Chapter 9

    9 HOURS EARLIER

The bell went signifying the end of lunch. Jack lifted his tray and dumped the remaining food in the trash, and left his tray in the pile of used trays.

He came back to the table as the remaining three stood up to go for their next class. Vivian trailed behind the three boys as they walked towards their next period, History.

Her phone pinged signifying a message. She unlocked her phone and opened the message, Jack's dad.

"Baby girl, are you okay?", Vivian smiled as she continued walking till she hit a body. She looked up and noticed that the boys were staring at her, "why are you smiling?" Max asked, she touched her face to confirm if she was smiling, indeed she was.

Jack's dad had warmed his way into her heart like the saying goes; the older the berry the sweeter the juice. Vivian reminded herself of the popular phrase in order to feel at ease with herself for loving a man her father's age.

"Uhm no reason, I'll just head to the restroom to take care of 'business'" Vivian made air quotes around business to signify the kind. The three boys grimaced and scrunched their noses.

She quickly headed for the restroom, she looked at her phone again. She stared at the screen, she didn't know if he had delayed to reply the message on purpose or he was truly busy, but whatever he did, it saved her the inconvenience of confessing to Jack in front of her friends. She entered the furthest stall from the door, locked it twice and crouched down to the floor. Her phone rang before she could text back.

"Hello?" Vivian whispered

"Baby girl, your daddy has missed you" Jack's father replied in a husky tone. His voice sent a feeling of warmth down her body.

"I've missed you too..." there was silence over the phone like he was waiting for her to speak

"Too what?" She could imagine the smirk on his face over the phone.

"Daddy" Vivian flushed. He liked it when she called him that.

"The text I received was from Jack?"

"Yes, he's having a sleepover at Max's"

"Did you delete the conversations like I told you to?"

"Yes"

"So he doesn't suspect anything?"

"No daddy"

"Good girl".

This praise made her smile, she liked it when she made him happy.

They talked a little before she ended the call. She looked at the time, she was so late for history.

2hours later

"And they found Emily's body today?"

"Where are you going with this Jack?" Chris was giving Jack a Stern look. Vivian was in her world, texting someone. She smiled as she replied the texts.

"Are you coming over now or later?"

She texted back "I don't know if Jack is heading over to Max's place or going home first, I'll find out".

"Be careful, we don't want him to suspect anything" he replied almost immediately.

"Trust me zaddy" she sent a winking emoji.

She was thinking of ways of how to ask Jack without looking suspicious when Max saved her the stress by asking Jack, "Are you coming to the house or you'll grab a few things from your house?".

7hours later

"Whatever" Jack rolled his eyes with a smile plastered on his lips, "I'll be back, set up the game for the next round". Jack closed the door, leaving Max to the comfort of his room.

Max stood from the seat positioned close to the gaming system, he moved towards the bed where Jack had left his chips. He began to munch on the chips, picked his phone from the side table where it was left to charge. He scrolled through his Instagram page; liking pictures and commenting where necessary. A minute later a strange number texted him a poem. He read it in his head, it didn't make sense. He texted back, no reply. He dialled the number, it was non existent. His confusion level was peeking, he started to read the poem again as he whispered it unintentionally;

"Roses are red

Violets are lifted up high

Two are dead

The beginning of what's lifted up high? It's her turn to die".

His mind's gears turned at a fast rate. "What's lifted up high?" He asked himself, he re-read the poem, "violets are lifted up high" he answered himself. "The beginning?" His heart was pounding, he was getting a weird feeling that this wasn't ordinary. He called the number again as he paced back and forth, non existent. He looked down at the poem again, sweat trickled down his spine.

"The beginning of what's lifted up high?", he looked at the quatrain over and over again. "The beginning of violets is... V?" His eyes widened V, Vivian. He quickly dialed her number, it was switched off. He began to wear his shoes, prepared to run over to her house when he remembered Jack was coming back. He dialled Jack's number.

2 minutes earlier

"Get him whatever he likes?" Jack tested a theory. "Oh thanks" Vivian turned and walked in the opposite direction with speed in her feet.

Vivian walked down the moon lit path, hiding her affair with Jack's dad was getting unbearable and impossible. She touched her face, she was still cold from the confrontation, she would have been caught in the most compromising position which she would never have been able to lie her way out of.

She walked passed a darkened alley, glanced and walked on. She stopped, had she seen what she thought she saw? Was the question that flashed through her mind. She slowly walked back and peeped. She hadn't been imagining it. The orange umbrella was bright and hard to miss. There was no rain, so why will a person stand in a dark alley holding an umbrella?.

"Hello?" Vivian called out , "are you okay?" She stayed fixed on her spot not wanting to walk in, there was a slight hesitation and fear in her voice.

The figure looked up, Vivian's breath hitched in her throat. His eyes glowed, it wasn't normal, this was IT. She started sprinting without wasting time. It ran after her. Vivian ran ignoring the hurt in her legs, she slowed down as she saw a brick wall in front of her, a dead end.

"No no no no" she quickly turned to run back into another alley feet's away from the dead end. She saw IT coming. It slowed down and stood feet's away from her, at the entrance of the escape alley, blocking Vivian's movement.

"Please, whatever you are please don't hurt me" Vivian felt immense fear, her eyes pricked with tears as it rolled down her face. It walked closer, Vivian began to scream and plead.

The cold temperature of the atmosphere felt hot around her, her heartbeat could lead a parade. She closed her eyes and bowed her head to the floor covering her head, she shook in fear. She heard rapid footsteps like someone was running, she lacked the courage to look up. There was a grunt before the sounds stopped. She stayed still, shaking in fear, afraid that she would look up into the eyes of the predator before it took her.

"Vivian?" She heard a familiar voice call her, she slowly looked , she felt relief wash over her. She glanced around, the thing was gone. She quickly rushed and embraced her friend in a warm hug.

"You saved me, Max". Vivian's heart was still pounding fast but she felt safe.

2 minutes earlier

"Jack, can you try and reach Vivian? I'm on my way to her house right now"

"Why? She just left here"

"What? How but I just received a text"

"A text from who? What does it say?"

"From it, She's next".

Jack quickly texted the direction Vivian had walked in. He rushed out of his house not bothering about his father . He ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He slowed down as he spotted Vivian speaking to someone in an alley. She started running, seconds later he saw a figure pursue her.

He turned right not following them in order to cut off the figure at an alley infront.

He ran disregarding his burning limps and his pounding heart. He came to a slow halt as he saw the figure standing a few feet from Vivian slowly walking towards her, she had her head bowed to the floor in fear.

He quickly ran to tackle the figure, his footsteps echoed in the empty alley, the figure turned towards him.

He leaped to tackle the figure, before he could reach it, it held him.

He grunted at the discomfort of it's sharp nails digging into his neck, drawing blood. He looked into the glowing eyes of the figure trying hard not to show the fear he felt, he was seconds away from wetting his pants.

It varnished, and so did Jack. Few seconds later, Max ran into the alley only to see Vivian shaking in fear with her head bowed.