Prey

by Carlos King

  Jade is befuddled. She doesn’t have any feasible explanation as to why she’s so popular all of a sudden. Going by Shana’s description, Jade has no clue as to who the people asking about her are.

  “Thanks for giving me the heads up, sweetie. If any of them come back call me on my cell phone, okay?”

  “Hold on, Jade, I didn’t tell you the weirdest part yet. The last guy who came by asking ‘bout you…I think he was homeless.”

  “Homeless?”

  “Yeah. He was wearing this dirty trench coat and had a hood pulled over his head. At first I thought he was gonna try and rob the place. I mean, who wears a hood over their head inside a mall? Isn’t it like eighty degrees outside? He’s probably out there right now laying on the road somewhere suffering from heat stroke.”

  “That is weird,” Jade confessed. Feeling uneasy about all she’s been told, Jade develops a look of concern, which clearly exemplifies the worry she feeling internally. “Thanks again, Shana. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Alright, Jade. Take care, honey” said Shana, reorganizing a rack of jeans. “Call me if you need me, sweetie.”

  Jade said goodbye to Shana and left the shop. With her curiosity soaring to a new high, various questions arose in her mind.

  Who were those people? Why were they asking about me? If I don’t know them, then how do they know me? How do they know where I work?

  These are just a few questions that bounce around in her head. The more Jade thinks about it, the more paranoid she becomes. Her concern soon escalates when she thinks about what other things the strangers may know. If they knew her name and where she worked, how long would it be before they find out more personal information about her? How long would it be before they found out where she lived?

  Hours have gone by since Jade first received word about her mysterious visitors at the mall. She’s spent an equal amount of time trying to think up answers for the questions she raised earlier.

  Throughout the course of the day the thoughts that had once weighed heavily on her brain are now beginning to subside. It isn’t that she’s totally forgotten about the peculiar ordeal, it’s just that she feels she may be causing herself to panic over nothing.

  She keeps herself busy by straightening up her apartment before Drake arrives for their date. She still has a couple hours to kill before he’s due to arrive, but she doesn’t want to take the small window of time for granted. She rushes through the cleaning of her apartment by gathering up all her clothes, books and other miscellaneous items and tossing them into her bedroom closet.

  It takes Jade two round trips before she notices an improvement. On her third trip she returns to the closet carrying two thick text books that she picked up off her dining room table. She lifts the books above her head and slides them onto the overhead shelving that lined her closet. She got the books halfway onto the shelf before she encounters a snag. Using a little extra force, she manages to break the books free from the snag and get them all the way on the shelf, but in doing so, she knocks several other items off.

  Jade sighs in frustration. Her initial impulse was to leave the items on the floor and continue to clean up. However, this option is quickly discarded when she notices that one of the items that fell was a black shoebox. When the shoebox hit the floor its top fell off which resulted in the contents of the box spilling out. Jade remembers this shoebox and the contents within it all too well.

  Jade takes a seat on the floor right beside the turned over shoebox. She’s made valiant efforts in the past to stay clear of the black shoebox and its contents, and for the last seven months she’s done exactly that.

  The reason why Jade forces herself to stay away from this ordinary shoebox is because it is where she keeps the agonizing memories of her past. Inside the box are photos that remind her of one of the most painful losses she’s ever had to endure. But it’s odd that the pictures that cause her so much pain and misery are actually pictures that were taken during some of the happiest times of her young life.

  Jade picks up the photos and browses through them, taking time to reflect on each picture. Remembering the place, time and thoughts that were going through her head at that particular moment. In nearly every single picture with Jade was her previous boyfriend and her first true love, Alex Henley.

  There were over fifty pictures of Alex and Jade that spanned out over different times and different places, but in every single last picture the two shared the one thing that never changed was the obvious love and affection they had for one another.

