《Stitching your smile》 Chapter 1 - Snowy night -20th December, 2019- It was a fairly quiet evening. Every now and then it snowed a few small snowflakes, the wind blew gently through the leaves of the trees and made them rustle softly. Leonie was sitting on the couch in the living room with a cup of hot tea. She sipped her tea while her emerald green eyes looked out of the window. She watched as the snowflakes slowly fell to the ground in the wind. It looked like those little crystals were dancing as they fell. The 18-year-old sighed and placed her tea on a small table next to the couch. "Looks like he''s coming home late again today. I don''t like that he always has to work so late..." she thought to herself as she thought about her boyfriend. She had been waiting for him for over two hours. The 18-year-old girl lived with her 21-year-old boyfriend in a house far outside the city. Her boyfriend, Bryan Winslow, worked as a police officer and was often involved in dangerous operations. Most of the time he even had to work overtime if an operation lasted longer, if there were problems during an interrogation or if other police officers were absent due to illness. Of course, Leonie was always worried whether he was all right, after all, she loved him with all her heart. But the next morning was his day off and she hoped that he would be able to rest and relax a little when he finally got home. Leonie shook her head after turning her gaze from the window to the door. She got up and went into the kitchen, the food she had cooked had already gone cold. "Looks like we''ll have to use the microwave again today. I understand that his job isn''t exactly easy, but it''s a bit sad when he always comes home so late and besides, I worry too much every time..." she said to herself. Neither she nor her boyfriend have ever celebrated a public holiday in their lives. No birthday, Christmas, New Year''s Eve, Halloween, Easter or Carnival. Bryan grew up in a very strict and non-religious home. He didn''t have the best parents because he was always beaten and hurt immediately if he made a mistake. His parents always wanted to have a perfect child. Leonie, on the other hand, grew up in a friendlier environment. Her parents loved her very much, helped her with all her problems and responded to her mistakes by talking to her calmly and kindly. She also had a little brother called Finn Jan Fox, who was only a year younger than her. As she left the kitchen, she saw the front door handle go down. She stood there frozen for a moment until the door opened and Bryan entered the house. "Hey Leonie, I''m terribly sorry it''s so late again. We''ve had another serious case with a very aggressive drug seller," he explained. "I''m not angry with you for that either. But you could at least have called and let me know," the girl replied. But it was true. Her boyfriend could have called her so that she didn''t have to worry so much unnecessarily. "Please do me a favor and call me next time. Your job is very dangerous and I''m afraid for you every time. Bryan sighed deeply. He closed the door behind him and walked towards his girlfriend. His arms wrapped around her body and he pulled her into a tight hug. His grip was firm, but also gentle so as not to hurt Leonie. The girl also wrapped her arms around her boyfriend''s body and returned his embrace. They both remained in this position for a few moments before Bryan released her and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. Leonie smiled a little again. "Have a seat. I''ll heat up a plate of food for you," she said and went back into the kitchen. The food she had cooked a few hours earlier had actually gone cold by now. Using a soup ladle, she scooped a portion onto a plate, placed it in the microwave and switched it on for two minutes. While the food warmed up, the girl turned her head towards the living room and watched her boyfriend on the couch. Bryan looked more than just sleepy and tired. He couldn''t even see straight because he was so tired. Poor guy. Two minutes after the plate had warmed up, the microwave began to beep. Leonie turned her gaze from the living room back to the microwave. She took the plate in her hands and went to her boyfriend. She placed the hot food on the table as she watched Bryan slowly sit up. He looked like he had just woken up after a long hibernation. "Maybe you should lie down and rest a bit when you''ve finished eating," the girl suggested. Her boyfriend just nodded silently as he began to eat. "Should... should I get you another blanket and a better pillow and you lie down here on the couch?" she asked. Her tone clearly betrayed her worries and fears. She didn''t want Bryan to overexert himself, get sick or anything like that to happen. "No, thank you. I really appreciate your concern, but I''d better get to bed. The couch is kind of uncomfortable," he replied. Leonie just nodded and leaned back a little while she watched him eat and thought a little. She turned her head and looked out of the window again. She noticed that it was snowing even harder than before. The forest landscape was covered in a white blanket of snow: The snow was in the trees, on the grass, on the car and probably on their house too. She could even see the lights of the distant town through the snowfall. They were probably not streetlights, but Christmas lights. After all, Christmas was not far away. Leonie and Bryan would probably celebrate it just as little this year as they had all the years before. In fact, not at all. "Looks like it''s going to be a long, snowy night..." Leonie thought to herself. She was usually up all night after working the morning shift and then getting some rest at midday. So while her boyfriend could sleep in peace, she would take care of the house a little. However, she would do this very quietly as she didn''t want to wake Bryan unnecessarily. She turned her head back as she saw her boyfriend get up and carry the empty plate into the kitchen. "Honey, I could have done that myself", she grumbled as he came back into the living room. "I don''t want to make so much work for you. Besides, it was just a little thing and nothing more. Don''t worry, I''m going to lie down and sleep", her boyfriend replied. He sounded a little annoyed and slightly angry. Maybe it was because he always had to work so much and for so long. Leonie took a deep breath and blew the air out of her nose again. With every hour that passed in her life, she became more and more worried about him. She watched as he lay down on the couch, pulled the blanket over him and slowly but surely fell asleep. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. The girl stood up and looked at the small table next to the couch where she had put her tea a few minutes ago. She picked up the cup, drank the rest of the tea and went into the kitchen, where she quietly put the empty cup in the dishwasher. Luckily, she had already done a bit of cleaning with the vacuum cleaner, because now that Bryan was asleep, that wouldn''t have been such a good idea. He simply needed his rest after a hard day''s work, which was perfectly understandable. But she still had to do a bit of cleaning. She would be quiet with every step, though, because she was very considerate of her boyfriend. Leonie took a few rags, a bucket of cleaning water and a few cloths to dry off. As she gathered the things together, she noticed that the garbage also had to be taken out. "Damn, I forgot all about that. I hope I don''t wake Bryan when I take the trash out and walk out the door through the living room..." she thought to herself. She quietly put the cleaning things on the floor and picked up the bin bags as quietly as possible. Slowly, the girl crept out of the kitchen, the bin bags rustling a little in her hands. She walked through the whole living room, past the couch where her boyfriend was still asleep. Very slowly, she pushed down the door handle and stepped outside. The snow outside had become even worse in the meantime. The wind was also extremely strong. "At least it''s just a bit of wind and snow and not a whole blizzard..." the girl thought to herself, "our area is actually pretty safe from that sort of thing." As she threw the garbage into the garbage can, she saw a figure standing in the distance. Leonie couldn''t see the figure clearly through the snow, but she had the feeling that this person was staring at her... The girl looked away briefly because something had flown into her eye, but when she looked at the same spot again, the figure had disappeared. That was very strange. Who else would be in the forest at this time of day and in this weather and then just disappear? She