Kill Switch by Penelope Douglas

clicked on one of my playlists. “Is Your Love Strong
Enough?” started playing, and I closed my eyes, my mind
immediately going to the choreography I always envisioned
myself dancing to for every song I listened to. I loved dancing
so much, and if my mom wasn’t asleep, I would blast some
music downstairs and get to it.
When I danced and all I heard in my ears was the music,
that was where I wanted to live forever.
I laid there, moving my head in a little figure eight motion
to the music, and without thinking, my hands and arms started
moving a little, too.
What if he was watching me right now? He could be in my
room, feet away, at this very moment.
But, no. It had been a week, and I hadn’t heard anything
from him. He was probably at my sister’s party, and it was
probably just a prank. A one-time thing and some kind of joke
he regularly pulled. I wanted to ask someone about him—tell
them what happened—but I had no idea how to start that
conversation, and other than the smell of the pool on him, I
didn’t have much to go by. He’d whispered and hadn’t said
anything personal. Like where he lived, his family, his friends,
his age… He was tall, though, and his whisper was deep. He
was undoubtedly older than me, if even just a couple years.
I hadn’t told my parents, either, and I knew how
irresponsible it was not to, but… I knew the consequences if
my family thought I was in danger.
And he hadn’t hurt me, so…
That didn’t mean he wouldn’t, but I didn’t know. If I told,
he wouldn’t be able to come back.
And I wasn’t sure I didn’t want him to.
Stupid girl. The guy terrorized me over the course of a half
hour, and instead of running for cover, I was drinking the
Kool-Aid.
I was always stupid. I still thought I was going to be a
dancer, I ignored the pain my father caused, because this house
was my anchor, and I kept my intruder a little secret, because