DarkShadow
BY: Julie Harper

Here I sit at the same place it happened. This is a true story but it is up to you to believe me. My name is Sarah, Sarah Bennett. I worked for a company on the Internet called Creative Designs Inc. I created or updated web pages for companies. I work from my home, which makes it a little better. I live in a small city in southern Indiana. It is big enough to where you do not know everyone's name, but you know him or her by their car or physical appearance. I live on a quiet street on the edge of town. I live alone in an old Victorian style, light blue house with a wrap around porch. It is a large house especially with just me living in it. When I moved to this town five years ago I was looking to buy a small house on the other side of town, but when I saw this one I fell in love with it, and now it is mine. There is only the kitchen, dinning room, living room, a bathroom, and the sitting room on the first floor. The second floor has four bedrooms, and three bathrooms. The master bedroom has a balcony, which over looks the front of the house. I made the sitting room into the room where I keep my computer and everything I need for work. I chose the sitting room for this because it has two big bay windows. I put my desk in the middle of the two so I can see out of each when I work.

Usually work was a slow and boring job so I went into a chat room to pass the time. I worked the graveyard shift, ten p.m. until six am. These are not the hours I prefer to work, but are the hours when there are not as many people on the net. This makes it the perfect time to update web pages. Especially in case I have to shut down the page while I am doing it, it does not cost the companies as much as it would if I did it during regular business hours. My nights usually consisted of six things, logging on to the net, clocking in at my work, doing my work, chatting, clocking out, and then logging off. This night was like all the others. I logged on to my Internet provider then went to work. There were only a couple of things to do on some of the sites I kept updated. I finished my work in about five hours then I went to the chat room I always did. It was a basic chat room where we talked about anything and everything that happens in life. We would talk about our families, jobs, the weather, everything. There were only a few people there like usual. They were talking about a different chat room that someone called "a freak show." Since I had nothing better to do I opened another window and went to that chat room to see for myself. I said hi when I first went in, but no one said anything to me. I kept chatting in my usual chat room while watching what was going on in the other. In the new chat, room people were acting as if they were drunk, fighting, acting as if they were vampires, other weird creatures, and even murdering people. Watching these people helped make the time go faster. It only seemed like an hour when my alarm went off letting me know that I had finished working.

The next day I woke up, got dressed, and made myself breakfast. It is weird eating breakfast when most people are thinking about what to cook for dinner. After I ate I checked the mail, then got in the car and drove to the store. As I walked through the store I noticed a tall man. He was muscular in build had long black hair. He was in a pair of tight blue jeans that made his butt look like they were two round apples waiting for someone to grab. He had on a black silk or silk like shirt. I followed behind him for two isles in the store then he went to the checkout. I almost followed but realized I was not done shopping. I finished shopping and went home. I cleaned the house and fixed some stuff to snack on and sat down and watched some TV. After ER was over I knew it was time for me to go to work. What I had to work on took me four hours to complete. After I finished, I went to the chat room I always went to. After a couple minutes of chatting there was a window on my screen, it said "DarkShadow requesting to chat." I did not recognize the nick but I accepted the chat with a hello.

(DarkShadow) you didnt say bye last night
(Sarah) What?
(DarkShadow) you didnt say bye last night you just left the channel
(Sarah) Oh you mean from that one chat room, well no one said anything to me not even hi so I didnt think about saying bye
(DarkShadow) Ahhh well I noticed that you were there
(Sarah) What kind of chat room was that? the people in there were acting so crazy.
(DarkShadow) ha ha it is a role playing chat room, we usually let the new people just come in and watch the first time
(Sarah> Oh
(Sarah) With all thats going on how can anyone know what is going on? and what the story line is?
(DarkShadow) you cant
(DarkShadow) There is more than one story line going on at one time in there.
(Sarah) then how do you know whats going on?
(DarkShadow) Well it is like being in a bar. you know what everyone is doing but you dont know exactly everything that is going on.
(Sarah) Oh....i think i understand....i think
*DarkShadow laughs

At that moment, a window came up on my screen letting me know I had more work to do.

(Sarah) Ive got to go. i have more work that has to be done i might be back.
(DarkShadow) ok see ya around
(Sarah) bye

I got my assignment and worked on it. After I finished, I took a sigh of relief. I stretched, took off my glasses, rubbed my eyes, then went and got something to drink. I then sat back down at the computer. I started to go into the chat rooms when my alarm went off. I disconnected shut off my computer. I slowly climbed the stairs and went to bed.

