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Are they here in the library? Are they still following us? What if they try to attack us the moment we leave? Should we have a knife on us to stand a chance at self-defence?
My heart races as my thoughts grow more and more panicked until I spot something out of the corner of my eye that fills my entire soul with dread.
A man is sat on the ground floor of the library, reading a newspaper, and he had been looking up at us, I was sure of it. When I turn my head to look at him fully, he’s focused on the newspaper. I can onlysee the side of his face, and it’s from a considerable distance away, but something about him looks familiar, tightening my stomach into a knot.
It’s not Chris, that much I’m sure of, as the man’s hair is brown.
Is it one of the people Chris is working for? Is it the driver of the car from the other night?
“Uh, Marcus,” I say hesitantly, not taking my eyes off the man.
“Yea?”
“I think… they may have followed us here,” I say, my voice barely more than a whisper.
He looks up from his phone and takes a step towards the glass when I quickly jump up and grab his hand to stop him.
“Don’t make it obvious!” I whisper, despite knowing that there is no way we could be heard all the way downstairs.
“Who?” Marcus asks, straightening his back as he tries to look out towards the ground floor.
“In the red chair,” I say. “Reading a newspaper.”
“Where? I don’t see anyone.”
I turn back to look and gasp as the man has gone and the chair he had been sitting in stands vacant.
I jump up to the door to look around, but I don’t see him anywhere.
“He’s gone.”
“Was it him?” Marcus asks.
“No. But he looked familiar. I think it may have been the person who was following me in the car this morning.”
“Are you sure?”
My heart is pounding in my chest and I feel like a dark cloud is hanging over our heads.
“I couldn’t see him very well. I just caught a glimpse and thought he was looking at us.”
Marcus is silent for a moment.
“Hopefully it was nothing. Either way, they can’t hurt us here,” he says.
I nod, sinking back down into the chair.
“Are you alright?” he asks, his voice full of concern as he reaches out and rests his hand on my shoulder.
I shake my head.
“Hey, it’s going to be okay. I promise,” he says.
I take a deep breath and try to steady myself.
“The cottage is booked. The car is being towed to a garage not far from here. They said it should be ready by six. We’ll stop back at my place, I’ll check that it’s all clear, get a few things packed and we’ll set off once it’s dark.”
I nod, the room feeling like it’s starting to spin as I think about everything that’s happened and everything that lies ahead.