just shook her head and tried to ignore it. She closed the garbage can and immediately made her way back into the house. Before she could go into the house, she suddenly saw a small puppy lying under a tree in the snow. The animal wasn''t moving much, it was just shivering a little. Leonie took the puppy in her arms and carried it into the house without thinking twice. The poor dog''s fur was already frozen to ice. The girl crept through the living room with the little puppy in her arms and went up the stairs. When she got to the bathroom, she put the dog on a towel and let the ice melt on his fur so she could dry the water off him. She checked his temperature and realized how cold he really was. She decided to wrap the puppy in a blanket and place him next to the warm heater. However, she stayed with the animal and waited to see when he would wake up again. Of course, she was also worried about the animal, because she didn''t know how long it had been lying outside in the snow. How had the puppy gotten here in the first place? Had someone left it behind? Who would do something like that? A whole series of questions flashed through her mind. When she saw the dog open its eyes, she could see pure sadness and fear in the animal''s pupils. Had he perhaps been mistreated and run away as a result? The puppy didn''t get up, but it looked at the girl with a helpless expression. Leonie took the little animal back into her arms, but left it wrapped in the warm blanket. She actually wanted to let Bryan sleep, but the dog seemed to be an emergency. So she went into the living room and woke her boyfriend slowly and carefully up. When Bryan opened his eyes, his girlfriend was standing in front of him with the wrapped puppy in her arms. "Hey, Bryan... I didn''t want to wake you up, but look who I found out in the snow. He was under a tree and his fur was already frozen to ice. I don''t know how he got there, but we should take care of him. Please...", the girl said, looking him pleadingly in the eye. The young man shook his head and got up from the couch to take a closer look at the puppy. "That''s not a problem. I know you''re normally considerate of me. The puppy is a special exception, I''d say. So you mean you just found him out there?" Bryan replied, looking out of the window before looking back at Leonie and the little dog. "In this thick snow? You don''t even have to ask me if we''ll take care of him, because we definitely will". "So we''ll keep him and look after his well-being? But then we still have to buy him dog food and he also needs to go to the vet in case he has any illnesses," his girlfriend said to him. Fortunately, the puppy''s temperature had risen again in her arms and the little animal began to turn his head to take a closer look at the living room with his eyes. Now and then he whimpered a little. "But of course! Or do you think we could let that poor dog freeze to death out there? He doesn''t deserve that. You know what? It''s not that late, so I''ll go and get some food for the little guy, okay? And yes, I''ll take care of myself, so don''t worry," Bryan said, before giving Leonie a quick hug and then just putting on his shoes and jacket, as he still had his work clothes on. He nodded to his girlfriend and left the house. The girl was left alone with the puppy. But she knew that if Bryan said he was in a hurry, then that was the truth. She sat the dog on the couch and watched as the animal crawled out from under the covers, shook himself and let out a very small, high-pitched bark. Although it still barked like a Chihuahua, it looked more like a small Golden Retriever, which it probably was. She didn''t know much about dog breeds, but she was sure it was a golden retriever. If they kept him, Leonie would have to give him a name! She thought about a whole range of different names until she finally found the perfect one that she liked. Spike. A short time later, Bryan came home again. He had two bowls with him, one of which was a food bowl and the other a drinking bowl. He gave the puppy food and something to drink and then looked back at his girlfriend. "We''ll look after him from now on. He''s safe now. But hey... knowing you, what name did you give him?" he asked with a grin. He knew Leonie far too well and knew that she always had to give everything a name. She even named the decorations. In fact, everything in her house and in front of her house had a name. The girl rolled her eyes as she smiled. "I was thinking about Spike. Besides, I''m sure he''s a little golden retriever puppy. I don''t know why I chose Spike of all things, but I kind of liked the name," she replied. They both sat down on the couch and watched the little animal eat his food and drink his water. After the little puppy finished, he ran to the couch and jumped onto Bryan''s lap, where he curled up and fell asleep. Both Bryan and Leonie smiled and petted Spike. Chapter 2 - Alone at home The next day, the bright rays of the morning sun shone both on the still fresh snow in the winter landscape and through the windows of Leonie and Bryan''s house. The sun''s rays hit the girl in the face and slowly woke her up. She slowly got up from the couch and stretched. It looked as if she and her boyfriend had fallen asleep together on the couch. The little golden retriever, Spike, was still lying on Bryan''s lap, sleeping as soundly as he was. Leonie giggled softly. The puppy was just as much of a late sleeper as her boyfriend! The girl first looked out of the window at the beautiful winter landscape. The fresh snow glistened in the morning light of the sun, which was slowly rising on the horizon. She could even hear a few birds chirping softly, birds that hadn''t flown south before winter. Leonie went into the kitchen to make breakfast for Bryan and herself. Just as she finished and scooped the food onto two plates, the young man on the couch woke up. He yawned and stretched, and the little dog Spike did the same. Leonie couldn''t help but laugh as she came back into the living room with the plates. For breakfast, they had fried eggs with bacon and freshly toasted white bread. Leonie filled Spike''s bowl with dog food before sitting down next to Bryan and eating breakfast with him. They both comfortably finished their plates, the puppy also emptied his bowl and Leonie took the plates into the kitchen to put them in the dishwasher. As she did so, she saw the detergent and the cloth she had wanted to use last night. But she had completely forgotten because she had first taken out the trash and then found Spike in the snow. "Never mind, I can do it in a minute or two," she thought. Just as the girl was about to close the dishwasher again, she heard a loud ringing from the living room, which she clearly recognized as Bryan''s mobile phone. Normally nobody calls him this early in the morning at this time. Curious, Leonie went out of the kitchen and watched her boyfriend answer his phone. "Hello, this is Mr Winslow," Bryan said as he answered his phone. The police chief''s voice could be heard. "Yes, hello Mr Winslow. I''m sorry to disturb you on your day off today. But it''s Saturday and we''re incredibly busy here in the office today. Even some of our police officers who normally work in the field have to work in the office today. So unfortunately I have to ask you and some of your colleagues to work today," the Chief of Police paused briefly and sighed before continuing. "You know I don''t like calling you into work when you should be resting. But at the moment I have no other choice". Bryan first looked over at Leonie, who was standing next to him and listening to the conversation, before clearing his throat and answering his boss. "That''s not a problem. I''ll be at the station in a minute, that''s no problem for me. See you in a minute," he said and hung up. He put the phone in his trouser pocket and got up to quickly get ready for work. "I''m really sorry, Leonie. My boss says he needs me at work urgently. I suppose you''ve heard why, haven''t you? I really wish I could have stayed at home with you and... our new pet," Bryan apologized to his girlfriend. The girl just smiled and shook her head. "You don''t need to apologize. I can understand that it''s very stressful at work at the moment. But it would have been better for you if you could have rested. Well, it doesn''t matter now... Please just take care of yourself, Bryan. I love you and you know it," she said, to which her boyfriend laughed a little. He nodded, gave Leonie another kiss on the forehead and stroked Spike before leaving the house and closing the door behind him. The girl and her new little golden retriever were all alone at