As the day wore on, Eden found herself growing increasingly bored. The monotony of the day seemed to seep into her bones, and she longed for something to brighten her mood. Then, it occurred to her that perhaps a good book could be just the thing to chase away the gloom. She scanned the titles on her bookshelf, searching for something that would capture her interest and lift her spirits.
Eden stood in front of her bookshelf, her eyes scanning the spines of the many books that lined the shelves. "One, two, three," she whispered to herself, her fingers running along the spines as she counted. "Six, seven, eight, nine, ten..." she said, stopping when she reached the section of her shelf that held the works of Shakespeare. "I think I'll read some of Shakespeare today," she mused, pulling a volume of his sonnets from the shelf.
She ran through the pages of the book, only to see a text in a paper, folded into the book.
The piece of paper fell out, landing on the floor at her feet. Curiously, she picked it up and unfolded it. To her surprise, there was a message scrawled on the paper in a messy, yet oddly beautiful, handwriting.
She scanned the message, her eyes growing wide as she took in the words.
The message read: "It's not Carlsen who's been killing the victims, it's Lowell."
Her mind whirred as she considered the possibility that Lowell was the real killer. But if that was the case, what did that mean for Carlsen? Had he been sentenced to death for a crime he didn't commit? And if so, why had he kidnapped her in the first place? Had it been an act of desperation, born of his belief that she was the only one who could clear his name? Or had it been something else entirely?
There were so many questions, and no easy answers. But one thing was clear - she had to get to the bottom of this.
"What are you reading?" a soft, familiar voice asked, and Eden looked up to see Peter standing in the doorway.
She hadn't heard him come in, and for a moment she wondered how long he had been standing there, watching her. But then the words of the letter she held in her hand flashed through her mind, and she pushed the thought aside.
"It's nothing, really," she said with a forced smile, quickly folding the paper and tucking it into her pocket. "Just a passage from one of Shakespeare's sonnets."
Peter looked at her skeptically, but didn't press the issue. Instead, he changed the subject.
"So, what are you up to today?" he asked, his tone light and casual.
"Would you like to grab a coffee tonight?" he asked, a warm smile playing across his lips.
Peter had been asking her out for weeks, and she always meant to say yes, but something always seemed to come up. This time, she made a mental note to actually follow through.
"I'd love to," she replied, her own smile growing wider. "It'll be nice to catch up."
"Don't worry, I won't forget," she promised, the sincerity in her voice evident. "I'll make sure to clear my schedule this time."
"You'd better," he teased, his smile widening. "I wouldn't want to have to hunt you down just to get a cup of coffee."
"What time?" she asked, eager to have the details nailed down.
Peter gave her a sheepish smile, realizing he'd forgotten to mention that important detail. "7pm," he said, hoping she wasn't too put off by his forgetfulness.
"7pm it is," she said, her tone reassuring. "I'll make sure to be there."
Peter's gaze drifted to the book in her hands, and a look of curiosity crossed his face.
"You've been reading?" he asked, a hint of admiration in his tone. "And Shakespeare, no less. I must say, you have excellent taste in literature."
A warm blush crept up her cheeks, and she felt a flicker of pride at his praise. "Thank you," she said, her voice soft. "I've always loved his works."
It was rare for her to receive such compliments from Lowell, and the sincerity of Peter's words made her heart flutter. Lowell had been growing more and more obsessed with her, convinced that she was the only one who could break the curse that had been placed upon him.
Peter, on the other hand, was a breath of fresh air. He was kind and considerate, and he made her feel safe and comfortable. She's in love with Lowell, but Peter is making her heart beat in a kind of manner.
"I need to head to the lab now," he said, reluctantly tearing his gaze away from her. " I hope you won't be late tonight. I'm not a fan of tardiness."
She smiled at her, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "I promise I'll be on time, she said, her voice sincere. "I don't want to disappoint you."
As soon as he was out of sight, she released a sigh of relief. His presence had been both exciting and overwhelming, and she needed a moment to herself to process her feelings.
Her thoughts turned to the folded piece of paper, still tucked away in her pocket. With shaking hands, she pulled it out and opened it up. On the bottom of the page, she saw a phone number and the words "Call this number at 7pm for proof."
A shiver ran down her spine. What could the number possibly be for? And what kind of proof was she supposed to receive?
Her mind was racing, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding. What did the note mean? And what kind of proof was she supposed to receive?
She sighed again, feeling overwhelmed by the uncertainty of it all. Was this some sort of prank? Or was there something more sinister going on?
She put the paper back in her pocket and decided to focus on the Shakespeare sonnet. There was no use dwelling on it right now. She would just have to wait and see what happened at 7pm.
As the evening drew to a close, she gathered her things and made her way home.
When she arrived, she checked each room to make sure that Lowell wasn't there. She was relieved to find that he wasn't, and she felt a wave of calm settle over her as she settled in for the night.
She couldn't help but wonder about the phone number again. But she pushed the thought away, determined to enjoy her evening in peace.
She waited for the darkness of night to fall, and as it did, she found herself growing drowsy. Before she knew it, she had drifted off to sleep.
In her dream, she was walking through a forest, the trees towering above her. The air was cool and crisp, and she could hear the rustling of the leaves in the wind. She felt a sense of calm, as if she was exactly where she was meant to be.
Then, she heard a sound behind her, that was the sound of her phone buzzing. It dragged her back to reality.
She fumbled for it in the dark, squinting at the screen to see who was calling. To her surprise, it was the same number that had been written on the note.
Her heart started to race. Should she answer it? What if it was a prank? But what if it wasn't? What if there was something important that she needed to know?
With her heart in her throat, she pressed the "accept call" button.
"Hello, Eden Cooper," a voice said, calm and even. "It's a pleasure to finally speak with you."
Eden's stomach did a flip. This was an unfamiliar voice . "Who is this?" she asked, her voice shaking.
"I'll tell you when we meet," the voice replied. "Come to the end of the city, behind the playground. Come alone. Don't bring anyone with you." The line went dead.
Without a moment's hesitation, she grabbed her bag and quickly stuffed a revolver, a dagger, and a can of pepper spray inside. She didn't know what she was walking into, but she wanted to be prepared for anything.
Her heart was pounding in her chest, but she steeled herself and headed out the door. The night air was cool and crisp, and the sky was filled with stars. She tried to focus on the peacefulness of the scene, but her mind kept racing back to the mysterious call.
She double-checked the house, making sure that Lowell wasn't there, and then grabbed a piece of paper and a pen. In her neatest handwriting, she wrote, "I'll be back soon." She left the note on her bed, hoping that it would reassure him when he finally returned.
With that, she walked out the door, the cool night air hitting her face like a splash of cold water. She took a deep breath and tried to calm her racing heart. She had to be strong. Whatever was waiting for her at the end of the city, she would be ready for it.
As the cab pulled up to the end of the city, Eden was shocked by what she saw.
There, standing in the shadows, was a man. But he wasn't just any man - he was a man from her past, a man she thought she would never see again. Her heart pounded in her chest as she realized who it was.
"I knew you'd come," he said, his voice low and ominous. "I knew you couldn't resist."
But before she could respond, he turned and walked away, vanishing into the darkness.