What could it hurt? Containment of her curiosity not her strongest trait, Emma opened the email. What she found written in those lines was not at all what her vivid imagination expected.
"Act calm as to not alert anyone, but everyone around you is not who they say they are. You need to quietly get out of there and meet me at the spot where you had your first kiss. You know the place. My name is Mark."
Goosebumps covered her entire body as she read and re-read the lines. Glancing around to see if anyone was really watching her, Emma couldn't decide if this was real or a joke. Her breathing began to quicken as she suddenly felt as if someone might be watching her from a hidden location.
Calm down, calm down, breathe... became Emma's mantra.
Feeling anything but calm, Emma casually closed her laptop and gathered her bag, sliding the laptop inside. Pushing away from the table had never felt like such a chore before but she finally managed to stand on her shaking legs.
Who can I trust? Am I to really believe this "Mark" person isn't really a rapist, stalker, kidnapper or human trafficker? Come on, Emma, be smart about this.
With tunnel vision, Emma sauntered to the exit and pushed her way into fresh air. Breathe, breathe, breathe... It took her only a moment to determine which direction to head - in the totally opposite direction of her mystery man's wishes.
The tiny hairs on the back of her neck refused to lie back down. But, with a determined look and hitch of her chin she placed one foot in front of the other until...the unmistakable chime of a text message.
Hands shaking, Emma reached into her bag and withdrew her phone. Heart pounding in her ears and one eye closed, Emma unlocked her phone and gasped. She nearly dropped the phone when she saw the word "Mark". A text from him. Her feet betrayed her and immediately felt cemented to the sidewalk. Her mind told her to run but her legs wouldn't obey.
How did he get her number? Who is this guy?! Now Emma was just downright angry. How dare he?!
Punching the screen to select "read now", Emma blew out a frustrated breath while waiting for the words to appear.
"Emma. You know you are going the wrong way. Trust me. I'm not any of those things you're imagining in your mind. Trust me. You remember the place. I'll be waiting for you. Mark."
Taking a chance, Emma furiously tapped out a hasty reply.
"You say I need to trust you. Then trust me. Who are you...really?!"
Less than the time it took for her phone to lock and place it safely in her bag, the familiar text alert chimed.
"You're beautiful when you're angry. I've been sent to help you. If you can honestly tell me you know what I say to be untrue, tell me now and you'll never hear from me again. But, you know deep inside what I say is true. Think about. I'll be waiting...but I won't wait forever."
To be continued...
**My imagination took off when I read a writing prompt on Writer's Digest website. The first email message was the prompt. The rest of the story is my imagination gone wild. ;)
With tunnel vision, Emma sauntered to the exit and pushed her way into fresh air. Breathe, breathe, breathe... It took her only a moment to determine which direction to head - in the totally opposite direction of her mystery man's wishes.
The tiny hairs on the back of her neck refused to lie back down. But, with a determined look and hitch of her chin she placed one foot in front of the other until...the unmistakable chime of a text message.
Hands shaking, Emma reached into her bag and withdrew her phone. Heart pounding in her ears and one eye closed, Emma unlocked her phone and gasped. She nearly dropped the phone when she saw the word "Mark". A text from him. Her feet betrayed her and immediately felt cemented to the sidewalk. Her mind told her to run but her legs wouldn't obey.
How did he get her number? Who is this guy?! Now Emma was just downright angry. How dare he?!
Punching the screen to select "read now", Emma blew out a frustrated breath while waiting for the words to appear.
"Emma. You know you are going the wrong way. Trust me. I'm not any of those things you're imagining in your mind. Trust me. You remember the place. I'll be waiting for you. Mark."
Taking a chance, Emma furiously tapped out a hasty reply.
"You say I need to trust you. Then trust me. Who are you...really?!"
Less than the time it took for her phone to lock and place it safely in her bag, the familiar text alert chimed.
"You're beautiful when you're angry. I've been sent to help you. If you can honestly tell me you know what I say to be untrue, tell me now and you'll never hear from me again. But, you know deep inside what I say is true. Think about. I'll be waiting...but I won't wait forever."
To be continued...
**My imagination took off when I read a writing prompt on Writer's Digest website. The first email message was the prompt. The rest of the story is my imagination gone wild. ;)
Fun and inviting read! Can't wait to read the rest!
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