Chapter 5 A Deals Dark Side( Selena's continued POV)

I checked the closet in the hallway and upon seeing it open,i moved my stuffs into the library and got ready to sleep on the couch. I locked the doors just incase and laid on the couch scrolling through my phone.

I hadn't gotten any more messages from Thompson and i was starting to think up scenarios and reasons as to why he had such strict Peculiar sets of rules in his house.

I had dozed off at some point because at exactly 10:16pm,i was woken up by the doorbell ringing. I was about to get up and check but then i remembered the rule "Don't open the door for anyone,no matter who they say they are after 10:00pm". I stayed on the couch trying not to move, paranoid that they would hear even the slightest sound. "IT'S THE POLICE OPEN UP!!.....HELLO?!!.... IT'S THE POLICE OPEN UP OR WE'RE COMING IN".

I still didn't move but i could hear my heart beat in my ear. There was silence for a while after that. Then,the doorbell rang again "HEY! IT'S THOMPSON LET ME IN".It sounded like Thompson but still,i didn't get up. He would have a key wouldn't he?...why would he need me to let him in.

This continued for almost a full hour, different people would ring the doorbell, announce themselves and then disappear when i didn't respond. I was finally able to fall asleep and the Gardner never came.

When i woke up the next morning,i heard someone in the kitchen. I got up slowly and unlocked the door as quietly as possible taking my phone with me,and walking across the living room into the kitchen.

I stopped at the entrance and looked in.It was Thompson,he was standing in front of the stove stirring something as the coffee machine brewed coffee on the counter behind him. "Hey!...good morning" he said when he saw me. "Hi" i replied, nervous.

I hadn't seen him in person before but he looked exactly like his pictures online." scrambled eggs?" He asked motioning to the pan with the wooden spoon "yea thanks" i replied, walking over to take my plate from him.

I ate my breakfast and drank my coffee in silence. "so....how was it?" He asked, "it was okay, nothing super freaky happened ". I replied

"cool" he replied. There was an awkwardness in the room, "i think I'm gonna go now i....have class" i trailed off. I didn't but i really wanted to get out of there. "Oh...no yea..sure, I'll talk to you some other time",he replied.

I grabbed my stuffs then he walked me to my car. I could see him standing in the driveway, watching me as i left. When i got home,i started unpacking all my stuff and noticed i still had the list with me.

I sat on my bed and read it again. I felt my body tense up as i realized i had forgotten something " TURN THE TV ON STATIC THROUGH THE NIGHT.....DO NOT FORGET THIS!!........TURN THE TV ON STATIC THROUGH THE NIGHT.....DO NOT FORGET THIS!!

I stared at the words on the page until they lost meaning. Beside me,my phone buzzed snapping me back to reality. It was the $1000 payment. I looked at the list then back at my phone, "maybe it wasn't an important step?" I thought to myself.

Soon a text came from Thompson " I'M NOT IN TOWN RIGHT NOW,I SHOULD BE BACK NEXT WEEK. SO YOU'RE FREE FROM RUNNING ERRANDS FOR ME UNTIL THEN. JUST SENT THE PAYMENT,GO DO SOMETHING FUN".

I stared at the message and read it again. I thought back to this morning Thompson was in the house, how he gave me breakfast "I'M NOT IN TOWN RIGHT NOW" the words kept echoing in my head. It felt like a fever dream.

Within minutes,a new text came from an unknown number " DID YOU FORGET TO DO SOMETHING?" the text was followed by a picture of Thompson or whoever this version of Thompson was, standing in front of the television.

I didn't respond. Next came another picture, this one was of the outside of my house. It was followed by another text "WATCH OUT!!🙂".