home that Saturday. After a while, it started to snow again outside... ... A few hours later, Leonie went into the kitchen after filling Spike''s food and water bowls. She made her favorite tea, a peppermint tea with honey. She had always been a big fan of sage, fennel and everything else. Her favorite was just peppermint. When she had finished her tea, she left the kitchen and went into the bedroom. She made herself comfortable on the double bed, put the tea on the bedside table and switched on the TV. While she was relaxing a little, Spike came running wildly, jumped onto the bed and landed on her stomach. The girl was startled at first, but then she started laughing as she pulled Spike off her. "You little rascal! You''re really cute and cuddly, but also quite playful and quick. And maybe a bit annoying too... But that''s not a bad thing. I just can''t be angry with you, Spike," she said and giggled. She watched as the little puppy laid down next to her and curled up. No matter how wild, playful, annoying or crazy he might be, the girl still loved the little dog with all her heart - even though she had only known him since the day before. Leonie was watching her favorite TV program, a game show with really crazy games. For example, the contestants had to try to run up a very slippery gummy staircase without falling down, or they had to spin in circles for a certain amount of time and then try to win a race. The girl had always found this program interesting and had always had something to laugh about. No matter how many times she watched it, she could never get enough of it. The little golden retriever, on the other hand, didn''t seem particularly interested in the television. But he didn''t really feel disturbed when Leonie kept laughing because something funny had happened. Quite the opposite: he slept peacefully and quietly and didn''t even flinch when the girl laughed or talked to the television. But after a while he lifted his head, pricked up his ears and listened. Then he suddenly got up, jumped off the bed and ran barking into the living room. Leonie was distracted from her program by his behavior and got up to follow him. "What''s wrong, little one? Why are you barking like crazy now? Have you seen or heard anything?" the girl asked, taking Spike in her arms. She went to the window and looked out, but she couldn''t see anything as it was already evening. She had actually spent the first half of the day cleaning and the second half watching TV. Time really does go by faster than you think. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The puppy whimpered and stared out of the window, just like Leonie. Unfortunately, it wasn''t just too dark to see anything, because it was also snowing like crazy again. This time the snow was even worse than the day before. "Whatever you supposedly saw or heard, there''s absolutely nothing out there. You''d better calm down, Spike..." the girl said as she began to scratch the golden retriever''s head. The little dog still whimpered from time to time, but after a long while he finally calmed down and became quiet again. Leonie went back into the bedroom with Spike and put the puppy back on the bed before going into the kitchen to make herself a snack. She also grabbed some snacks and a bottle of Coke and went back into the bedroom. After a while, she looked at the clock and realized that it was already 10 P.M. "Where''s Bryan..." she thought to herself and began to worry about him. He had never been away for so long. Especially not because of his work. The girl decided to call him, but it just rang all the time and eventually just went to his voicemail. "Damn, what''s going on?! He usually always takes my calls. Is he really that busy??" she wondered, sighing deeply. "I hope he''s okay and calls back or finally comes home..." Just as she put her cell phone away, she suddenly saw something at the window... It was a bloodstained glove, slowly stroking along the outside of the window. When the hand disappeared, Leonie jumped up, ran to the window and looked out... Unfortunately, she saw nothing. "What the hell was that...! Am I crazy or was someone just here?! Am I maybe just hallucinating...? Damn it! I better check if all the windows and doors in the whole house are closed and I better lower all the shutters," she whispered to herself and ran through the whole house to check everything and lowered the shutters everywhere out of fear. She took out her cell phone and tried to call her boyfriend again, but again it went to voicemail and she sent Bryan a message. She tapped on the keypad of her cell phone as she tried to remain calm. "Please call me back! It''s really serious. I need to talk to you about something. There''s someone near our house, I''m scared and I''m worried about you too!". The girl put her cell phone away again and ran around the house several times because she was afraid that something could happen at any time. Spike noticed how agitated she was and went to her to calm her down. The puppy barked slightly and whimpered to get her attention. Leonie looked down at the floor and took the little golden retriever in her arms to stroke him a little. She sat down on the couch and slowly calmed down again. However, she was still not entirely comfortable with the situation. Leonie sat on the couch with Spike for at least a whole hour. She was scared and listened very carefully to every little noise around her. Her dog sat on her lap the whole time and was very quiet. He listened just like the girl to every sound that could be heard, even if it was just the snow falling outside. Neither of them could go to sleep at the moment: They weren''t tired, nor did they feel safe enough to even go back to bed. The girl didn''t see Spike as a normal dog, but rather as a little son. She hoped that nothing would happen that night. Fortunately, she had walked through the house again and checked everything: whether the windows were closed, whether the doors were locked, she had lowered the shutters everywhere, there was absolutely nothing in the cellar and even the attic was still in order. She had looked in every corner and behind every piece of furniture. Everything seemed safe, but her gut feeling told her that it still wasn''t really safe. ... Leonie and Spike had spent the rest of the night awake on the couch. The girl had tried over and over again to call her boyfriend Bryan. No matter how hard she tried to reach him, it always went to his stupid voicemail. By now it was the next day and he still hadn''t shown up at home. The only positive thing was that it was finally getting light outside again. It was still snowing like crazy, but luckily it wasn''t as frighteningly dark as it had been during the night. Leonie''s cheeks were a little damp, she had cried a little with fear and worry while hugging Spike the whole time. After looking at her watch, she got up and put the dog on the floor. She gave him his food and something to drink again and went into the kitchen to eat a little yogurt from the fridge. Her appetite at the moment was not as great as the fear she had felt last night when she had seen the hand at the window. Spike stopped eating and looked up at the girl. The little puppy could sense her fear and worry. He whimpered and went to cheer her up a little before going back to his food. The girl just smiled gently and watched the little puppy eat while she ate her yogurt. After she finished her yogurt, she put the cup down, put the spoon in the sink and looked at her cell phone again. Bryan still hadn''t answered or called her back. Something wasn''t right. He would never just walk away from her like that or abandon her. Leonie knew her boyfriend too well for that. He wasn''t the type of person to leave, ignore or hurt his girlfriend just like that. What if something had happened to him and nobody knew anything? "I''d better go to the chief of police later and ask him if he knows anything about Bryan. And I''d better tell him what I saw last night. I hope he believes me. Because he knows I would never lie. He, Bryan and I, we''ve been friends since kindergarten. He was there when Bryan asked me to be together, and he''s always been supportive. He must be able to help me..." she said to herself and sighed. She looked at her cell phone again and sent a text to another number, this time the police chief''s. She texted him: "Hey, Mr Riverloo, I really need to talk to you later if you have time. It''s really important, please get in touch as soon as you have time". Leonie put her cell phone back in her bag and went into the bathroom to wash her face when she suddenly found a note on her mirror... It said: "Hey Leonie, how''s