Chapter 3 Elodie's POV

Walking down the aisle , I randomly pick up items of food without even really paying attention. My mind was once again too occupied. I wonder if people looking at me see just someone that looks like a walking zombie ? I randomly wonder. My mind was too focused on the conversation with my dad. I sometimes wonder if maybe it was him that planted in my mind that I should study for the job I have and he used my mother as his ammunition. The reason I wonder is because I don’t actually know when I decided to go down this route. Growing up I did dance , ballet , gymnastics, ballroom you name it , it was my passion. And I was invested all my childhood. I had been determined, because when I was dancing. When my body moved like it was possessed and like it knew what it was doing without me gaving to think. I felt free and alive. I was happy. I had friends , I had fun and I had a dream.

I wanted to be on a stage , a grand one , one where all eyes were on me and they were mesmerized. I wanted to be seen. Maybe I craved it because I wanted for one moment to be someone's sole focus , someone's obsession and in that one moment I held them captive..

I don’t even remember fully how the thought to change my dream happened and how it entered my mind. But I do remember my fathers words “ it would make your mum proud “ and “ You can help so many others , you can help cases not go cold and justice be served “. Funny those are the reasons I tell myself now that those are the reasons I changed my mind and did this.

I just don’t remember how he started manipulating my mind. But I feel it , I know that it had to be him. His words were too much of an echo of my own for it not to have been. My father worked on my mothers case. The only case he has ever not solved. No evidence , no DNA , no footage. Nothing it was like somehow a stab wound just appeared on her body and made her bleed out all on its own. I had looked over her case myself. It had been a mistake. Once I saw the images of my mothers lifeless body in those photos it overrode a lot of my good memories. I would think of a happy time and then all of a sudden the memory would change. Her warm smiling eyes would turn lifeless and dull. Empty and cold , then a wound would open on her chest and blood would pour out like a fountain. Then I would wake up gasping for breath , shaking and crying.

Shaking my head I look at what I had just picked up in my hand. Trying to get the image out of my head. Ice cream , chocolate fudge brownie and vanilla. Hmm I tilt my head and place it in the basket. At least in my autopilot state I have good taste.

I finish up and head out the store , as I do I hear a motorbike rev its engine and my heart picks up in speed as my head snaps to the side. I turn to see a man on a yellow motorcycle , his helmet white as he takes off down the street it's not him. I almost laugh at myself , not every bike will be him. Yet , just the sound of one has my heart racing.

Walking down the street back towards my apartment , I see a group of young girls. Young , I say young like they don’t look my age. They probably are or a little bit older yet I feel so old and defeated in life that I refer to them as young. They’re dressed up giggling; it looks like they’re ready for a good night out. Or an all day session given its only 2 in the afternoon. I look on longingly. They look like they’re already having fun who knows what the rest of the night will bring for them. Not stuck in evil gore that much I do know like I will. Others toy with fear , toy with the taboo watching scary films and serial killer documentaries but living it real life day in day out well its different. You lose sight of reality. To me those girls now look out of the ordinary like they are a film or a documentary. And the evil I see is the norm.

It's that sad thought that made my feet stop walking and plant me still in the middle of the side walk and watch them. They head into a bar. Someone curses at me for stopping in their way and steps around me. But my eyes are glued to their backs as they head in and I find myself following them.

It’s not like I have never had a night out with friends , but it had been a long time ago. Maybe 18 when I was still at university and I was still kind of fun, kind of carefree and light. Then I got lost in books and stopped accepting invitations out and eventually they stopped asking or trying to get me to have fun. I don’t know why , no one stopped me going with them. I could have stopped studying for a night to have fun. But something in me started changing , I started feeling odd in their group. I think I just stopped faking being OK. I let the sadness in me wash over me and take over. I think since I was 14 and my mom died I had slapped on a smile and told the world I was still me I was still OK. But getting to university and studying criminal science the more it sunk in that I wasn’t OK and that my dream was now gone.

Entering the bar I moved to a corner booth and sat my shopping bags down beside me. A waiter was in front of me practically straight away. “ What can I get you Miss ? “ he asks, smiling politely. I frown a little. What would I like ? “ Rum and coke “ I spit out in a rush remembering a drink I used to have. When was the last time I drank ? Maybe two years. He looks at me weird probably because I just practically shouted it at him. “ No worries Miss “ he states walking off and I slump sighing.

“ Way to go Elodie , look more like a weirdo “ I mutter to myself.

I look around and see the girls at the bar. And I just watch them , they laugh and joke and drink and they act so carefree. The waiter comes back with my drink and I try to smile at him and act normal , but he just tightly smiles and walks off. Taking the drink I sip at it , and I just watch. Not just the girls I watch,I watch everyone and they all seem so normal. I can’t help my mind drifting off coming up with scenarios. I see a guy across the room looking at the girls at the bar. He’s interested in one of them , the way he scans her body with his eyes. Then I see she has noticed and she looks back.

Then I see a crime scene flash in my mind, automatically I have placed him as the villain that kills her. The motive is that maybe she didn’t want him. It’s unfair of me , I know that. It isn’t sane that is for sure. He is most likely a nice guy , a hard working man that is just looking for love. But I know all too well that most of the time it is a wolf dressed in sheep's clothing that ends up being the guy. Or maybe the girl does it , maybe he wanted her friend not her. People had done it for a lot less.

“ Another drink Miss ? “ My waiter's voice breaks me out of my thoughts and I look at the glass to see it empty. I frown. I don't remember drinking it all.

“ Ermmm no thank you , just the bill “ I say, clearing my throat. My thoughts had taken a turn , it was time to go. He nods and takes off towards the bar. I follow him with my eyes but something else catches my eye. A guy , he sits with his back to me a black tshirt that stretches across his muscular back, brown hair cut short but left messy on the top. Beside him another guy dressed the same. Both looked huge and intimidating. Even without seeing their faces. I looked down , dark jeans and I gasped on their feets black biker boots. Images of my stalker flash in my mind. It's the outfit he had on.

The server comes back with the bill and a card reader blocking my view. I hurriedly get my card out and pay and when he leaves and I look back they're gone. Grabbing my bags that now probably had melted ice cream all in them and the food no longer any good I rushed outside. I look around and freeze, across the road he is there. His helmet now on , behind him the other one sits on his bike, his helmet too. But I just know it's the guy at the front. I know that because he is the one looking at me , the other looks down the street he taps his hands like a drum on his bike, his head bobbing. He isn’t calm and still like the one that watches me. He just dosen't seem as menacing.

I look back to my stalker , he tilts his head to the side and I take in a shaky breath.

How did he know I was in there ? He slowly reaches into his pocket and pulls out a piece of paper. He unfolds it and then he holds it up to me.

“ I’ll see you soon Elodie “ I drop the bags out of my hands and they hit the concrete. He lets go of the paper and it drifts to the concrete. Then he leans over his bike and takes off , the other follows. I watch them go and snap out of my frozen state. Grabbing the bags off of the floor I rush across the street bend and pick up the paper. Looking down his handwriting was neat. But there was nothing else on the paper. I look up the road again. How did he know my name ?