When Kierstan and AJ walked into the kitchen all the laughter and conversation ceased as the group looked up at their faces. AJ threw the envelope onto the table and everyone sat in silence just staring at it. No one knew exactly what they should do. Finally Nick picked it up. "So are we gonna open it, or should we just throw it away?" Everyone looked to Kierstan for the answer.

As much as she wanted to just throw it away she still needed to know what was in it. "Go ahead and open it."

A few minutes later the group was once again in the den. Nick had opened the envelope and found a cassette tape. They now were sitting around Vivian's tape deck waiting to hear what was on it.

"Kierstan, are you sure you want to hear this?" She looked at AJ and nodded. "Go ahead. Press play."

Kierstan moved closer to AJ on the couch and he held her tightly as Kevin pressed play on the tape player.

<>

Everyone sat mouth ajar and speechless as they listened to the conversation that had taken place the night before. Kierstan sat sobbing into AJ chest as he tried his best to comfort her. This was too much, this sicko had heard everything from the night before. The most intimate details of their lives being played back for them.

<< "You feel that? It beats for you. If something happened to you, this would stop beating. We're gonna find out who is doing this, and we are gonna put him in jail where he belongs. More importantly, you aren't leaving my side from this moment on.">>

"Please, Kevin, turn it off." He reached up and turned the machine off.

"K, are you okay?"

She looked up from AJ's chest, her eyes red and wet with tears and shook her head. Then she got up off the couch and slowly made her way up stairs to her bedroom.

Vivian looked at her friends, "This is so unreal. I can't believe this is happening. And I can't believe she's been living this for six months by herself. But she doesn't need to be up there alone, AJ. Do you wanna go or do you want me to?"

"I think maybe she needs you right now Viv." She nodded and went up to check on her friend.

When she had left the room AJ went into the kitchen to get the envelope. "What else was in here Nick?"

"Some pictures, and a note I think."

Vivian knocked on Kierstan's door. "K, sweetie, can I come in?" There was no answer so Viv cracked the door to peak in and see if she had maybe fallen asleep or was in the bathroom. There was no sign of Kierstan. She walked in the room and then into the bathroom, still no Kierstan. "Oh Jesus. Kierstan where have you gone?"

The guys sat in the floor. AJ had found polaroid's of the two of them from the night before. AJ in the floor with the pictures surrounding him, AJ holding Kierstan, the two of them kissing and finally AJ holding her after they had made love. It was all very sickening. Someone had watched and recorded their night, some sick person they didn't even know. There had also been a note following the last picture. "Sleep safely in his arms sweet one. It'll be the last time."
Just as the five of them finished up they heard footsteps running down the stairway. Vivian came running into the room.

"AJ, she's gone. Kierstan, she's gone."