Exposed

Alicia pulled back the curtain and wrapped a towel around her naked body. She loved that clean, silky feeling she got from a nice shower. She looked around for where she’d set her clothes. Ah, there they were, right next to the sink. She took her towel from around her and stuck it on her head, in a lazy attempt to dry her hair. Slipping into her clothes, she looked up at the mirror above the sink. That was when she saw the writing. Alicia screamed.

On the fogged-up, antique-store mirror, someone had written a message: “I know your secret. If you tell anyone, I’ll kill you” Alicia quaked with wholehearted, unconditional fear. They’d been here, in her house. They’d been in here, in this room, while she was showering. Worst of all, they knew her secret. How could they possible know? Nobody who knew had survived; she’d made sure of that. She suddenly felt more exposed and vulnerable than a newborn child.

A cool breeze tickled the back of her neck. She shakily veered her head, goose bumps erupting across her skin. The small screen window sat open behind her, welcoming the winter chill. Alicia froze as she saw that the screen had been ripped away.