your life going so far? Shitty? Good? Whatever... Soon you won''t have one anyway". She stood frozen in front of the mirror and stared at the note, on which a rather stupid-looking smiley was scrawled at the bottom. There was one thing she didn''t really understand: she had closed all the windows and doors and searched the whole house. How had this note ended up in her bathroom? Had it been there before, or had it just been put there? The girl tore off the note, crumpled it up and threw it in the garbage can next to the toilet. Her fear went to her head again. She could feel her heart pounding all over her body. She panicked because she didn''t know how long the note had been there and whether someone had already been in the house. She felt great fear and a million questions and worries flashed through her mind... She couldn''t even feel safe in her own house anymore. And the fact that Bryan still hadn''t shown up only made her feel even more scared. She felt like she was about to run away crying in fear or hide. At least she still had Spike, but he was just a little puppy and could get hurt quickly if something happened. She felt alone... All alone with her panic, her fear, her worries and without the possibility of doing anything about it. She felt powerless and weak... At the moment she felt as if every step was a big risk for her... Chapter 3 - Safety While Leonie waited for the police chief to answer her, she decided to simply call her younger brother Finn. Luckily, he answered his cell phone. "Oh, hey sis. How''s my absolute favorite sister? Is everything going well with you?" the 17-year-old boy asked her. He was always happy when she called or visited him. "Hey, Finn... to be honest, nothing''s going well at the moment... can I maybe talk to you for a bit...?" she replied to his question. "Huh? What kind of question is that? Of course you can talk to me! Tell me what''s going on. I''m here for you. I''ll listen and try to help where I can", said the boy. Leonie took a deep breath and slowly let the air out of her lungs. "Thank you very much. So ... a few things happened. I mean, Bryan was home a little late yesterday and forgot to tell me. That''s still normal, but seeing a figure outside in the snow flurries that disappears after a moment, seeing a bloody hand on my window, realizing Bryan isn''t answering me, and finding a creepy note on my mirror is definitely NOT normal." Finn sounded like he was panicking on the phone. "PLEASE WHAT?!" Did you call the police? Is everything okay with you? Are you REALLY safe? Sis, if anything should happen to you-" "Calm down! I''ve already written a message to the police chief that I need to speak to him urgently". She sighed and continued. "It''s nice that you''re worried about me, but you don''t have to overdo it. Everything will be fine... I just want you to find out if anyone else has experienced anything like this. Find out if anything like this has happened to anyone else. I''m counting on you, little brother". The boy was silent for a while before he spoke into the phone again. "Okay. You can count on me. If you still need me to come by, tell me. If you need anything, tell me, too". "I will do that. Thanks for your support Finn, it means a lot to me. I love you, little brother". "I love you too, big sister. Please take good care of yourself, okay? See you later," said Finn and they both hung up. Leonie put her cell phone in her pocket and looked at the garbage can in her bathroom again. She stared at the garbage can for a long time until she finally took the note out again and unfolded it. "I''d better keep this as proof..." she whispered to herself and went back into her living room, where she sat down on the couch again, still waiting for an answer from the police chief. Of course, Spike sensed once again that Leonie was still in a bad way. He whimpered and jumped onto her lap again to comfort her and give her hope. The little puppy was just a sweet little help to her. Her mood lifted a little and she stroked the golden retriever with a smile. "Aw, aren''t you sweet? Yes, you are...", she cooed. The puppy barked briefly and panted. After some time, she finally received a message on her cell phone. A reply from the chief of police. "To be honest, I need to speak to you urgently too. I''ll come by as soon as I can and then we can discuss a few things. Because it''s about Bryan." When Leonie read the message, she panicked slightly. She wanted to write back to him to ask if anything had happened or where he was, but she held back a little and just wrote: "All right. I''ll wait for you, sir". "Oh, and... Leonie? We''re friends after all. You don''t have to call me ''sir''. Just call me by my name. I know how polite you always are, but that''s okay." The girl had to laugh a little as she rolled her eyes slightly and just texted back a quick "Okay, Darius". She put her cell phone back in her pocket and waited for the police chief, Darius, to arrive at her house. In the meantime, she played with Spike, fed him and stroked him. When there was a knock at the front door, the girl was startled for a moment until she thought about it and realized that it could only be Darius. She ran to the door, unlocked it and opened it. The police chief made a serious face, but remained polite as she opened the door and invited him in. She closed the door behind him and they both sat down on the couch in the living room. "It''s pretty dark in here, isn''t it? You''ve got all the shutters closed," he said. "Yes, I''m sorry... I''ll explain in a minute... but can I know what''s going on with Bryan first? I''ve already called him, but he hasn''t answered his cell phone and hasn''t called me back. I''m worried," Leonie said. Darius nodded and cleared his throat as he crossed his arms and looked at her with a serious but worried expression on his face. "He went to the office first to do some important paperwork. Then there was an urgent emergency and he had to go there immediately with a few other colleagues. Later, just before I wrote to you, we found everyone but him dead. He disappeared without a trace. The bodies of his colleagues were covered with graffiti symbols. We don''t know if Bryan is still alive, but we''re doing everything we can to find him..." The girl sat frozen on the couch next to the police chief. Now she was even more worried. Sure, the police might already be doing everything they could to find him, but what if it was already too late? What if he was no longer alive and had simply been killed somewhere else? At that moment, she could no longer think clearly. Darius sighed and put a hand on her shoulder. "I''m sorry about this. I promise I''ll do everything in my power to find him," he assured her. "Thank you, Darius..." The police chief nodded and smiled a little to give her some hope again. They both sat on the couch for a long time until Leonie began to speak again. "There''s something else. I need to tell you another thing", she began. Darius sat up straight and looked at her patiently. The girl then told him about the events of the previous evening and showed him the note hanging on her mirror. The police chief turned pale when he heard about the strange events and looked at the note with the ugly scrawled smiley. "And you said you''d locked all the doors and windows, didn''t you?" he asked again to make sure. Leonie nodded at him and Darius sighed as he put the note on the table and took out his notepad to make a few notes. