The next few days were an agonizing blur for Eli. Each moment, every conversation, felt like it was happening in a world where he was a stranger to himself. He couldn't focus on anything not his work, not the endless emails piling up, not even the mundane task of picking up groceries. His mind kept drifting back to the voice on the other end of the phone, to the words J.M. had whispered into his soul.
He barely slept. When he did, it was plagued by vivid dreams. The kind where the line between reality and fantasy blurred until nothing felt certain anymore. Dreams of a man he hadn't met in person yet, of a presence that haunted his thoughts, of J.M.'s deep, soothing voice wrapping around him, pulling him closer despite his resistance.
And that text. The last one.
"I'll be waiting for you in your dreams."
He couldn't stop replaying it. Was this all a game? A man who lived in the shadows, watching from a distance, stringing him along with sweet words and mysterious promises? Or was it something more?
By the time the weekend came, Eli couldn't hold back the urge to reach out. Even though he knew it was probably a mistake, even though he knew it would just drag him deeper into whatever twisted fascination J.M. had with him, Eli couldn't resist the temptation.
He sat at his kitchen table, the dim light of his laptop screen illuminating the empty space around him. The clock ticked on the wall 10:23 PM. Eli's hand hovered over his phone. For a moment, he thought about just closing it, about putting the thing away, about pretending like he hadn't thought about J.M. every waking hour.
But then, he opened the message thread, typing out the one question that had been gnawing at him since that first call.
> "Why me?"
— Eli
He hit send before he could stop himself. Immediately, his heart started pounding. The words were so simple, so raw. But they were everything he needed to know. If J.M. really cared, if there was something more to this, he needed answers.
The response didn't come right away, and Eli's stomach churned with anxiety. The clock on the wall ticked loudly in his ears as the minutes stretched on. He began to second-guess himself, to feel foolish for asking, for opening himself up to this stranger who—he still wasn't sure—was even real.
Then, just as his fingers began to ache from gripping the phone too tightly, the screen flashed.
> "Because you're mine, Eli. Whether you realize it or not."
— J.M.
The message was simple, but the weight of it hit Eli like a sledgehammer. Mine. The possessiveness in those words was unmistakable. It was as if J.M. had claimed him, body and soul, without asking for permission. Without giving him a choice.
Eli stared at the message, his mind reeling. He knew he should be angry. He should tell J.M. that no one owned him. But instead, he just felt… sick. Sick with desire. Sick with need.
> "You don't even know me." He replied, trying to sound stronger than he felt. Trying to find some space to breathe, to push back. But his fingers shook as he typed, betraying the confidence he was trying to fake.
— Eli
The message delivered, but the response came almost instantly.
> "Oh, Eli, I know more than you think."
"I've been watching you. Listening to you."
"I know everything there is to know about you."
— J.M.
The blood drained from Eli's face as he read the words. Watching? Listening? Was this some kind of sick obsession, or was there something more to it? Something deeper? He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, a mix of unease and something else... something darker.
> "You're scaring me." Eli typed, his hands trembling. He wasn't sure if he was ready for the answer, but at the same time, he couldn't stop himself from asking.
— Eli
The reply came quickly.
> "I'm not trying to scare you, Eli."
"I'm just telling you the truth."
"And the truth is this: you can't escape me. Not anymore."
— J.M.
The words hung in the air between them, heavier than the silence that had settled over his apartment. He could feel his heart in his throat, each beat pulsing with a rhythm that seemed out of sync with the world around him. Was this the truth? Was he already too deep to pull away?
A knock on his door interrupted his thoughts.
Eli jumped, the sound breaking through his spiraling thoughts. His phone slipped from his hands, landing on the floor with a sharp clink. His heart raced as he stood up, his mind still locked on J.M.'s words. You can't escape me.
Another knock. This time, louder. More insistent.
"Eli?" a familiar voice called from the other side of the door.
Eli's pulse skipped as he rushed to open it. He couldn't think straight anymore. His hands were cold, his mind a whirl of confusion and fear.
Standing in the doorway was Jason, Eli's best friend. Jason, who had been there for him through everything, the one person who knew about Eli's struggles with work and relationships, the one person who'd always been the rock he leaned on.
But tonight, there was something different in Jason's eyes. Something… off.
"Hey," Jason said, his voice flat. "You okay?"
Eli swallowed hard, trying to steady his breath. Jason's presence should have been a comfort, but all it did was throw his world further out of balance. He opened his mouth to respond, but the words didn't come. He wasn't sure what to say.
"I—" Eli started, but before he could continue, Jason stepped into the apartment, his gaze dark and focused.
"Is there something you're not telling me, Eli?" Jason asked, his voice lowering with a quiet intensity that made Eli's stomach drop.
Eli froze. It was like a thousand questions ran through his mind all at once. Had Jason seen the messages? Had he somehow known what Eli had been up to?
He tried to brush it off, tried to give a nervous laugh, but it died in his throat.
Jason stepped closer, his hand gripping Eli's arm with a tightness that made him shiver. "Eli, what's going on? You've been acting weird all week. Don't lie to me."
Eli opened his mouth to say something, anything, but before he could speak, Jason's eyes narrowed, scanning him with an intensity that sent a chill running down Eli's spine.
"I think I know what's going on." Jason's voice was low, but the words cut through Eli like a knife.
Eli's heart slammed against his ribs. "What do you mean?"
Jason's lips twisted into a knowing smile, and Eli could feel the sudden weight of something he couldn't explain—something dark, something he wasn't ready to face.
"Tell me, Eli. Who's J.M.?"