I STOP dead in my tracks as my head spins uncontrollably; I look at the bloody body in my shower. I stand in a daze for who knows how long, going through the past 30 minutes making sure this isn't some psychotic dream of mine. I am abruptly shaken out of this frozen state by a gasp from behind me. I turn to find my best friend, Carson shocked with a horrified expression written all over her face. I guess this is real life after all.

"Ivey, what is this? Who is this? Why is there someone dead in your shower? How did he get there? DID YOU DO THIS?"

"NO ARE YOU CRAZY. I had nothing to do with this. I came home, walked upstairs to take a shower, and found this in my shower."

"then who did do this and why is it in your apartment."

"Carson please try to believe me, this was not me. But I do think that I know why someone would do this to me...."

"Okay, well spill before I call the police! Ivey you a starting to scare me"

I walked out of the bathroom and went to sit on my bed, Carson followed and shut the door behind her so the motionless body in the floor was out of sight.

"Okay well here goes nothing. Remember that really strange weekend, senior year? You know the one when my parents went out of town and someone shot my neighbor the Sunday night before my parents got home. Well," I take a deep breath to calm my nerves and then say it. "I shot my neighbor. I know it sounds bad but just let me explain before you think I am completely insane."

"Ivy, this is a felony.
You killed someone.
You can go to jail."

" I know, I know. It seems horrible, well it is horrible but I have an explanation. The whole weekend my parents were out of town I felt like I was always being watched. Like everything I did or everywhere I went someone was always lingering in the background kind of like my shadow. So on Sunday night I saw someone with a flashlight outside my window, and when he didn't go away I got really scared so I know I got my dads handgun and kept it close to me just I case I needed protection, I never dreamed I would actually use it. Eventually he left but then an hour or two later he was back and not only was he back but he was looking though the windows. he had his hands cupped around his face peering through my window. I ran outside with the gun in hand but I didn't even startle him and when he turned to see I had a gun he started coming towards me. I was so scared and I wasn't thinking when I pulled the trigger, and well you know what happens next.

"Ivy! that doesn't even make since if you shot your neighbor while you were outside of your house how did he end up in a ditch a few houses over?"

I took a deep breath and began the rest of the story, "we'll once I came to a realization that I was in some serious trouble I drug the body to the ditch and buried the gun."

Carson got up off the bed and started pacing back and forth rambling on and on about how her best friend was a killer. "Ivy this is horrible I don't think I can keep this secret."

"Carson I already know its horrible and live with the guilt everyday, and the worst part is that when my parents got home they said how tragic it is that he died because he was supposed to be keeping an eye on me. So I killed an innocent man that was just trying to protect me. Please I am begging you don't tell I know it's bad and if anyone knew you knew you could get in trouble to just please don't tell."

After I sit in deep thought, I get back up and go back into the bathroom. Even though I already know what I will see I still just want to make sure that this is all really happening. To my surprise I see a small white sheet of paper in the coat pocket of the mans coat. So I immediately without thinking pick it up. I unfold the note and read of these words...


Dear Ivy,


now you are in my game. Good luck.





~ the gamekeeper


I decided to take the letter and hide it in a draw. Then I call the police and try to explain in as much detail what is going on. They arrive at my apartment, did there report and said they would work on the case and get back to me as soon as possible. I waited and waited for a call but nothing. For week I worried about it, but eventually it faded into the back of my mind.

About five months after I had found the body I went back to the drawer where I frantically stuffed the note of the mysterious gamekeeper. When I pulled open the small drawer I come to find a human brain pierced with a needle securing the next note. I instantly slam the draw shut and run across the room. All I can think about is that there is a person sneaking into my house and I don't know how. My heart is racing a mile a minute but I finally recompose myself and work up enough courage to go back to the drawer. I cautiously and slowly make my way back to the drawer. I gently open the drawer and read out loud the simple note.


Dear Ivy,


this isn't over. It's just begun.






~ the gamekeeper


I rip the note off and keep it in the draw with the first one, then I wrap the brain in a towel run to the tub and throw it in. I run downstairs grab a lighter and burn both the towel and the brain then put it out with the faucet water.

I wait a while with the wet ashes in the tub and just cry to myself and think about how this is one of my last days on this earth and any corner I turn could be my last. I breakdown into tears because I am alone and scared with no idea what I am supposed to do know. I know I can't go the the police because then I could be arrested for killing my neighbor, this is all so complicated. I let out a scream and ask God "why did this happen? How did my life get so screwed up? Is this really what this earth is all about? How can I fix this?"

the next thing I know I am awaken by a cold chill running down my back. I must have fell asleep, I sit up and try to gather my thoughts. Then I realize that I never cleaned up the ashes in the tub, so I quickly get up and rush to grab the vacuum but when I come back to clean up the mess, I look down into the deep white tub and in replace of the ashes in a bloody heart with another note attached to it.