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! After writing on his notepad for a while, he put it down again and turned back to the girl. "I have a feeling that you''re not really safe in this house. Should I take you to the police station? Or ask a friend of mine to take you in for a while?" he asked her. "Would you really do that?" "But of course! Firstly, we''re still friends, secondly, I''m still the chief of police who has to ensure safety, and thirdly, I don''t want anything to happen to you. I think you understand that". Leonie smiled and nodded her head. "Thank you. To be honest, I don''t feel very safe in my own house after what happened ... I''d be grateful if I could be somewhere else - oh. But Spike absolutely has to come with me. I''ve grown too fond of him already". Darius raised an eyebrow and looked at her questioningly, a little confused. "Who''s Spike?" The girl giggled and pointed to the little puppy that had just crawled out of the kitchen, yawning. "This little puppy here. I found him in the snow the day before yesterday and took him into the house. I still don''t know how he got here, but he''s a really sweet and lovely animal", she said. "Ah, I see. Don''t worry, I know a friend of mine who loves dogs more than anything. You''re in good hands with her", said the police chief as he placed the golden retriever on his lap. Leonie didn''t hesitate for long and accepted the offer to stay with someone else for security reasons. That same day, she got into Darius'' car with Spike and drove with him into town to a beautifully decorated, large house. They both got out of the car, the girl holding her little dog in her arms the whole time. They went to the front door and the police chief rang the bell. A few seconds later, the door opened and a woman with long, flaming red hair came out. "Oh, Darius! What a surprise. I thought you had too much to do at work", she said with a friendly laugh. "Well, there''s been a bit of an emergency", he said, turning to Leonie and Spike before looking back at the woman. "This girl here and a dog need to stay away from your house for a while because it''s not entirely safe. Could you let them stay with you for a while, if it''s no trouble?" "Oh, I love dogs... but most of all I love visitors! So don''t worry, that''s no problem for me", the woman giggled as she looked at the two of them. "My name is Rain Firescout. And what are you two called?" The girl cleared her throat and said, "I''m Leonie Fox and this is Spike. I''m pleased to meet you, Miss Firescout-" Rain laughed as she invited them in. "Just call me Rain. That''s alright", she said, looking at Darius again. "Don''t worry, they''re in good hands with me. I promise I''ll look after them", she told him. The police chief nodded, said goodbye and left the neighborhood. The woman closed the front door and turned to the girl and her puppy. "Would you and your pet like something to eat and watch a little TV while I prepare the guest room for you?" she asked with a warm smile. Leonie nodded and Miss Firescout continued: "You''re in luck. I was cooking something before you turned up. And I always have pet food on hand because I always have a few friends and their pets visiting. The living room is just over there", she explained, leading the girl and the golden retriever into a slightly larger room with a large TV, animal pictures on the walls and a cozy couch with fluffy cushions and folded blankets. "Thank you... I mean, that really wasn''t necessary, Miss- uhm... Rain..." Rain Firescout smiled and gave her a friendly look. "Yes, it was. I like visitors. Besides, I can''t put anyone in danger, can I? Don''t get me wrong, I''m already suspicious of other people. But I can clearly sense that you''re a nice, clever and kind-hearted girl. You really remind me a lot of my daughter. She was just like you". The red-haired woman sighed and looked at a family photo with a sad expression on her face. "I miss her. After her father died in a car accident, she simply disappeared one day". Leonie looked a little worried and followed Rain''s gaze. "I''m very sorry for your loss. I mean, I didn''t know your daughter, but I still mourn her". She looked at the picture for a while before continuing, "Your daughter looks just like her. Beautiful and with a happy smile". The girl''s words made her laugh. "Thank you. As I said, you remind me a lot of my daughter. I think you and I will get on well. You can stay as long as you like". "If you really don''t mind..." "Of course not. I''m actually really looking forward to it. And don''t worry, as long as you''re with me, nothing will happen to you. I''ll take care of you and look after you. Oh, and Spike too, of course". Leonie smiled at her and nodded her head before sitting down on the couch with Spike to watch some TV. In the meantime, Miss Firescout went into the kitchen and prepared a plate of food for the girl. She also got some dog food out of the cabinet and put it in a bowl for the puppy. The woman put the plate of steak, homemade sauce, potatoes and vegetables on the table for the girl and placed the bowl of dog food on the floor. Leonie thanked her warmly and looked at her food with a hungry expression. "Go ahead and eat", Rain said, watching the girl with satisfaction as she began to eat. "If you like, we can go out into my garden for a while, if it''s not too cold outside. But you''re also welcome to rest if you''re too tired". "Well... thanks, but I''d better stay inside and try to sleep. I''ve been up all night because of what I saw in my house", the girl replied. Miss Firescout could well understand that she needed some rest. "Alright, then. You go and rest now and I''ll look after you every now and then. If anything happens, come to me. I have to stay awake tonight anyway and take care of some very important documents. But I still have time if you need anything". Leonie thanked her and finished her plate. When Spike had also finished his bowl and was rolling around contentedly on the floor, Miss Firescout took the plate and the bowl, went into the kitchen giggling and put them both in the dishwasher. She then cleared away a few things in the kitchen and cleaned a few light stains. The television was switched off after the girl used the remote control. She took her puppy in her arms and went to Rain, who led them both into the guest room. "Make yourselves comfortable", she said and disappeared after quietly closing the door. The golden retriever was the first to jump onto the bed and immediately curled up to fall asleep. Leonie followed him and crawled into bed too, but the events of the previous evening still kept her awake. Leonie tossed and turned in bed all night and couldn''t sleep properly. When she looked at the clock, it was only the middle of the night. Nevertheless, she tried to get at least a little rest and turned back in bed towards the window. But it was only after five minutes that she realized that two bright red eyes were staring at her through the glass... The figure didn''t move, but it stared so deeply into her soul that the girl jumped up in panic, drew the curtains and ran out of the room and to Rain. Spike flinched at the sound of her scream and looked around in confusion. Rain heard the screams and saw Leonie running to her. "What''s wrong?!" she asked worriedly and immediately got an explanation from the panicked girl. She went into the room and ripped open the curtains, but the eyes were no longer there. No shadows either, no fingerprints, absolutely nothing... The woman decided to call Darius and tell him what Leonie had seen, while the puppy tried to calm them both down, whimpering. Chapter 4 - Dangers Darius was silent for a long time, not a word came from him on the phone until all you could hear was a deep sigh from him. Finally, after a long wait, he spoke. "What if this thing is following her? First she saw a hand on her window at home, and now these... as you said, red eyes. Maybe I should have taken her with me? What if something happens to both of you and not just her?" Miss Firescout looked briefly over at Leonie, who had meanwhile sat down on the couch in the living room with Spike. She took a deep breath and then turned back to the police chief on the phone. "It''s alright. I''ll protect us both. Besides, it might not have been a good idea for her to stay with you. Firstly, you need rest from your work and not someone else to look after in the evening, and secondly... no matter what that thing is out there, I know how to defend her and myself. You know me", she said, pausing for a moment before continuing, "I just want you to find out who''s after her and why. Or what this thing even is. And... next time I call, you know it''s going to be an emergency if I can''t handle this thing". "So you won''t call anymore unless it''s an absolute emergency that you can''t handle? But otherwise we''ll keep writing to stay in touch, right?" "Yes. I''m sorry, but it''s easier for me this way. If everything''s okay or I want to update you, I''ll write to you. Otherwise... as soon as I call you, it''s an emergency and you need to get here right away. I hope that''s okay with you, Darius..." "Sure. As long as it keeps you both safe, that''s fine with me. Keep me informed", said the police chief and hung up. Rain sighed as she put her mobile phone back on the table and stared into space. "He sounded pretty annoyed... Maybe he''s just overwhelmed by the situation. But I can understand that", she thought to herself. "Maybe I should help him and find out a bit more about this figure- no. That''s too risky. I''m not stupid or anything!" The woman looked over at the girl again, who was still sitting on the couch with her puppy. She looked really scared... Who could blame her after having two eyes watching her through the window in the middle of the night? Nobody. Rain sat down next to her