Quiet night in our house. The lights had been turned off, only moonlight filtering through the window. I stood in the corner of the room, wearing a black robe and a Ghostface mask, I watched her from a distance. Tonight, I am the hunter… and she is my prey.

I saw her from the darkness, her tiny body hiding behind the couch, her breath coming in short gasps. She knows I'm here, watching her, waiting for her.

The sound of my footsteps echoed on the floor as I moved closer. I could feel the tension in the air. she bit her lip, her eyes darting in all directions, looking for a way to escape.

A smile formed behind my mask. I stopped a few steps from her hiding place, then made a sound—a deep, scary sound, just for you.

""I know you're here, Malcolm. Why hide?"

And right then, she jumped from behind the couch and ran. I chased her, deliberately not running too fast. I wanted her to feel the tension, wanted her to know that whenever I wanted, I could catch her.

I chased her upstairs, she ran into our bedroom, hastily closed the door. But I'm already behind her. I pushed hard against the door before she could lock it, and with one long stride, I pinned her against the wall.

"Caught"

I said as I leaned closer, our breaths almost as one. One of my hands held her wrists above her head, while the other held the toy knife under her chin, just teasing.