The Scripted Stalker - Chapters 1 & 2

A Psychological Thriller

Preface

May 2021

She fumbled with the keys as she neared her apartment. Damn! Why didn’t she agree to have security walk her to her door? There had been someone following her all night, in the shadows, but every time she looked around no one was there.

“I’m just paranoid,” she whispered out loud. Finally, the door unlocked. She leaned against the closed door relieved. Cool air hit her face.

That’s odd, she thought. Why would I have the air conditioner cranked up on a chilly night in May? She flicked on the light and wandered down the hall to check on the thermostat.

“Sixty degrees!” she said to her spacious apartment. It had to be Steve, the man she was seeing. He was always messing with that. Shaking her head she started to rehearse what she would say to him when she felt a gloved hand grip her shoulder. She tried to scream, but a towel with a putrid smell was stuffed in her face.

She tried to locate the smell before it all went black.

Chapter 1

August 2024

Marissa’s heart stopped as she read the latest comment on her blog post. Sinking into her bed she stared at her phone and read it again.

“Beautiful girl, you are dangerous. But not to me. I have my woman. I write about beautiful women like you. Nothing will take me from her, not even you.”

This had to be the creepiest comment yet.

She looked at her photo. It was one of herself on her husband’s boat. Her wavy blonde hair was blowing in the breeze. It was an unfiltered photo that showed uneven skin tone and the hints of crinkles by her blue eyes.

She looked like a mom on vacation. Which she was! She thought her looks were slightly elevated above average on a good day. There was nothing “dangerous” except maybe that she looked like she would fall off the boat.

Would this warrant a delete or a block? She wondered. It probably was a bot or a scammer. There was a link to his other writing about other women. She knew better than to click on the link, but she was curious. Maybe she would Google that later. Her finger hovered over the block bar, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Not yet. She didn’t leave a comment either. Marissa refused to engage with a troll. She shrugged and put her laptop back on her desk. She was distracted from her part-time job as a freelance writer, and now it was time for her “real job” and her shift started in less than an hour.

---

Barnabas (Barney) Blevins was bored. He liked to go on different social media platforms and “shake things up.” Sometimes politically, other times just to disagree and piss people off. He had been kicked off of X, Facebook and Instagram. The other day he found a writers and artists platform called Scripted. In his sixty-eight years he never saw such nonsense, yet it was a perfect place to hang out and troll. The bleeding hearts, the advocates and all of their freaking new age vulnerability. It could be fun for him. Any interaction was better than none.

He did have his book of Barnabas that he was working on. It was a message that the world needed to see. There were so many sinners to save. This could be a platform for his writing. His truth.

Barney mindlessly scrolled through his phone. Writers, artists - it was all the same. It was summer. There were girls in low cut tops and bikinis. Whores! What the fuck did this have to do with writing or art? He kept scrolling until he came to a photo of a woman on a boat who had written a short poem.

Something about her instantly captivated him. She was in a modest one-piece bathing suit or was it a tank top? Her blonde hair was mangled by the sea breeze, yet a lighter strand seemed to catch in her mouth. She had white teeth and an overbite. She appeared to be in her mid-thirties from the crinkles around her piercing blue eyes. A smattering of freckles covered the bridge of her nose. Barney decided she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Those tanned airbrushed twenty-year-olds didn’t hold a candle to her.

He crafted his response to her. He’d let her know her beauty would never captivate him. Barney felt a wave a lust sweep over him. Was she tempting him?

“She will not!” He said aloud. He had his woman, Natalia. This woman on the water would not tempt him from his only love. No one would take him away from his woman. He would take an ice-cold shower, it always worked when he felt sinful. Then he would talk to his woman. Natalia was always there to listen.

Chapter 2

Marissa didn't picture her life like this. She married Tad right out of college. He was graduating law school and preparing for his bar exam when they met. Tad was handsome and a bit of a ladies’ man, but he swore he’d change his ways. She was misguided to think she was the only one for him.

She took a job as a medical assistant at a doctor’s office. Marissa had always been interested in medicine and only got as far as pre-med when he decided they would get married, plus she was three months pregnant. After she had their child she could go to medical school, but it never happened. Maybe someday. Tad swore she was his soulmate, and she was his only one. She desperately wanted to believe that.

They had a small justice of the peace wedding. Her parents didn’t even attend. Tad said true love can’t wait. Plus, her parents were “always in their business” as he would say.

She couldn’t say she didn’t love him. Marissa knew she was the one that loved the most in their marriage.

He swore he was only committed to her. Deep inside she had her doubts.

Tad’s phone buzzed on the table. A quick glance told her the name was Amanda Greer.

Amanda was his therapist. Tad had been going to therapy now for a few months after his dad passed away suddenly. He also lost a court case that involved a celebrity a few years ago, and soon after he spiraled into a deep depression.

He finally agreed to therapy and found a therapist that had experience with grief as well as work stress. She had treated many high-profile clients in the Los Angeles area.

Tad was in a better mood since starting therapy, but more critical of Marissa at the same time. Did he have therapy today? It was only 7 a.m. It was odd his therapist was contacting him this early in the morning. Maybe he needed an appointment changed?

Marissa shrugged. Their son and daughter would be up for school soon, and then another day ahead of her at Dr. Paviks office.

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Theodore (Tad) Gibbens eyes caught his reflection in the store front along the boulevard. He pretended to be scanning the merchandise but was sneaking looks at himself. Damn, he still looked good. In great shape, toned and not bad for a man that just turned forty. He wondered if his wife Marissa realized how good she had it. She was married to one of the best-looking men in the Ventura area.

He nodded at a pretty, young brunette that walked past him. She smiled and blushed.

Yeah, she wanted him, they all did. He told himself. Marissa didn’t know the power he had. He was a neglected husband after all. His wife was always too busy with work, the kids and PTA bullshit. What about him and his needs? He always knew there were plenty of woman around to buy into his sad story. Still there was only one that intrigued him more than any other woman.

His phone buzzed with a text alert. His heart leapt. He couldn’t wait to see her.