For the next few days when I went to work, what they had me doing took the entire time. I had to recreate an entire web site for a big company then add more stuff to it which made it twice as long. Then one day I went to work and finished my assignment in about four hours. I logged on to the chat room I always went to. Then after a few minutes I logged into the other chat room that the person said was a role-playing room. I looked through the nicks and did not see the one that I talked to the other night. I typed in a hi and watched the channel not expecting much to happen, but to my surprise a few people said hello back. The rest of the night I chatted in both channels. Talking about the usual things in the one I always went to and in the other I was trying to learn what they did and why. Before I knew it, it was time for me to leave. I said my good-byes in both chat rooms, clocked out of work, logged off the net, and went to bed.

The next few days I had a lot of fun in the role-playing channel chatting and making a character up for myself. Even though after being in the chat room all those days I still did not see the nick of the stranger who talked to me. One night I did my work and went straight to the role-playing chat room. I said hi when I first got in and almost everyone said hi back. It looked as if it was going to be another fun evening of role-playing. Then a window came on my screen it said DarkShadow requesting to chat. I accepted the chat with a hello.

(DarkShadow) hello yourself you look as if your having fun in the channel now.
(Sarah) yes im having a blast!!! where have you been i havent seen you around?
(DarkShadow) Ive been around you just havent noticed me
(Sarah) umm k so that means you have another nick that you use
(DarkShadow) possibly
(Sarah) what is it??
(DarkShadow) not telling, youll find out in time
(Sarah) oh your no fun
(DarkShadow) baby im tons of fun
(Sarah) LOL*oh really??? prove it!!
(DarkShadow) in due time youll be sure that im fun and youll know what other nick i use.
(Sarah) aaahhhh be that way then
(DarkShadow) I will be
*DarkShadow smiles
(DarkShadow) and you like me this way

After that was posted there was a notice that DarkShadow had left the chat. I went back to the chat room for the rest of the evening. The next couple of weeks were like the others; I did my work and then went into the chats. By now I was no longer going into the chat room I first went into but just going into the role playing one. I got use to the people and what their character was and how they played them. I had a character basically myself but a little different who did not do much out of the ordinary. Everyone, including myself, was having fun. I tried to figure out whom DarkShadow was playing but I could not tell exactly which it was. I had two characters chosen but I was not sure about them. I was waiting for him to contact me again so I could ask if either one was him or not. A couple more days passed without a word from DarkShadow and I was eager to ask him if either of these two nicks was his. Then as if knowing that I wanted to talk to him there was a window saying he was requesting to chat. I smiled to myself and accepted the chat.

(Sarah) its about time you talked to me!
(DarkShadow) heehee getting ancious to talk to me are we?
(Sarah)yep i have a question for you
(DarkShadow) shoot
(Sarah) ok are either of these nicks the other one you use...Evil or DaemonS
(DarkShadow) yep one of them is me
(Sarah) gimme a hint on which one.
(DarkShadow) no youll figure it out baby youll figure it out
(Sarah) oh fine then at least tell me your first name.
(DarkShadow) it is Adrian Paul
(Sarah) beautiful name
(DarkShadow) Thank you.

I noticed at that time he was in the chat room because both Evil and DaemonS was in the chat room.

(Sarah) how are you in there as the other nick and on as this one.
(DarkShadow) i have 2 computers
(Sarah) thats cheating!
(DarkShaow)Yep and it makes it difficult for you to know which one is me.
* DarkShaow smiles
(Sarah)your a pain in the ass
* Sarah smiles
(DarkShadow) and you love it baby you know it
(Sarah) yeah well

All of a sudden my alarm was going off. I sighed and said bye to him and logged off, clocked out of work, and went to bed. The next few nights I worked for a couple hours then chatted the rest of the night. I studied both characters Evil and DaemonS to see if I could figure which was him. I talked to both but neither one seemed to give me any clues. For a week I had so much work to do that I could not get on and chat. Then I finally got done with work early enough to chat. Before I could get into the chat room there was a window requesting a chat from DarkShadow. I accepted it with a hello.

(DarkShadow) hello yourself where have you been keeping yourself??
(Sarah) ive had a lot of work lately
(DarkShadow)aaah i see
(Sarah) anything new happen while i was gone?
(DarkShadow) no just the same old usual stuff
I stretched and put my glasses down a bit hard then returned to looking at the screen.