Dear Ivy,


Trying to dispose of my gifts will only make me madder.






~ the gamekeeper

I freak out and run down to the kitchen. Grab my car keys. Dash out the garage door but only to find another note, this time running from it wasn’t an option. I look down at my feet only to see them stained with blood as I look back up to see a note written on the wall in blood saying:


Dear Ivy,


I am always watching.



~ the gamekeeper


At this point I don’t care about covering my tracks, so I open the garage and splash through the puddles of blood on the floor in order to reach my car. I think to myself how sad this is, because my car in the only lace where I feel okay not even happy just okay.

I call Carson and tell her to be outside of her house in 5 minutes and be ready to come with me.

I get to Carson’s, pick her up, then tell her everything thing that just happened while on the way back to my apartment.

We reach my apartment garage and I am astonished and scared out of my mind to find that the bloody note was gone. it was as if it was never there. Carson looks at me like I am mental, and maybe I am but I am almost 100% positive that there was a bloody note in my garage.
“Carson you have to believe me, it was here. Come with me I bet the heart is still in the tub.”

We both run up the stairs and check everywhere but its all gone the notes the and the heart. I am speechless what is this am I going crazy? Has this ben my imagination the whole time? NO, this is real I say to my self, it has to be.

Finally after I convince myself that this is all real I discover an even bigger problem... It only took me 30 minutes to get Carson and come back. That's not much time...

"Um Carson, I don't think we are the only two people in my apartment right now. Carson? Carson?" No answer, so I turn around.

My jaw drops as I make out the tall manly figure standing in between me and my exit to safety. Not only does he have me trapped but he has a gun held up to Carson. I scream hoping someone will hear me and come help, but my attempts of a rescuer fail, and the longer I wait the closer my attacker approaches me.

As I think to myself that these are my last few minutes in this earth I can only hope that Carson will end up safe. Safe that’s it! I take a quick glance at the gun trying not to make it to noticeable and sure enough it's on safety. The gun is on safety. The gamekeeper would have to move his hand to take the gun off of safety in order to use the gun, making it easy for Carson to get out. So thinking on my feet I grab the shower head turn the water on and spray the gamekeeper. It's just enough time for Carson to free herself from his hold and knock the gun out of his hand. While he scrambles to get his weapon I run down the stairs for a phone. I leave Carson with the attacker and can only hope she can hold him until the police are here. While on the way down I hear BOOM and can't help but think my best friend has just been killed trying to save me. But worse if he is done with Carson he will be after me shortly. I try to speed up but I already here is thunder like footsteps descending down the stairs.

I grab the phone and keep running out the door and into the front yard hoping someone else will be out there. I dial 911 while running and try to find a hiding spot before the gamekeeper reaches the door. I sit in a bush and tell the police what is happening, but then realize that if I let him go now we may never be able to catch him, so as soon as he takes a step out the door I launch my body towards him and knock his gun out his hand. We both take one look in each others eyes. Then both dive for the gun. I scream like crazy while trying to obtain the deadly weapon. I try and hold him off for al long as I can but its just not enough so once I get the gun I throw it one way and run the other hoping to distract him. Well it worked and by the time he reached the gun the police arrived and arrested him.

I am in such relief. I can feel safe now. I start to cry because of the overwhelming joy that has just washed over my mind. I look around as the police are blocking off my house restricting me from the inside. I then suddenly gasp as I realize that my best friend Carson is dead up in my bathroom. I sprint toward the door ripping through the caution tape and proceed strait to my bathroom.

my pain washes away as I find Carson on the bathroom floor surrounded by blood but still alive and strong enough to recover. I scream for help and a medic runs up to find Carson and I in the bathroom. They question Carson and then send her away in an ambulance. It takes a while for everything the settle down but once they take what they need from the house they start my questioning on the case. Just when I though this day could get any worse the police asks…
"so do you have any reason from this person to come after you?" The police asks me.
My eyes widen as I come to the realization that the truth is the only way out without making myself stuck in another web full of lies, at this point I don’t even care about the major consequences.

"We’ll yes I, um well, I killed someone a few years back... But it was an accident." I explained what I did but that doesn’t matter I was still brought down to the police station for further Questioning.


Three months later

After what felt like forever on house arrest they finally figured out that whole case, and it ended up that I will not be charged for anything. When I accidentally killed my neighbor is was actually self-defense because it turns out that my neighbor and the gamekeeper were partners for a very long time and I have been a target ever since I inherited all of my grandmother money. It just so happen when my parents went out of town my neighbor was planning on making me give him all of the money and then kill me while he supposedly was watching me. But when I killed him the gamekeeper wanted revenge so he spent years planning on this attack, and that is how I got here to this exact moment in time. Because every action has a reaction.