and gave her a little hug. "Hey, Leonie. Do you want to stay awake a little longer? I''ll stay with you. My papers can wait a little longer. And... if you don''t want to be hugged, then say so. I''m not forcing you to do anything". "E-everything is fine. To be honest, a hug is even nicer now than anything else. Thank you", the girl said and hugged the woman too. Miss Firescout always thought of her more as her daughter, whom she had lost when she disappeared without a trace. She nodded and continued to hug her. After a whole hour, Leonie and Spike had finally calmed down again. The puppy had fallen asleep on the couch, and the girl had even fallen asleep in Rain''s arms. The woman didn''t seem to mind, however, because she let her sleep in peace. She knew that the girl had already been through too much, was tired and scared. The rest of the night passed fairly quietly, with Rain spending the remaining hours hugging Leonie''s still sleeping body and staring out of the window, and Spike curled up on the couch snoring. The strange figure from the window hadn''t reappeared. However, that was anything but certain... The unknown figure could reappear at any time. Miss Firescout knew this and was deliberately very careful. She didn''t want the girl to get hurt. ... The sun slowly rose on the horizon and bathed the still snow-covered winter landscape in a beautiful orange-yellow light. The rays of the gigantic star shone into the town and through the windows into the houses. When Leonie opened her eyes, she found herself in the arms of the lovely woman. It seemed as if Rain had actually been awake all night to ensure her safety and her well-being. The woman smiled when she saw the girl wake up and look up at her. "Good morning". "Morning...", Leonie said sleepily as she slowly woke up completely, stretched and slowly sat up on the couch. Spike was still asleep, the little puppy was still extremely tired from the middle of the night. "I hope you were at least able to get some rest. Are you hungry? Would you like some breakfast? Don''t be afraid to ask, I''ll be happy to take care of you". Rain smiled warmly and spoke to her in a soft and calm voice. Even though she hadn''t known her that long, she couldn''t deny that Leonie was already like a daughter to her. She had already taken her to her heart. "To be honest, breakfast would be just the thing right now! I''m really hungry", Leonie replied. The woman nodded and smiled before getting up from the couch and going into the kitchen. However, the little golden retriever was still so deeply asleep that he was unaware of his surroundings. His soft snoring and curled up body were cute enough to elicit a soft "aww" from the girl. She stroked the puppy and looked at his sleeping form, while Rain was making breakfast in the kitchen. Miss Firescout came back into the living room and placed a plate with a fried egg, some bacon and crispy toast on the table. Leonie thanked her politely and began to eat. The woman nodded briefly and looked away. A few memories came back to her and she thought of her daughter... ... Darius was sitting at his desk at home, finishing a few documents he had brought home from work the day before. He couldn''t stop thinking about Rain and Leonie''s safety - and Spike, of course. Despite everything, he remained professional and in his right mind. Panic and fear would not help him. There was enough to do and he had enough problems to deal with. Finding Bryan, catching up on the sick employees'' work, finding out who this mysterious figure was that was stalking Leonie, and keeping her and Rain safe at the same time. He was a well-trained police chief, but even for him it was getting too much. He had to proceed logically and carefully. Each step could have either good or bad consequences. "Damn...", he thought, "I can''t do all this on my own. But I don''t want the whole town to know about everything now either. Shit, what am I going to do? Every step I take could have fatal consequences. I don''t want to put anyone else in unnecessary danger... No. I have to take care of the work of the sick colleagues and at the same time find out more about this strange figure who is following Leonie. And the other police officers who are available must definitely try to find Bryan. I hope it works like this and there are no further complications..." Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The police chief sent a short message to the station before he took care of the records of the sick employees. It would probably take forever, but Darius wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible so that he could get back to the problem with Raine, Leonie and Spike. He was determined to protect the three of them, whatever the cost. When he had finally finished after what seemed like hours, he filed the documents in the correct folders and went to his laptop. He searched the Internet to see if there had ever been a report from a person who had seen this figure before. Unfortunately, he found nothing. "No way! Did this thing suddenly crawl out of the underground or where did this stalking figure suddenly come from?", he cursed to himself as he continued to search the internet. However, he found no answers. Nevertheless, the police chief refused to give up. He was stubborn and determined to keep his friend, the girl and the little puppy safe. ... Leonie had just finished her breakfast when her phone started ringing. She took it out of her pocket and saw that it was her little brother. She immediately answered the call. "Hey, Finn!" she said. Meanwhile, Miss Firescout took the empty plate and went back into the kitchen. "Hey, dear sister. Nice to hear your voice... I hope you''re okay, right? I hope you''re safe and didn''t get a scratch or anything, right...?", Finn replied slightly nervously. Even though he was a year younger than her, he was immediately worried about every little thing. "No, I''m fine. Don''t worry, little bro. I''m safe here with Miss Firescout. She''s a friend of Darius, the police chief. She''s nice and looks after me. Oh, and the little puppy I found too, of course", she told him, giggling a little. Finn breathed a sigh of relief and laughed a little with her on the phone. They both calmed down a little from their short break to laugh and Finn spoke again. "As long as no one hurts you, I''m reassured. I don''t want anything to happen to you, big sis. And... if anything happens, if you''re scared or need me, please call me, okay?" "I promise you that. How are your friends? Elliot and Sandro? Are you still annoying the neighbor kid in your foster home?" the girl asked curiously. She wanted to tease him a little, but above all she wanted to know how he was doing at the moment. The boy couldn''t help but laugh. "Yes... But just for fun! It has to be from time to time. Besides, he annoys the hell out of us all the time. So we can be annoying too, can''t we?" "Okay, okay. Fair point. Just don''t annoy him too much! Do you understand me, Finn Jan Fox?", Leonie replied to annoy him a little. She knew that Finn hated it when people called him by his full name. "Yes, yes, I got it. Well, I''ll go back to the others. We''ll talk again later or tomorrow, Leonie Mirabelle Fox", said the boy, pouting annoyed. The girl just laughed before they both said goodbye and hung up. Rain came back from the kitchen and sat next to Leonie on the couch again. "Was that your brother? Forgive me, I heard you two talking a bit...", she asked, slightly hesitant. She didn''t really want to invade their personal space, but her curiosity got the better of her. The girl just smiled kindly. "Oh, no problem. Everything''s fine. And yes, that was my little brother Finn. We annoy each other all the time, but we also look after the other one and are there for each other in an emergency", she explained to the woman, who nodded in understanding. "I''m glad to hear that. Not many siblings have a good relationship with each other. That''s why it''s nice to hear that you and your brother get on so well", said Miss Firescout, smiling. Spike had woken up in the meantime and stretched before crawling over to both of them to be stroked. ... The air in the forest was icy cold. The wind blew gently over the leafless branches of the trees, the snow still covered the forest floor and the sun cast its weak morning rays into the winter landscape. Levi Kobe Harrison, a slightly older high school student and the biggest asshole in the whole school, walked aimlessly across the snowy ground of the winter forest. His parents never really cared about him and also didn''t care that he had just run away. His father had already spent three years in prison, but