  Each picture depicts Jade and Alex smiling vivaciously into the camera while they held each other tight. Slowly flipping through the photographs, Jade comes across the one picture that doesn’t have Alex posing beside her. It’s a picture that she and her father took the night she was scheduled to accompany Alex to his senior prom. It was the night that shook her young world to its very core.

  Jade takes a hold of this specific picture and places all the others back in the box. She lies out on the closet floor, resting on her side as she reminisces on the life altering event that occurred no more than twenty minutes after that picture was taken two years ago. It’s a painful and tragic event that plays in her mind as clear as a Blu Ray Disc on an HD screen.

  CHAPTER 5

  TWO YEARS AGO

  At her parent’s home in Crown Point, IN, Jade is sitting in front of a vanity mirror located inside of her decorative bedroom, retouching her hair. While taking their sentimental picture, her father accidently nudged her hair, slightly altering it.

  When Jade is done fixing her hair she turns to her night stand to view her clock. It reads a quarter after eight. Her then boyfriend, Alex, was scheduled to pick her up at eight o’clock. It struck her as unusual that Alex was late, especially since he prided himself on always being the punctual type.

  Alex was only a year older than her, but Jade saw a level of maturity and integrity in him that made him seem much older than he really was. Alex promised Jade he’d do everything in his power to ensure their prom night was one of the most special nights in her life, and it was that promise that carried Jade through the concern of his uncharacteristic tardiness. She knew Alex’s word was his bond. Aside from her parents, he’s the most dependable person she knew.

  Jade’s train of thought is cut short when the doorbell rings. There’s only one person who was scheduled to be at their front door this time of night. A sense of relief reigns over her.

  I knew he’d keep his promise.

  Jade got up, checked her hair, dress and makeup one last time before making her way toward the stairs.

  Standing atop the stairwell, Jade paused when she heard the muffled voices of who she originally believed to be her parents and Alex. Feeling that the time has come for her to make her grand entrance, Jade begins to elegantly descend down the steps.

  She lifts the front of her beautiful powder-blue dress to prevent stepping on it. After making it more than halfway down the staircase, the faces of her parents came into view.

  Jade’s graceful saunter comes to an end only a few steps away from the bottom. That is where she became aware of the police officer standing at their front door. Jade glances over at her parents, noticing the disgruntled look on their faces.

  Jade gradually walks down the remaining steps. “What’s going on? Is somebody in trouble or something?” No one responds. “Mom, is everything okay?”

  Her mom, Sharon Harris, attempted to answer Jade, but couldn’t. Sharon turned to her husband, Jade’s father, David Harris. She was hoping he’d take up the difficult task of informing Jade about devastating news they had recently made aware of.

  David advanced toward his daughter. “Jade, this is an old friend of mine from high school,” said her father, gesturing to the officer. “This is Deputy William Taylor.”

  Jade greets the deputy with a smile. “Hello, sir.”

  The deputy scrunched his lips as he gave Jade a reserved nod.

  “Jade,” her f
ather went on, “Sheriff Taylor is here on business.”

  Still optimistic, Jade joked, “What happened? Did one of mom’s clients get arrested again?”

  Her father doesn’t reply. He glances at Deputy Taylor and then at Sharon before turning back to Jade. David took a second or two to gather up the best words needed to break the news to Jade as delicately as possible. “It’s about Alex, baby.”

  Jade’s smile partially diminishes. “What about him? What? Is he going to be late?”

  “Honey, Alex isn’t coming.” Her father regretfully told her, his tone filled with sorrow.

  Sharon rushes to Jade’s side in an attempt to console her. However, this is an attempt that Jade declines. She pulls free from her mother’s grasp, stepping back to create a small distance between her and the three adults.

  “What’s the matter with y’all?” Jade defensively asked. “Can someone please tell me what’s going on?”

  David decides to quit sugar-coating the situation and tell Jade the truth. “Jade, Alex was in a car accident about twelve blocks away from here. Deputy Taylor already informed his parents about what happened. William is also a good friend of Alex’s father, so he pretty much knew about the relationship between you two.”