(DarkShadow) you shouldnt slam your glasses down
(Sarah) what? how did you know??
(DarkShaow) I can see you, you have a lovely home
At this point I got scared. I got up and looked around the room making sure all windows were locked. I happened to look at the screen, as I was moving towards the front door and saw what he said next.

(DarkShadow) dont worry im not inside your home nor have i ever been
I went back to the computer and typed,
(Sarah) how do i know this? how can you see me all my windows are covered
(DarkShaow) your blinds are not that dark. and ive seen you in the daytime you keep your windows open"

I could not breath I was so scared. After a minute I picked up the phone and called the police. I logged off from the chatting and just kept my work window up on my computer. The police were at my house in about an hour and fifteen minutes later. They searched my house and found nothing, but as they searched outside the found a box in the back yard. They opened the box and there was a set of diamond earrings inside with a note they said, "Im sorry be mine DS". They said they could do nothing about it cause there was no evidence that he was stalking me, only that he was a secret admirer. I went inside my house with the earrings and locked the door behind me. I went through my house making sure that all the windows and doors were locked. Then I sat in front of the computer waiting for something to do from work, but nothing came. I forced myself upstairs to my bedroom; I locked my door behind me and then checked all the windows making sure they were locked. Once I felt safe I changed my clothes and went to bed.

The next morning I woke up to my doorbell ringing. I looked out my window down to the front door and saw a man in a long coat standing at the door. I was hesitant about going down but I put on my robe and slowly walked down the stairs. I left the chain lock on and opened the door a little.

"Yes what do you want" I asked.
"Ms Bennett" the man asked.
"Yes who are you?"
"I'm Sargent OrRylie may I come in?"
"How can I be sure your a police officer" I asked.
He slid his badge through the door and after looking at it I opened the door and gave it back to him.
"Please come in. I'm sorry about the questioning."
"It's quite all right I'd actually be worried if you didn't ask." he said with a smile.
I smiled back.
"Please excuse me i'll go get dressed."
"Sure i'll just sit here on this couch"
I went to my bedroom and quickly changed into a T-shirt and sweatpants and went back down stairs. When I got back to him he was sitting on the couch looking around.
"So what brings you here" I asked.
"I came by to check up on you. You did call the station last night, and it is a duty to make sure, with calls like yours, that we check up on the person to make sure that they are all right." Sargent OrRylie said.
"I'm fine, and thank you for coming to check" I said.
"I'm just going to take a look outside to be sure then I'll leave"
"ok"
I walked him to the door then went to the kitchen to fix something to eat. There was a knock on the back door. I went to it and looked out and saw Sargent OrRylie. I gave a puzzling look and opened the door.
"Yes?"
"I found these here on the back step," Sargent OrRylie said as he held a dozen roses.
"OH ok"
I took the roses and put them on the kitchen table, and read the card it was like the one with the earrings all it said was " im sorry be mine DS".
"It looks like you have a secret admirer"
"Apperently so"
"Well I'm off have a nice day"
"You too" I said to Sargent OrRylie as I closed the back door then locked it.

That night I went into the chat after I finished my work and DarkShadow was in the channel but Evil and DaemonS was not. I went along with what was going on in the channel, as my character should. DarkShadow requested a chat and I accepted but did not put any sort of greeting.

(DarkShadow) Your mad at me arnt you.
(Sarah) mad no...scared yes!!!
(DarkSahdow) you have no reason to be scared, you already know and trust me
(Sarah)then why dont you tell me who you are?
(DarkShadow)because i want you to love me as i love you...true i shouldnt have let you know i can see you as i did
(Sarah) Can you see me now?
(DarkShadow)no i can only when i move into a certain spot that is close to your house
(Sarah)how close to my house do you get?
(DarkShadow) about 2 houses away.
(Sarah) are you in a car?
(DarkShadow) yes but not right now im at home.
(Sarah)how often do you watch me?
(DarkShadow) couple times a week while your working
(Sarah)have you ever been in my house?
(DarkShaow)no


keep stalking and lying online but Adrian in person becomes close to Sarah. Sarah and Adrian fall in love. Sara figures out that it is adrian online and gets upset. After awhile she forgives adrian and they get married a few months later This story is not to be taken without my permission!