That’s when I worked up enough courage to explain to my mom what was going on. I could talk to her about anything, and she would always give me sound advice.
“It sounds like this boy won’t leave you alone. But do you really think he’s capable of doing that to your dorm?”
“I don’t know. I only knew him for less than an hour, plus no one knew him from the party Darcy took me to. Doesn’t it seem odd?”
My mom shook her head and got on the phone with the school. I didn’t want her to make a big deal out of this, school was already hard enough.
“They want us to come down and talk to the Dean. They consider the excessive calling harassment and will send officers over to your dorm also.”
After our meeting, we found out he was a repeat offender and transferred here from a different school. Apparently, the school administration warned him that if there was one more incident then he would be kicked out.
“Mom, I don’t want to get the kid expelled. We’re seniors. Can’t I just stay with you instead of the dorm and let this all blow over?”
My mom agreed and took me back home, where I spent the rest of the week studying for finals since there were no actual classes. As time passed, the calls and texts dwindled down. Maybe he was finally getting the hint that I wasn’t going to answer.
That’s when the doorbell rang, and I could hear my father talking to someone.
“Don’t show up here again. You are not welcome here or anywhere near our daughter.”
“Sir, I think there’s been a misunderstanding.”
“No, Keith. There hasn’t been. Please stop contacting our daughter.”
The door slammed, and I hid like I had no idea what was going on. He showed up at my parent’s house? How did he even know where they lived?
My memory of Keith is back, and explaining to Liam was becoming overwhelming. It was like as I was telling the story, things were flooding my mind. The fear I felt when he showed up on my parents doorstep, and the anxiousness I felt every time his number popped up on my phone.
When finals week started, every time I would go to campus, I looked over my shoulder, wondering if he was there. What would I do if I ran into him?
Darcy and I tried to stay together when walking to and from classes. She was aware of the situation and didn’t want me to be left alone.
“I don’t understand why he won’t just leave you alone... it’s all very creepy...”
“Tell me about it...” I said, standing outside the hall where I would take my last final. “Good luck.”
Once finals were over, there was no reason for me to go back to campus except to pack up my dorm and then graduation. My parents accompanied me to both, knowing that I was still frightened. Everything went smoothly.
Everything seemed to go back to normal after that, and Keith didn’t show up at the house anymore.
Until that night, six years ago, when I went to visit my parents. When I knocked on the door, and neither answered, I took the spare key hidden under the mat and let myself in.
“Mom—Dad—I’m home!” I yelled, shutting the front door.
The house was eerily quiet, which struck me as odd right off the bat, because normally a tv was going or a radio somewhere in the house.
That’s when I found them, in a pool of blood, dead.
My heart sank, and I dropped to my knees. “No—how could this happen?” I pulled my mother into my arms, begging for her to wake up, but the number of stab wounds told me that would never happen. Her pulse is faint at first, then slowly slipped away, and so did she. I pulled my cell phone out of my back pocket and dialed 911.
“911. What’s your emergency?”
“My parents have been stabbed...”
“Did you say stabbed ma’am?”
“Yes, repeatedly. Both have no pulse.”
“We are sending an ambulance and officers to you now. Is anyone else inside the house with you?”