Hide and Seek
And I Know What You Did
Victoria reached the new dorm she would be sharing with Emily, smiling once she opened the door, as she saw that Emily was already there.
Emily looked absently through the window and jumped once she heard Victoria.
“Thank God you’re here!” Emily quickly walked towards her and hugged her.
“Wow, hey… Did you miss me that much?”
Emily clutched Victoria by her arms and stared at her with concerned eyes. “Okay, now you’re starting to scare me…” Victoria spoke slowly.
“Victoria, this is not going to be easy for you, but I was right.” Emily’s eyes didn’t even blink.
“Right about what?”
Emily released Victoria’s arms abruptly. “I have to show you something.” She ran towards her bag and took a book from the inside of it. A second later she handed her a paper folded in twice.
“What’s this?” Victoria asked, but Emily didn’t answer. Instead she just stared at the piece of paper and then back at her, as a sign for her to read its content.
As she unfolded it, she quickly realized that it was an article from a news webpage, but once she read the headlight and saw the photo attached to it, her mouth dropped. And so did the paper.
Emily crouched to catch it and held it in a way so that both could read it.
Stanford University student charged with stalking and harassment
A Stanford University student, Zachary James Baker, 23, was today sentenced to three months in county jail, after he had been charged with stalking and harassment a fellow Stanford University student, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office.
The senior student and the female he was charged with stalking – who knew each other from attending some classes together – were acquaintances and had exchanged numbers.
Later, however, the female reported an obsessive behavior, stating that he was “pressuring her to date him”, according to court documents.
She also experienced several incidents in which she became “fearful” of Baker, such as a time when he “blocked her and grabbed her” after she tried to walk away from him, as she walked out of a class building. On another occasion, he appeared at her place of employment and demanded that they talk, while also sending text messages to her after she had requested him to stop contacting her.
Baker was originally charged with stalking, harassment and attempted kidnapping, which would make him face up to two years’ incarceration if convicted of all charges, but the attempted kidnapping charge was dropped as the only proof, a witness for prosecution, was suddenly withdrawn.
He was sentenced to 90 days in county jail and two years supervised probation and must surrender to serve his sentence in two weeks. He is currently out of custody on his own recognizance.
Victoria stood motionless, wondering, for a second, if that wasn’t just a joke. But it wasn’t. She took one step back, her legs hitting the edge of her bed and making her sit. “This can’t be true.”
“But it is.” Emily answered coldly.
“When did this happen?” Victoria asked and Emily realized that she hadn’t read the entire article.
“Five years ago, Victoria. He was a senior five years ago. Do you understand what that means?”
Victoria’s terrified look told her that she did understand. Zacky had lied about the little he had told her. He was no longer a student. He was a man almost ten years older than her, a criminal.
Her hands covered her face, elbows sinking into her knees, as she realized the cold truth. She was going to be his next victim.
Emily, sitting now beside her, kept on staring at the empty wall ahead of them. “You have to go to the police.” She spoke a few moments later. Victoria turned to face her, her eyes glistening with tears and Emily hugged her. “I’ll go to the police with you first thing tomorrow morning and soon this will be over Vicky. I promise you. Now we should get some rest.”
Next morning Emily woke up and Victoria was already up, her bed was already made and she had already finished unpacking all the things that they hadn’t unpacked last night.
Rubbing her eyes, Emily asked with a groggy voice. “How long have you been up?”
Victoria shrugged. “For about two hours. I couldn’t sleep…”
Emily glanced at her alarm clock and exhaled noisily. It was only seven in the morning and she hated to wake up earlier than the usual.
“Well,” She pushed the bed covers away. “I think that we should go to the police, then.”
“Right now?” Victoria looked at her like a deer in the headlights.
“Right now,” Emily nodded. “Get ready, we’ll be leaving in twenty minutes.”