  Jade’s smile no longer visible. “Accident? Is he going to be okay?” she asked worriedly. The room remains silent. “Is he going to be okay?!” she repeated, her concern mounting.

  Her father moves in close. With an unbearable hurt burning deep in his heart, he dejectedly discloses the details of the unpleasant incident. “Alex was in a head-on collision with a drunk driver who swerved over into his lane. By the time the paramedics got to the scene it was already too late. He died before they could get to him. I’m so sorry, baby.”

  “What?!” said Jade, appalled. “What’re you talking about?! Alex isn’t dead! He promised me he’d be here! He promised me! Alex wouldn’t lie to me! He would never lie to me!” She frantically shouted.

  Her parents are beginning to witness a hysteria build up in Jade that they’ve never seen before. Even Deputy Taylor’s sense of alertness increased due to Jade’s erratic behavior.

  Sharon tried to calm her daughter down again. “Jade, sweetie, it’s going to be okay. Me and your father are here for you, honey.”

  “I don’t need you to be here for me! I’m fine! Everything is fine! Deputy Taylor made a mistake, that’s all! Alex is fine!” Jade declared without a shred of doubt. It’s clear to everyone in the room that Jade is in a total state of denial.

  “I know you don’t want to believe it, Jade, but Alex is gone, baby,” her father affirmed. “We’ll get through this, baby. I promise you, we will.”

  “You’re not listening to me, Dad! There’s nothing to get through! Alex will be here any second now and you’ll see that this whole thing was just a crazy mix up. Look, I’ll show you.” Before anyone has a chance to stop her, Jade bolts out the front door.

  Jade’s parents and Deputy Taylor are caught off guard by Jade’s surprising action. They run after her, trying to catch her before she can do anything to hurt herself. It’s obvious she isn’t in her right state of mind and they’re afraid she could pose a threat to herself.

  Proving their initial instincts true, Jade’s conduct has become dangerously unstable. She runs out into the busy avenue in front of their house, jogging down the center of the street, hoping to spot Alex’s ‘99 Grand Prix. She ignores the honking horns and taunting drivers and maintains her disillusioned persistence that Alex’s car will arrive at any minute.

  “ALEXIS!” Her mom screamed in fright.

  Jade’s father and Deputy Taylor dash off the front porch and chase after Jade. Jade is aimlessly wandering up the street through the oncoming traffic, staring at each car as it passes her by to see if any of them were being driven by Alex.

  Jade’s dad and the sheriff are trying their best to get to her, but they’re unable to throw caution to the wind. Their natural survival instincts are forcing them to be vigilant and alert towards the speeding cars in order to avert being hit themselves. It’s this setback that keeps them from closing the distance between themselves and Jade.

  Jade’s shoe unexpectedly snaps at the heel, causing her to stumble to the pavement. The cause for alarm has risen to a new zenith. Jade twisted her ankle, leaving her immobile and vulnerable in the center of the busy street with speeding cars passing her by on both sides. Due to the darkness of night, the drivers don’t notice Jade in the middle of the road until they’re right up on her. A number of cars veer off, barely missing her.

  Jade eventually breaks out of her hysterical state and settles into a more rational mindset. She has no clue as to how she got in the middle of the street and she’s petrified by all the vehicles whizzing by her.

  The incoming blare of a deafening horn sounds from behind her. She turns around and is literally frozen like a deer in headlights as the high-beam headlamps from a fast-approaching truck blinds her. The earsplitting horn disorients her and the blazing lights thwart her from finding a safe means to getting out the truck’s path.

  The driver slams on his brakes, but because of the rate of speed in which the truck is traveling, it has a great deal of difficulty trying to stopping. The truck’s massive tires lock up, sliding across the pavement as it continues to barrel towards Jade. With its horn still blowing, the truck is only feet away from hitting her when suddenly—

  CHAPTER 6

  Jade awakens to the sound of her apartment buzzer ringing. She’s out of breath and panicked and it’s all because of that frightening dream. But after reliving that horrible night, she found solace in the fact that that disturbing night is two years behind her.

