I pressed play on my laptop. Suddenly, music flooded from my speakers and through the apartment. I began cleaning. I sang along lightly as I moved from room to room.

I was getting at a particularly grimy spot on the stove when the music suddenly changed. I didn't recognize the new song. I knew it wasn't something I had put into my playlist. I timidly approached my bedroom.

I checked my laptop to see that it was now playing a song that someone had searched. All the breath that I had exited my body in a horrified huff. Someone was in my apartment with me. I needed to get to my phone and hide. I needed to call the police and text Spencer. I turned around slowly and gasped. Before I could even try to run, I got hit in the head with something hard. I fell to the ground. The last thing I heard as everything started to fade out was that damn song.

——

When I came to, it was dark. I thought that they had blinded me until I realized there was just something covering my eyes. I was also gagged and my wrists and ankles were bound. I was pretty sure I was in a chair. I didn't know where I was.

A sound surprised me. It was loud. It was that song again. Suddenly the gag was pulled out of my mouth.

"Please let me go! What did I do? Why are you doing this to me?" I screamed at whoever was there.

"It's not about what you did, sweetheart." I felt like I was gonna be sick. "It's more about what you are!"

"Oh yeah? And what am I? How do you even know me?"

"Let's just say that I've had my eyes on you for a while. A library isn't the most secure of places. It also wasn't too hard to get into your building. I was able to put cameras into your apartment with no troubles." My blood ran cold. I didn't want him to say anything else. I didn't want to think about him watching me. "Oh, and that little FBI boyfriend of yours isn't gonna be saving you." I felt a tear slip down my cheek.

"Am I-I the only one?"

He laughed in response. "Don't feel too special, Grace. I've been collecting girls just like you all down the coast. Let's hope you're a good fit so you don't end up like some of the others." I gulped and tried to process what he was saying. Was this the unsub that the BAU was looking for right now? I hoped to god he was.

"Why can't I see your face? You're probably not gonna let me go." My voice broke. I didn't want to die. Not like this. Not now.

"Fair point."

The blindfold fell away from my eyes and I squinted at how bright it was. There was a dark silhouette in front of me but I couldn't make out any features. I blinked rapidly. My eyes weren't adjusting. There was a beeping sound and the man pulled something out of his pocket.

"Now, do forgive me sweetheart, but I have to knock you out again. I have to take this call and I don't want you to screw anything up."

"What-?" Before I could even finish my thought, I was hit again. Everything went dark again.

——

I woke up to a sharp pain this time. I screamed before I could even comprehend what was happening. The first thing I saw was the blood. It was in a small pool on the left side of the chair. I noticed where the pain was coming from. There was a knife stabbed into my left wrist.

"Good morning, sweetheart!" I finally got a good look at this monster. He had brown hair, gray eyes, and crooked teeth. It took me a moment before I realized that I did recognize him. He'd harassed me at the library. It was the day I trained Jamie. He'd been watching me for that long. A chill went up my spine.

"You," I managed to say through my screams of pain.

"So you do remember me!" He leaned down to kiss my neck. I tried to lean away with a grimace. "You wanna have a little fun?" With that, he twisted the knife. I was gasping for air as the pain became worse.

"Please stop!" I cried. He pulled out the knife. He suddenly grabbed me by my hair and jerked my head back. I could feel the wet blade against my neck.