He’d been watching her for months, critically following her every move. He had been careful to stay hidden in the murky shadows of secrecy. It was as if he were a menacing weight, constantly looming over her head, waiting to drop his load of destruction upon her; He was a predator constantly prowling upon its prey, waiting for the slightest slip of her guardians’ attention to pounce upon his unsuspecting victim. Never, for the slightest moment, did she – or those she loved – think she was being stalked; never did we think she would be taken.

But she was; two agonizingly long weeks ago she was taken from us. Her lovely and familiar face was plastered across our little town. Probably our entire state, but I wouldn’t know; I had been placed under lock down, because my parents thought I could, or would, be next. But I knew better; her predator had his prey, and it would be a long, long time until he hungered again.