Kate Bright dabbed perfume behind her ears and grinned at her reflection in the mirror. She would leave the music channel on TV for the flashing lights, turn down the sound, and lock her bedroom door. From the hallway, the effect would be the same as if she had on her headphones and was playing games. No one would disturb her, not after helping all day and being the perfect daughter. Her parents were being way overprotective and would not tell her what had happened to Felicity. She had seen the news, the sheriff was asking for people who had seen Felicity and some other girl named Joanne Blunt near Stanton Forest. What could have happened to them? When she asked her mom, she had told her to stay home but she would say anything to prevent her from meeting Chad at night. Adults think teenagers can only have sex at night. How stupid is that?

She went downstairs into the kitchen and raided the refrigerator. Chad had a huge appetite and she would take him some energy bars and drinks. She stared at the stacked shelves for a few moments then grabbed a bottle of water. After the long hike to the campus, she would be thirsty. She heard her mother heading in her direction and darted toward the stairs. Once out of sight, she called out, “Mom? Do you mind if I play my game for an hour or so? I’ll wear my headphones so I don’t disturb you.”

“You spend far too much time on the computer. It’s not healthy. Watch TV with us and be sociable for a change. There’s a good movie on tonight.”

“I’ll spend tomorrow night with you, I promise. Please, Mom?”

“I guess so but I’ll hold you to that promise, young lady.”

“Thanks.” Kate bolted up the steps and back into her room.

She locked the door and stuffed a towel, drinks, and snacks into her backpack. Five minutes later, she slipped out the bedroom window and climbed down the terrace. The sun had dropped in the sky, casting long shadows, but she would get to the pool and back long before sunset. She doubted her parents would check on her before ten, and she should be home and tucked up in bed by then.

Not wanting anyone to recognize her, she pulled up the hood on her jacket, glad she had decided to cover her jeans and skimpy top. Although in Black Rock Falls the sun shone for over twelve hours a day, the temperature dropped in the evenings and her hair would be wet after skinny-dipping. She giggled at the thought of slipping into the heated pool naked. Sneaking out to meet Chad had become a naughty but exciting habit of late.

She rounded the last block of residential buildings and headed toward the wide road leading to the campus. Worried about someone driving by and seeing her trespassing, she kept to the shadows and walked along the tree-lined driveway to the entrance.

A jolt of apprehension tightened in her belly at the first sight of the buildings, empty with black windows and missing the usual welcoming illumination. Without the noise of students and vehicles, the campus resembled a ghost town. She moved on and the creepy sound the wind made rustling through the trees sent goosebumps running up her arms.

Back in the sunlight, her panic eased and she turned the last bend toward the main gate. She stopped and stared in disbelief at the massive gates blocking the entrance to traffic. With the number of cleaners and tradesmen coming and going during the summer break, they usually remained open. The only way inside would be through the wooded area. She hated the idea of running into a bear or a bobcat looking for its dinner, but she took a deep breath and plowed into the bushes.

The trees closed in around her, blocking the light, but she had taken this path before and hurried along. Nerves frazzled, she started at movements in the undergrowth and glanced in all directions. The woods seemed to be watching her with a thousand eyes. Branches snagged at her coat and tangled around her feet. Convinced roots would erupt from the earth and drag her down to hell, just like in the movies, she quickened her pace.

Gasping as waves of panic washed over her, she made her way back to the road, tripping over a sod of earth where someone had dragged wildflowers out by their roots. Dang, now I have mud on my boots. She could have avoided being scared to death if Chad had suggested meeting him closer to the main gate.

Loud rustling came from directly behind her as if something big had spotted her as their next meal. Fear grabbed her by the throat and she took off at a run. Moments later, she burst out of the woods on the other side of the gate and headed toward the gym. She checked the time on her cellphone. Shit, I’m almost fifteen minutes late. Chad should have been waiting for her but a peek through the gym window told her he had not arrived. Perhaps he’d walked to the pool to look for her. She messaged him but got no reply, and Chad usually answered in seconds. I bet his dad still has his cellphone.

Deciding to head for the pool to wait for him to arrive, she opened the cover of her cellphone and, engrossed in the game, wandered along the dark passageway. A few moments later, she reached the entrance. She heaved a sigh of relief seeing the gate slightly ajar. Chad must be waiting inside. She hurried along to the dressing room and disconnected from the game. The Olympic-sized pool stretched out in an expanse of blue, and the smell of chlorine drifted toward her. She could see Chad swimming way down the far end and grinned. She would surprise him and sneak into the pool.

After stripping in the changing room, she wrapped a towel around her chest and stepped outside, slightly embarrassed at the idea of being naked in front of Chad for the first time. She peered at the empty pool and swallowed hard. Where is he?

A low chuckle came from behind her and she turned around, pulling the towel tighter, expecting to see Chad. A man walked out of the shadows, shaking the water from his hair. As he moved closer, she recognized him and her cheeks burned. “How embarrassing, I thought you were Chad.”

“Chad couldn’t make it.”

Disappointment tinged with anger that Chad would do such a thing, she moved a step toward the dressing room. “If he is not coming, I’ll get dressed and be on my way home.”

A glint of metal drew her gaze to the knife glistening in his hand and she took a step backward. Panic closed her throat and she glanced around, looking for a place to run. The gate to the pool was not far and she could make it. She pivoted and sprinted between the dressing rooms and headed toward the gate. The black iron railings loomed up in front of her and she gaped in disbelief at the chain circling them.

Someone had locked the gate.

Gasping for breath, she grabbed the padlock but her trembling fingers refused to roll the combination. She stared behind her to see the man walking casually toward her swinging a red sock filled with something in one hand as if he had all the time in the world. Valuable seconds ticked by. She must concentrate before this lunatic changed his mind and ran at her. Turning back to the padlock, she spun the dial, locking in the combination.

One, click.

Two, click.

Three, click.

Four—nothing.

Frantic, she glanced over one shoulder. He was a few yards away and grinning like the Cheshire Cat. She spun the dial again and tried to lock in number four.

Nothing.

The evil, low, rumbling chuckle behind her made every hair on her body stand up.

“One, two, three, four ain’t the combination no more.”

I have to escape. If she took off now, she could run up the bleachers on the far side of the pool and jump the fence. Muscles bunched, she turned to run. Blinding pain smashed into her temple and her vision blurred. The ground appeared to rush up and hit her with incredible force. Air rushed from her lungs in a painful burst and, gasping, she tried to crawl away from the hideous laughter.

A shadow of the man passed over her and water dripped on her face from his wet hair.

“Going somewhere?”