It was already eight o’clock when they reached the campus police station. Victoria felt a physical pain in her chest, that had began with the thought of having to go and then grew with the reality of actually being there. Emily walked towards the entrance but Victoria stopped.
“What’s wrong?”
Victoria didn’t answer. Instead she just stared at the building, not being able to move a muscle.
“Vicky? What’s the problem?” Emily asked louder this time.
“I can’t do it.”
“You have to.” Emily said sternly.
“I can’t Em, I can’t go in there without falling apart. I need more time.” Tears started to fall down her cheek.
“Okay, that’s okay.” Emily walked to her side. “I’ll tell you what, why don’t you go back to our dorm and rest until I get back from classes? Then we can go to the police.” Victoria nodded and each one went on their separate ways.
Victoria had been asleep for almost two hours when a buzz made her awake. At first she didn’t even realize what it was, but then she saw the screen of her cell phone light up and slowly grabbed it. Her eyes opened wider, all the sleepiness suddenly vanishing from her. Zacky had sent her a text message.
Her heart began to race, fearing the message’s content. What if he already knew that they knew the truth about him? After taking a few deep breaths she finally read the message.
Hi Victoria, how’s everything today? Do you want to have lunch later?
Victoria released her breath once she finished reading it. All indicated that he didn’t know what had happened, so she decided to answer him.
Hi, I’m sorry but I can’t. Emily’s going to help me with a project during lunch break.
Victoria read the message twice before sending it. Saying that she was with Emily should be enough to keep him away for the rest of the day.
She placed the cell phone on the nightstand and tried to relax again however, ten minutes later, another message flashed on the screen.
How about dinner? Wait, I have a better idea. How about going to the police together? I really wanted to hear what to have to say anyway.
She lifted a trembling hand to her mouth, feeling the contents of her stomach churning.
Tears filled her eyes and rolled down her cheeks as she tried to dial Emily’s number.
“Victoria, is everything okay?” Emily spoke a few seconds later.
“He…” She could barely get the words out. “He knows.”
Emily looked absently through the window and jumped once she heard Victoria.
“Thank God you’re here!” Emily quickly walked towards her and hugged her.
“Wow, hey… Did you miss me that much?”
Emily clutched Victoria by her arms and stared at her with concerned eyes. “Okay, now you’re starting to scare me…” Victoria spoke slowly.
“Victoria, this is not going to be easy for you, but I was right.” Emily’s eyes didn’t even blink.
“Right about what?”
Emily released Victoria’s arms abruptly. “I have to show you something.” She ran towards her bag and took a book from the inside of it. A second later she handed her a paper folded in twice.
“What’s this?” Victoria asked, but Emily didn’t answer. Instead she just stared at the piece of paper and then back at her, as a sign for her to read its content.
As she unfolded it, she quickly realized that it was an article from a news webpage, but once she read the headlight and saw the photo attached to it, her mouth dropped. And so did the paper.
Emily crouched to catch it and held it in a way so that both could read it.
Stanford University student charged with stalking and harassment
A Stanford University student, Zachary James Baker, 23, was today sentenced to three months in county jail, after he had been charged with stalking and harassment a fellow Stanford University student, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office.
The senior student and the female he was charged with stalking – who knew each other from attending some classes together – were acquaintances and had exchanged numbers.
Later, however, the female reported an obsessive behavior, stating that he was “pressuring her to date him”, according to court documents.
She also experienced several incidents in which she became “fearful” of Baker, such as a time when he “blocked her and grabbed her” after she tried to walk away from him, as she walked out of a class building. On another occasion, he appeared at her place of employment and demanded that they talk, while also sending text messages to her after she had requested him to stop contacting her.
Baker was originally charged with stalking, harassment and attempted kidnapping, which would make him face up to two years’ incarceration if convicted of all charges, but the attempted kidnapping charge was dropped as the only proof, a witness for prosecution, was suddenly withdrawn.
He was sentenced to 90 days in county jail and two years supervised probation and must surrender to serve his sentence in two weeks. He is currently out of custody on his own recognizance.
