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On a regular Saturday, I would begin by going to the closest store like Walmart or 7 Eleven or something and buy myself a monster and some breakfast. Taking it out to the middle of the woods along with my homework and mp3, I'd eat half the food under or in this one enormous tree and then get to work. The mp3 lasts a surprisingly long time, so I can usually listen to it throughout the whole day. The other half of my breakfast I'd eat for lunch, and spend the night in that same tree, away from home where I would be yelled at after having to listen to the sounds of my mom and her new boyfriend upstairs or whoever she brings home.

But due to the past events of the week, it is not a regular Saturday. Because the psychologically confused Jeff is now stalking me and seems to reside in the woods, Destri is taking me to the mall with his friends from school. I don't think he actually cares about my safety. He just doesn't want to have my death on his tab if I get killed. Or hurt or something. Whatever Jeff plans to do.

We decided not to tell anyone because he might be autistic or have some other mental disorder, and a family that loves him and would totally kill us for blaming him for being a psychotic killer and saying he's threatened us in the middle of the woods. I mean, he hasn't really threatened us. I don't think. But he told me I was gonna be his pet. What the heck does that mean?

All these thoughts were going through my mind as I followed the group of seven or eight people through the mall, staying behind so that I wouldn't have to interact. They gave me weird glances every once in a while. Destri hadn't even introduced me or anything, just said that I was going to tag along for today. Every once in a while he'd look back to see if I was there, but he makes it look like a job. Like he's babysitting me or he wouldn't be doing it at all. I guess he doesn't want to be embarrassed by me. I'd be embarrassed by me too. And this way it's better, because they're all acting kind of silly... There are like two girls hanging on one guy, giggling nonstop and screaming and whining and drinking in every word that he says. Destri's pretty popular as well. He seems to be enjoying himself.

There would be a store sometimes we passed that I so wanted to go into. But they never seemed to notice or take an interest in it, and I didn't want them to stop for me. So I just ignored the urge to go in and kept following them. Until one store had that band t-shirt I've been looking for like FOREVER. The one that I wanted to get signed at a concert. Really expensive in all the stores I've seen it in, except this one. It was only fifteen bucks! Looking up to the group, already a couple yards away (but still heard by their obnoxiously loud "conversations"), I turned from them and entered the store, eyes on that "I See Stars" shirt hanging on the wall.

The music totally produced a good vibe in me, and I had to resist breaking out dancing and singing right there in the half-empty store. I found my foot tapping or my fingers buzzing in time to the beat, and ended up shuffling to the shirt stiffly to keep from doing so.

It. Was beautiful.

I'm practically drooling over it on my way to the checkout with the shirt in hand and a monster drink from their small drink cooler thingy by the single register. I should work here. It would be so much fun that it'd be worth more than they pay me. DREAM JOB! The girl at the counter was chewing gum loudly, with pink streaks in her obviously bleached long hair that complimented her thin face, and a big bow sitting atop her head. Her eyeliner was so heavy that it was actually starting to run... I would never wear that much. Or advise friends to wear that much. "How may I help you?" she asked, running me over with her eyes for only a moment before returning her eyes to her phone.

I lay the shirt down on the small counter beside the monster and focused on the music. I really really want to work here... "Just this, and I wanted to know if the manager was thinking of hiring?"

She didn't even say anything as she rang up the items before bending over to pull out a sheet of paper from under the counter. "Fill this form and I'll have him look it over. You should get a response in about a week."

Wow. Abrupt. Whatever. I filled the form out on the counter using a pen she tossed in my direction. It took only a couple minutes before I handed it back to her. She took it from me, set it back under the counter, and gave me my monster and shirt in a plastic bag. "Thank you for applying and your purchases, please come again," she said in monotone, but throwing a wink and a smirk at me first before going back to her phone.

I just nodded and headed back out of the store, feeling really happy to be possibly working there and really sad for leaving at the same time. I know where I'm going on the weekends, I thought, rustling around in the bag for my monster. Standing by the fountain at the center of the mall, I opened the drink and sipped it happily. Ah. Ceci est la vie. Pulling my phone out, I saw that it had received a message. I opened it and read, "Where the hell are you??" I could just hear Destri's frustrated voice seething out all over that message. I should probably write back now. The time said it was sent fifteen minutes before. I texted back, "At the fountain", and immediately got the response, "Stay there, idiot."

When he got back with his friends, the look on his face told me he was totally mad at me. But I ignored it and followed them again, past my new favourite store and out the mall into the cold. I was completely safe in that mall. Jeff doesn't seem like such a social bug to me. On the way back to his house he glanced back at me more often than in the mall. I just stared at the ground the whole way, shoving my backpack up higher and taking sips of my monster, avoiding the disgusted stares from the boisterous group. We were all going back to Destri's house where they were going to have a great time in his bedroom with some smuggled beers and snack foods and movies and whatever. I was going to stay in his basement so as not to be a buzzkill. That freak at school that Destri has to babysit.

We were almost there. I turned my gaze to my right, into the forest covered with mist.

Where Jeff was standing.

I stopped in my tracks, my heart freezing for at least three beats as his silhouette lifted his arm and beckoned me with his finger. At least I couldn't see his face and that horrible carved smile. I looked up to the group, still walking and unaware of my sudden stop. Then back to the outline of him. Jeff. Still beckoning with one finger. If I said no, he would sure as heck hurt me. So I stepped off the sidewalk silently, walking through the untrimmed grass into the dim forest, fear sending my heartbeat higher and stronger each time. He was farther away than I thought. When I finally reached him, his face was still hidden from me beneath that thin black hair. I couldn't breathe, or hear anything but my heartbeat in my ears and his raspy intakes of air.

"Come with me," he whispered, sending chills throughout my body. "We can play now."

I only nodded and followed when he began walking away from the edge of the trees, unable to speak or defend myself. My brain wouldn't think properly, only one word thoughts.

Fear. Afraid. Pain. Hurt. Fear.