eyes. It’s like he’s seen me before. But who could he be?

My eyes wandered back to my book and continued taking notes. I heard footsteps get closer to me and I slowly raised my head up to see that he was walking past me, staring at me, squinching his eyes. He sat at one of the library tables still staring at me. He did a slight wink at me and smashed his head into a book. I squinched my eyes, attempting to read the title of the book.

‘Dark Obsession’ I placed my books in my bag and walked over to him.

“Hai, excuse me.” He lowered his book and stared at me. I got a good look at his eyes and his twisted hair. His muscles perked through his black long sleeve shirt and his right leg was bouncing under the table. “Am I making you nervous? I’m sorry if I am.” He tilted his head and shook his head no. “I was just intrigued by the book you were reading. I wanted to know more about it.” He closed the book and stared at me. His eyes darkened, still cloaked in a mask. He stood up and got closer to me. He caressed my lip with his black rubber gloves and gripped my waist tightly. He continued staring at me, tilting his head and squinching his eyes, again. It was like he was staring deep into my soul. What was going on in that head of his?

“Excuse me, I’m gonna have to ask you both to leave.” I turned around and placed my hands behind my back and grabbed his book and handed it to him.

“Here. Have a nice night.” I walked to the front door of the library. And started walking to the bus stop. It was late and the city was more dead than usual. But this wasn’t my first rodeo. I adjusted my backpack, and waited for the bus. I turned my head and saw that in the distance by the library there was a tall figure standing in the middle of the street.

I felt a little uneasy realizing that the librarian’s car already sped off into the night and it was just us in the street. My breathing became rapid as I pulled out my phone slowly and opened my phone to call my roommate. The phone began ringing.

I felt a firm grip around my waist as I was pulled back into another body.

“Hello?” She said as the black gloved hands rubbed above to cover my mouth. My heart was pounding attempting to bite him with hopes he would feel it. But he just squeezed my face even harder. “HELLO??!?!?” She said again. He ran his arm against my arm and grabbed the phone from my hands.

“She’s fine.” He said. “It was a pocket dial.”

“What do you mean? Who is thi–” He hung up the phone as I let reality sink in. My last call just slipped out of my hands. He turned me around to face him.

I saw the Iconic Ghostface mask. He had a chained leash wrapped around his neck, tilting his head at me.

“Now, I want to play a little game with you. I’ll give you a little head start and try to run as far as you can. Or, you can just surrender right now, and I get to have you all to myself.” I was speechless. I was petrified. I am too busy thinking about my mortality than to even process what he just said to me. “Looks like you want to surrender. Fine by me.” He grabbed me but I resisted and ran in the opposite direction.

I found myself hiding in a parking garage. Cornered I walked to another exit and stared at it. I feel myself getting close to escape. Then there he was.

“Running was predictable, my victim..You couldn’t help yourself, could you? The thrill of thinking you might get away?” His voice was sadistic, yet alluring at the same time. I was scared but reeled in at the same time. “The fleeting hope of freedom..” I slowly walked behind another pillar and watched his every move. Luckily, he didn’t notice me. His back was turned. “Funny thing about this building. It has a way of…amplifying fear. Every step against the asphalt, every whisper of open space. They start to sound like me, don’t they?” He walks ahead, further for me as I inch my way to the exit. “Moving closer, watching.” I made a sprint to the exit.“You can hide all you want. But deep down, you know how this ends.”

I hid behind the wall and stared straight at the stairs. I knew that if I start walking down these stairs, he’s gonna hear me, and he’s gonna bolt to these stairs. I slid down the wall and started crying silently. He’s gonna find me and he’s gonna kill me. I know it.

“You see, I don’t tend to rush.” I peeked out and saw him walking past the pillars. “I can take my time. I always do.” I looked back at the stairs. I covered my mouth and wiped my tears with hopes he won’t think for a second to look over here for me. “It’s not about the chase, my victim. It’s about what comes after. When you’re caught and all that adrenaline fades and reality sinks in. You finally realize, you were never in control.” Yeah, no shit…

“I’m so fucked.” I whispered to myself, peeking again.

“Right now you must feel like a rabbit.” And just like that, he disappeared. “Small Cornered.” I sank into the corner of the wall. “Waiting for me to strike.” His footsteps stopped. I sniffed and wiped my face again. I didn’t want to look this time because I already know how this is going to end. “But get this; Sometimes the rabbit gets away.” He went silent. I couldn’t hear his footsteps as I turned my head slowly. “Not tonight though.” He walked straight in the room. My eyes widened as he turned his head towards me, tilting his head again.

“Hi there.” He said before grabbing me and covering my eyes.

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