  The buzzer rings again. Jade gets up from the closet floor and places the black shoebox back on the shelf. She’s nearly out of the closet when she notices a single picture of her and Alex lying on the floor. She picks the picture up with the intention of putting it back in the box, but when the buzzer sounds again she decides to answer the door instead.

  When Jade makes it to her intercom she presses the ‘Talk’ button.

  “Who is it?” She pressed ‘Listen’ to hear a response, but none comes through. Jade tries again. “Who is it?” Again, no one responds. Jade shrugs it off as a simple accident.

  Maybe someone buzzed the wrong apartment and realized their mistake, she thought.

  Another concept floating around in the back of her mind is the thought of the people who were looking for her at her job—an idea she quickly casts out. Jade knows this notion would only lead to her blowing an insignificant situation up into something much bigger than it really is.

  In the end, Jade rules the occurrence out as a mishap. She doesn’t get a full two feet away from the intercom before someone starts to knock heavily on her door. Jade startling thuds startle Jade. The idea she once wrote off as nothing is now the only thing she can think of.

  At a snail's pace, Jade heads back to the door. She slyly slides the chain-link lock into place. She tentatively looks through the peep-hole and is thankful to see Drake standing on the other side.

  She unlatches the chain, unlocks the two heavy-duty deadbolts and pulls the door open. Standing across the threshold is Drake, coolly leaning against the outer doorframe with an extremely seductive look on his flawless face.

  Drake is certainly an attractive man. Besides his powerful shoulders, chiseled physique and above average handsomeness, there was another quality that drew people in to him. It was an unseen aura of magnetism that seemed to radiate off of him. His presence creates a lure that made anyone susceptible to his charm. There wasn’t a woman he couldn’t have, but for the last four months, Drake has only had eyes for Jade, and the same went for her.

  Drake skims over Jade’s wrinkled clothes and then stares at her ruffled hair. “I take it you’re not ready to go yet,” he said with a smirk.

  “I’m sorry. I lost track of time. I was cleaning up and all I remember after that was waking up to you
ringing the buzzer.”

  Drake enters the apartment. “Don’t worry about it, J. With the way you stretch yourself between school and work it’s amazing you’re not in a coma. That’s why I knocked so hard. I figured you might’ve been sleep.”

  “I’m sure you don’t wanna wait for me to get ready. If you want to reschedule for another night I’d understand,” she said, standing at the door.

  “I wouldn’t say all that. I’ll call the restaurant and push our reservations back for another hour or so.”

  “That’s sweet, but I don’t want to make you wait for me. It’ll take me at least a half hour to make myself decent.”

  Drake walks up to Jade and gently glides a finger from the top of her cheek, down to her chin, all the while staring deep into her eyes. “I’ll always wait for you,” he declared with the upmost sincerity. “Always remember that, okay?”

  The heartfelt confession causes Jade to blush. She gives Drake an affectionate kiss before heading to the bathroom to take a shower. Left in the living room alone, Drake sits on the couch and flips through the pages of a magazine sitting on the coffee table. Growing bored, he walks around the living room, looking for anything that might capture his interest.

  Drake spots a single photo resting on the table by the front door. Curious to the nature of the picture, he walks toward the table and picks the photo up for a closer examination.

  At first glimpse, an unforeseen impulse of jealousy takes control of him. He can easily determine the picture isn’t a recent one, but what he can’t figure out is why she still has it.

  Who the hell is this guy and why the hell would she keep a picture of him for so long?

  Drake’s jealous mind goes into overdrive. Refusing to let the situation die, he decides to do a little snooping.

  Drake carefully scavenges through the entire apartment looking for answers. He makes sure that anything he disturbs is set back in its original position. After searching over the majority of the apartment with a fine-tooth comb, Drake is now face-to-face with the final unsearched area aside from the bathroom—Jade’s closet.