he hadn''t changed a bit after that. "Stupid sons of bitches. They can all kiss my ass. I''m never going back, I''m going to stay with my buddies. At least they understand me," he grumbled to himself in an extremely annoyed tone. He was fed up with constantly being told off or blamed for things that hadn''t even happened. Suddenly he saw a small movement coming from a bush. He stopped and became as still as a stature before slowly but surely walking towards the bush. "Who the hell is there? Show yourself, you coward. I swear, if you''re just one of those retarded kids who play pranks all the time, I''ll wring your neck!" he threatened. Levi didn''t make empty promises, because his actions had often gotten him into trouble. Everyone who got on his nerves had at least one black eye or a sprained arm. But this time it was different. Despite the fact that the boy tried to look as threatening as ever, he was a little afraid. As soon as he got close enough to the bush, a figure his size rose out of the branches. An unknown figure wearing a dark red hoodie, dark blue jeans, black boots, black gloves and a white mask with a smile sewn onto it... The gloves and the mask were slightly smeared with blood... "What the fuck... Who are you?!", Levi shouted at the figure as he took slow steps backwards. The figure tilted his head a little to the side and stared at the boy through the eye holes in the mask, which were covered with a thin, black fabric. However, the creature''s red-colored eyes were still clearly visible through the material. Step by step, the mysterious figure walked towards the student, whereupon the boy immediately backed up. Fear rose in him and he had never felt so intimidated and helpless in his life. Suddenly, the masked figure drew a bloodstained knife and leapt at him out of nowhere. Levi''s quick instincts helped him narrowly avoid the sharp blade. He rolled across the snow, immediately picked himself up and ran as fast as he could across the snowy ground of the forest. The figure watched him run away for a moment before following him. The boy used shortcuts and obstacles in an attempt to get rid of the figure. It was no use. The pursuer was too fast and apparently he knew the forest and its obstacles like the back of his hand. Levi didn''t want to give up just yet, however, and his fear and adrenaline drove him to run further and further. The assassin became more and more dangerous. The masked stranger threw his knife at Levi with deadly accuracy. The boy looked back and saw the knife flying, time slowing down. He thought this was the end of him when a slightly older man jumped out of the bushes and blocked the knife with a wooden plank. He drew his pistol and fired at the figure, which immediately disappeared into the depths of the forest. The student breathed a sigh of relief and caught his breath before looking at the man. "Bloody hell... Thank you, Xavier. I swear to you, I''ve never been so scared..." "It''s okay", the slightly darker-skinned man replied as he put his hand on Levi''s shoulder. "Come on, let''s go to our hideout. Aiden and the others are already waiting for you. We got your message when you ran away from home. Good thing you run so loud when you''re panicking or I never would have thought a killer was chasing you", he said with a serious look. The boy nodded and ran alongside him. Chapter 5 - Defense and attack The brown-haired girl Leonie and her little golden retriever puppy Spike were sitting on the couch watching a little TV to pass the time, as Rain had left the house for a short while to go shopping. Of course, the 18-year-old still felt insecure and was afraid that the figure would reappear while Miss Firescout was away. That''s why the woman had given her her number, just in case something happened or the girl got too scared and needed someone to talk to. She felt safe... There were a few cartoons on TV, one of which Leonie had chosen to watch. She didn''t feel like watching the news at the moment, and cartoons reminded her of her childhood. So she thought she could just watch them again. The sun was overcast in the somewhat gloomy afternoon. The snow that was still everywhere outside had melted a little, but there was still a lot of it lying around. What Leonie had also noticed was the fact that there were no Christmas decorations in Rain''s house. There wasn''t even a small LED light hanging from the ceiling. There wasn''t even a tree in the room. "Maybe she doesn''t celebrate Christmas either... I''m still not going to ask her. I don''t want to seem rude. She''ll have a reason why she hasn''t decorated her home," thought the girl, shrugging her shoulders and looking at the TV again. Even if everything seemed safe at the moment, the problem with the strange figure following the girl had not yet been solved. There was neither a name nor an actual appearance. Levi, the boy who had encountered this figure before, could recognize nothing but a mask, eyes and clothing. A face could not be identified. But this figure was not just a joke, no. This figure was dangerous and fast. Just as Leonie was lost in her thoughts, the front door opened. The girl was torn from her thoughts and got up to help Rain clear out the shopping. But she paused when she realized that it wasn''t Rain... The figure with the broadly grinning mask stood at the open door. And it looked like this thing had an idea about lockpicks. The figure came in without a key and had only used a damn lockpick. Instinctively, the girl ran back into the living room, slammed the door shut and locked it. She also pushed a closet in front of it so that the door couldn''t be opened so easily. When she was finished, she immediately picked up her cellphone and called the police first. The scary figure hammered furiously against the door, tried to break it open with the lockpick and also tried to push against it with his whole body. While Leonie explained her plight to the man on the phone, the murderer took his knife and tried to stab the door with all his might. After a few stabs, however, he gave up and crept around the house. The figure picked up a stone and smashed the window in the living room. The girl flinched as she had just finished the phone call and saw out of the corner of her eye how the figure jumped into the house through the window. She immediately kicked the closet away from the door and ripped it open, not caring that the door was broken in the process. She ran outside before the killer could even catch up with her. Outside, the police arrived at just the right moment. The figure immediately stopped chasing Leonie and disappeared into the shadows of the forest. A few policemen tried to follow the murderer but were unsuccessful and returned to the others. Just as Leonie was explaining to the policemen what had happened, Rain returned from her shopping trip. At first she was confused as to why the police were here so suddenly, until she heard what had happened. Her confusion turned to shock and she immediately checked to see if Leonie was okay. Like a mother. "Is everything alright?" "Yes, everything is fine. I''m just sorry your window''s broken now. Or your doors." "Leonie. As long as everyone is safe, I don''t care about my doors and windows. Sure, there''s damage that needs to be repaired, but not while this thing is at large. If that figure can destroy my window that easily, he''ll do it again." The girl nodded at Rain''s words. "...Can''t we stay with Darius? He''s the police chief, and next time he can react immediately. Or maybe this killer doesn''t even dare go near him." "Good idea. We''ll let the policemen do their job here and go to Darius. I''m just wondering why this thing is following you at all. You said it showed up at your place first, and now it''s been at mine. If we go to Darius now, it might come back." The 18-year-old turned her gaze away from Miss Firescout and saw the police officers tape off the house and go inside to investigate. Then she looked back at Rain and nodded, her face growing stoic. "My gut tells me he''s definitely coming back. We should let Darius know so he''s prepared. Whether it''s with his fists or a gun." The woman was a little surprised by the look on Leonie''s face, but she found her fighting spirit motivating and smiled proudly. "That''s right. I''d say a pistol is even more effective than fists. Maybe I''ll ask him to show you how to use a gun like that. Then you could defend yourself in an absolute emergency. We''re not dealing with a normal thief or anything like that. No. This is a murderer who is chasing you. So we don''t even need to talk about whether or not it''s legal to use a gun in this case. That''s final." The two of them immediately got into Miss Firescout''s car and drove to the police chief''s house. They both got out of the car, rang the front doorbell and explained everything to Darius as soon as he had opened the door even a crack. "Slowly, slowly... So, Leonie. The weird thing was there again, he used a lock pick to get into the house, you locked yourself in the living room, then you called the police, the killer went around the house, broke into the living room through the window and you just ran out when the police came? And then he disappeared? Did I get that right...?" "Well ... I''d say that''s a good, long summary of what happened." The girl said. Darius shook his head in shock as he let the two of them into his house. Rain looked at him and spoke. "She has a feeling the killer will be back. You and I know that''s the case too. I was wondering if you could show her how to use a gun. In an emergency, when none of us are around, she doesn''t need to be afraid. She-" But the woman was interrupted when Leonie gasped sharply.