Chapter 41: Risk

Ericka's POV

I glared at the cealing, my frustration and worry growing with every passing minute. It had been five hours since Anna went missing, and I was still sitting in this cold, sterile room, waiting for any news. The sun had set outside, casting a golden glow over the city, but I felt no warmth or comfort.

The officers seemed to be doing their best, but it was clear that they were struggling to find any leads. They asked me questions for what felt like hours, but I didn't have any answers. I had told them everything I could remember about Anna's last words, about her disappearance.

I felt my frustration and anxiety rising, as I watched the officers move slowly around the room, their faces expressionless. They seemed to be going through the motions, but it was clear that they were no closer to finding Anna or Marco.

The police didn't find anything suspicious about Marco's files,he was just a normal guy, with no history of violence or troublemaking.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm down, but my anxiety was getting the better of me. I knew I had to stay focused, but it was hard not to feel like I was stuck in a nightmare.

I pulled out my phone and dialed my grandma's number. She answered on the first ring.

"Hey, kiddo, how's it going?" she asked.

I took a deep breath before speaking.

"Hey, Grandma. I'm just going to have a sleepover with a friend tonight," I said quickly. "I won't be back home until tomorrow."

I hated lying to her, but I knew she would worry if she knew what was really going on. She would try to come and accompany me, and I didn't want her to have to deal with this stress.

"Okay, sweetie," she said slowly. "Just be careful and don't forget to call me when you get home."

I nodded, even though she couldn't see me. "I will, Grandma. Love you."

As we hung up, I felt a pang of guilt.

I took a deep breath and tried to focus on the task at hand. I had to stay strong, stay calm, and stay focused. Anna was out there somewhere, and I was going to find her.

I stood up and smiled weakly at the officers. "I think I'm going to step outside for a bit, get some fresh air," I said, trying to sound casual. They nodded sympathetically and returned to their conversation.

I made my way out of the station, taking a deep breath of the cool evening air. It was a relief to be outside, away from the fluorescent lights and stale air of the police station. I walked down the street, trying to clear my head.

As I walked, I couldn't help but think about Anna and Marco. Where could they be? Was Marco really innocent? I thought back to our conversation, trying to recall any details that might have been off. But nothing seemed out of place. He had seemed so normal, so kind.

"Ericka!"

"Jackson?"

"Yeah it's me"

"What are you doing here?" I asked him.

"I was just out for a walk and saw you walking out of the police station. I thought I'd come over and see what's going on."

"My friend Anna is in danger, she called me earlier saying that someone is going to kill them."

"Oh shit!"

"The police don't seem to be doing much to help."

"Don't tell me your doing it by yourself now,you know it's dangerous outside this days,you must be extra more careful"

"Says the one who got stabbed but still roaming around outside" I said and he chuckled,

"Okay,okay,I know,I'm just trying to see if I can find the motherfucker who did that to me"

"But seriously, I'm here to help you Ericka" he said smiling genuinely.

"Thanks Jackson but I don't want you to get in trouble just because of me" I said.

Then something click on my mind.

"Shit! Why didn't I think about this before!" I said with wide eyes, and Jackson looked at me.

"What?"

"Don't you think that the suspect in your case and the one that Anna is telling me is the patient who escaped from the asylum?" I said, and I could see the looked on Jackson's face is horror.

"What makes you think that?" He asked,

"The news is describing the patient that it's a murderer and psycho, what if he's the one who's been attacking people?" I asked, terrified.

"Holy shit, Ericka. That's a possibility. I never thought about it that way." He paused, looking around nervously. "But we have to be careful. If that's who's responsible, we don't know what he's capable of."

"We need to inform this to the police" I said, ready to go, but something caught my eye. I saw him again, that man, he's there, across from the street, staring at me with an intense gaze.

I didn't look away, and stepped forward, walking slowly to get to where he's standing and see if I'm just hallucinating. But he's still there, and I can see that he's looking at me amusingly.

For some reason, I can feel that he's connected to all the events that have been happening.

And then I heard a loud honk from a car, taking me by surprise. I looked at it and shielded my eyes because of the light that was coming from the car.

"Do you want to die, lady? Get out of my way!" a guy shouted.

I stepped aside so he could go.

"Ericka!" I heard Jackson.

I turned to face him and saw him approaching me.

"Ericka! Are you out of your mind? I've been calling your name again and again, but you can't seem to hear me. What happened to you? You almost got hit." he asked, concern etched on his face.

I looked at him blankly, trying to process what had just happened. I had seen the man across the street, and then...oh yes,I turn my head to where I saw the man earlier but he's not there anymore.

I looked around frantically, trying to find any sign of him, but he was nowhere to be found.

"Ericka, are you okay?" Jackson asked, his voice low and urgent.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, trying to sound convincing.

I'm not hallucinating. I'm sure of it. I've seen him, multiple times, and I can't shake off the feeling that he's connected to all of this. The patient who escaped from the asylum, the stabbing, the strange occurrences, the feeling of being watched... that only psycho would do.

Why is he watching me? What does he want from me? Is he trying to send me a message or is he just playing with me? I need to know.

I'm willing to make myself a bait if that's what it takes. I'll put myself in harm's way if it means uncovering the truth. I've been feeling like I'm living in a nightmare, but maybe this is the only way to wake up.

I need to find out who he is and what he wants. I'll do whatever it takes to get answers. I'll take risks, I'll put myself in danger, but I'll get answers.

I'll have to be careful. I'll have to be smart. I'll have to play this game carefully.

I'll start by gathering more information. I'll research the patient who escaped from the asylum, see if there's anything about his background that could be connected to this stranger. I'll look for any clues, any patterns.

Even though the news said that there's no information about him anymore,but I will still try.

And then... I'll make my move.