Victoria stood motionless, wondering, for a second, if that wasn’t just a joke. But it wasn’t. She took one step back, her legs hitting the edge of her bed and making her sit. “This can’t be true.”
“But it is.” Emily answered coldly.
“When did this happen?” Victoria asked and Emily realized that she hadn’t read the entire article.
“Five years ago, Victoria. He was a senior five years ago. Do you understand what that means?”
Victoria’s terrified look told her that she did understand. Zacky had lied about the little he had told her. He was no longer a student. He was a man almost ten years older than her, a criminal.
Her hands covered her face, elbows sinking into her knees, as she realized the cold truth. She was going to be his next victim.
Emily, sitting now beside her, kept on staring at the empty wall ahead of them. “You have to go to the police.” She spoke a few moments later. Victoria turned to face her, her eyes glistening with tears and Emily hugged her. “I’ll go to the police with you first thing tomorrow morning and soon this will be over Vicky. I promise you. Now we should get some rest.”
Next morning Emily woke up and Victoria was already up, her bed was already made and she had already finished unpacking all the things that they hadn’t unpacked last night.
Rubbing her eyes, Emily asked with a groggy voice. “How long have you been up?”
Victoria shrugged. “For about two hours. I couldn’t sleep…”
Emily glanced at her alarm clock and exhaled noisily. It was only seven in the morning and she hated to wake up earlier than the usual.
“Well,” She pushed the bed covers away. “I think that we should go to the police, then.”
“Right now?” Victoria looked at her like a deer in the headlights.
“Right now,” Emily nodded. “Get ready, we’ll be leaving in twenty minutes.”
It was already eight o’clock when they reached the campus police station. Victoria felt a physical pain in her chest, that had began with the thought of having to go and then grew with the reality of actually being there. Emily walked towards the entrance but Victoria stopped.
“What’s wrong?”
Victoria didn’t answer. Instead she just stared at the building, not being able to move a muscle.
“Vicky? What’s the problem?” Emily asked louder this time.
“I can’t do it.”
“You have to.” Emily said sternly.
“I can’t Em, I can’t go in there without falling apart. I need more time.” Tears started to fall down her cheek.
“Okay, that’s okay.” Emily walked to her side. “I’ll tell you what, why don’t you go back to our dorm and rest until I get back from classes? Then we can go to the police.” Victoria nodded and each one went on their separate ways.
Victoria had been asleep for almost two hours when a buzz made her awake. At first she didn’t even realize what it was, but then she saw the screen of her cell phone light up and slowly grabbed it. Her eyes opened wider, all the sleepiness suddenly vanishing from her. Zacky had sent her a text message.
Her heart began to race, fearing the message’s content. What if he already knew that they knew the truth about him? After taking a few deep breaths she finally read the message.
Hi Victoria, how’s everything today? Do you want to have lunch later?
Victoria released her breath once she finished reading it. All indicated that he didn’t know what had happened, so she decided to answer him.
Hi, I’m sorry but I can’t. Emily’s going to help me with a project during lunch break.
Victoria read the message twice before sending it. Saying that she was with Emily should be enough to keep him away for the rest of the day.
She placed the cell phone on the nightstand and tried to relax again however, ten minutes later, another message flashed on the screen.
How about dinner? Wait, I have a better idea. How about going to the police together? I really wanted to hear what to have to say anyway.
She lifted a trembling hand to her mouth, feeling the contents of her stomach churning.
Tears filled her eyes and rolled down her cheeks as she tried to dial Emily’s number.
“Victoria, is everything okay?” Emily spoke a few seconds later.
“He…” She could barely get the words out. “He knows.”
Notes
I was only supposed to post this chapter tomorrow, but I couldn't wait any longer. And now that Zacky's past was revealed, things will escalate much quicker!Thanks for reading and leaving comments :)
Holy shit. That ending tho.
11/25/14