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. "Where did Spike go...?! I haven''t seen him since the killer broke into the house! What if he''s still there?? What if he''s run off and got lost...?" Darius heard the concern in her voice and took his phone out of his pocket. "I''ll let my colleagues in the area know to look for a little golden retriever puppy. Don''t worry, the little one will be found, okay?" He dialed a number and stepped aside to speak to his colleagues. In the meantime, Leonie looked at Rain with a panicked face. Her skin was pale and her eyes looked as if she might cry in fear at any moment. Miss Firescout took her in her arms and reassured her, saying, "Calm down now. I''m sure Spike will be fine. We''ll find him, bring him to you and everything will be alright. I promise." Over the next few days, Darius taught Leonie how to use a pistol properly. He showed her how to reload the ammunition, how to aim correctly and where the safety was on the gun. Under normal circumstances, the girl would never have picked up such a weapon. But if a killer was after her and following her everywhere... that was probably the better solution. At least she could protect herself if this monster showed up again. While the girl continued to practice aiming and shooting, the police chief sat nearby and watched while simultaneously going through the reports from the neighborhood. First the incident with Bryan, then this killer, then the disappearance of people, loud noises from the woods and so on and so forth... Some things were easy to connect, but some cases were still either completely unsolved without any leads or so hard to figure out that the police couldn''t keep up. Take Bryan''s disappearance, for example. None of the police had found any clues or leads yet. It was as if the young man had simply vanished into thin air. Darius Edwards knew that Bryan wouldn''t just disappear like that. He wasn''t that kind of person. He would have at least called or tried to write a message. And the killer? He came out of nowhere. One day he wasn''t there, the next day he just appears out of nowhere. Mister Edwards had already suspected that Bryan might have gone mad and could be the killer, but he wanted to forget this suspicion immediately. He knew Winslow well enough to know that this was an extremely stupid thought. Even if it did make some sense, since the young man had first disappeared and only a short time later this masked figure had appeared out of nowhere. He would have to investigate, but he hoped it was wrong. -3rd January, 2020- Leonie had spent Christmas and New Year''s Eve practicing on Darius'' gun. Even the fireworks hadn''t really bothered her. Her concentration on the gun and her aim had become almost perfect and the police chief praised her every day for her progress. However, he wasn''t at home that day, but at the police station. Rain wasn''t there either because she wanted to do the girl a favor by helping the other cops look for Spike. So the 18-year-old was currently alone in Mister Edward''s house. She was taking a break from all her training and was sitting on one of the chairs in the kitchen while eating a yogurt she had found in the fridge. Even though she still had a bad feeling, at the same time she felt much safer than before. In an emergency, she could now defend herself against an attacker instead of just running away. This was definitely a big advantage for her. The killer would not expect Leonie to be able to aim and shoot unless he had been watching her. But the girl shouldn''t rely too much on the safety of the gun either, otherwise something could happen that she wouldn''t expect. So she had to be prepared for anything and always keep an eye on her surroundings. In a moment of calm, she decided to call her younger brother Finn. As always, he picked up immediately and spoke in a worried voice. "Sis? Leo? Hey, are you there? Is everything alright?" "Yes, Finn. I''m fine, don''t worry. Despite everything that happens, I''ll get through this shit! Darius taught me how to use a gun. So in the future I can at least protect myself if it comes to that." Leonie reassured her worried brother and assured him that everything would soon come to a good end. "I hope so... Just don''t die trying to defend yourself, okay? I need the last member of my family alive and not dead..." "...I promise, little brother. When this is all over and I can go back to my house, I''ll come and get you. See you then, love you." After the two of them had talked for a while, Leonie hung up. She wished so much that this hell would finally come to an end. She wasn''t safe anywhere. She felt like she was being watched around the clock, even though she was alone. She would have loved to be in her house at that moment, together with Bryan and Finn. Just peace, quiet and love... But not like this. She couldn''t even sleep properly at night because she always had the feeling that something would come up behind her and try to stab or strangle her. The constant feeling of fear, of being chased, of being watched or of death itself was extremely agonizing. Then she suddenly heard footsteps. They were coming from the room upstairs. Without hesitation, she took the gun, loaded it and braced herself for the worst. The footsteps walked slowly across the upper wooden floor into the hallway and then very slowly down the stairs. Leonie held her breath and quietly hid in one of the kitchen cupboards. The footsteps came closer and were finally in the kitchen. Through the slit in the cupboard, the 18-year-old could see the figure standing in the middle of the room. Bingo. She carefully opened the cabinet a little and pointed the gun at the killer before pulling the trigger and hitting him in the shoulder. The killer cursed, held his shoulder and immediately turned to the closet, but ducked as Leonie fired another shot. He grabbed his knife, jumped up and threw it in the direction of her head within seconds. The girl dodged and fired a few more shots as she backed out of the kitchen and walked backwards into the living room, gun still pointed towards the kitchen. Leonie concentrated and listened for any sounds around her, but the killer smashed the window in the living room after simply walking out the kitchen window and around the house. The girl immediately turned around and shot at the killer. She had little luck, however, as her opponent was much faster and more agile than she had thought. Despite all her efforts to shoot and dodge, she was grabbed by the neck and her hand, in which she was holding the gun, was simply chopped off by the person with the knife. Blood poured from her arm as she screamed in pain. The figure punched her so hard in the face that she fell unconscious... ... The 18-year-old woke up hours later in a darkened cellar. She realized she was chained to a wall and the blood on her right wrist had been stopped by a few simple stitches and bleeding bandages. She looked around and noticed a mirror in the corner. She was confused, but also a little frightened when she realized that the killer had taped her mouth shut and the sides of her cheeks were marked with a permanent marker. She wondered what that meant, but honestly, she didn''t want to know. She had to find a way out of this situation... But how? The walls were made of stone, the chains on her left wrist, neck and feet were made of iron, the door probably needed a key and it was probably locked with a code too, judging by the little device with the red glowing dot on the wall. Great... She had to leave. And as quickly as possible. She knew that the person would be back soon...