#Chapter 225: Stuck

Abby After letting Officer Martinez out the back door, the loneliness and fear begins to set in again. Even though there’s a police car keeping watch, I can’t help but feel on edge. The front of my house is a media frenzy, and I feel like a target in more ways than one. Finding myself unable to handle the profound loneliness, I decide to call Leah and Chloe. They’ve been spamming our group chat all morning, clearly having seen the horrendous news footage of me. I dial their numbers on a group FaceTime call, and wait for them to pick up. Moments later, Chloe picks up first. “Abby!” Chloe exclaims without preamble. “Oh my god, I’ve been so worried. I saw the news. Are you okay?” Then, before I can answer, Leah picks up. She says almost the exact same thing. “Oh, thank god, Abby,” she breathes. “Are you alright? I saw the news—” “Yes, yes, I’m fine,” I say, hoping to ease their worries. “Everything is okay here. I promise.” “That reporter was out of line, Abby,” Le