You Are Mine (Jane Pecky)

Springdale High School hummed with the restless energy of teenagers waiting for the bell to free them from the day's lessons. The smell of old textbooks and cheap cafeteria coffee clung to the air. Alexander "Lex" Thompson leaned against the doorway of his classroom, his sharp eyes surveying the flow of students down the corridor. Polished, poised, and always in control-that was the face Lex presented to the world.

Beneath that polished veneer, however, Lex was a man driven by a hunger for influence and dominance. Teaching wasn't just a job to him-it was a position of power. A way to quietly orchestrate the world around him.

He noticed everything: the slouch of a tired student, the stolen glances between secret crushes, and the subtle shifts in teenage friendships. But there was one student who stood out in the crowd. Sophia Rose.

Sixteen, quiet, with dark brown eyes that always seemed a little too sad for someone her age. She was a puzzle-fragile yet strong in ways most people never noticed. Lex saw the loneliness in her posture, the way her shoulders hunched as if carrying invisible burdens. There was something haunting about her, and it gnawed at Lex's carefully constructed walls.

Sophia had always been good at blending into the background. She preferred it that way. After her parents' divorce, she'd lost the will to fight for attention. Her mother was busy rebuilding a life, her father distant and cold. Even her friends seemed like distant echoes of a world she no longer fit into. Photography was her only escape-a lens through which the world made sense.

Today, she lingered by the photography club notice board, her fingers brushing the edge of a poster announcing an upcoming competition. Lex watched her from his classroom window, pretending to sort through papers. Her brow furrowed in concentration as if the weight of the decision to participate was monumental.

It wasn't the first time he'd found himself observing her. At first, it had been simple curiosity. But curiosity had a way of turning into something darker when left unchecked. Lex knew every excuse to linger near her photography club events. He'd justified driving through her neighborhood as coincidence. But deep down, he was aware of the thin line he was toeing-a line that should never be crossed.

Sophia wasn't oblivious to the feeling that lingered at the edges of her mind. The sense of being watched had crept into her daily routine like an unwelcome guest. At first, she dismissed it as paranoia, a symptom of her overactive imagination. But lately, the feeling was harder to ignore. She'd catch a figure at the corner of her vision, only to turn and see nothing.

As the school bell echoed through the hallways, snapping Sophia out of her thoughts, she hurried to her next class. Lex straightened and forced himself to breathe.

Focus. You're a professional. Act like it.

He returned to his desk, but Sophia's image lingered in his mind. He told himself it was harmless-just concern for a troubled student. Yet the gnawing ache in his chest betrayed him. It wasn't just concern. It was need.

The obsession had crept up on him slowly, like ivy climbing a wall, unnoticed until it had taken root. And now it was suffocating him. Lex knew he had to regain control, had to stop this madness before it spiraled out of his grasp.

After school, the sky hung low with gray clouds. Sophia packed up her camera gear and headed for the park. She needed a distraction from the chaos in her mind. Her feet carried her to the quiet paths where trees whispered in the wind. The world was easier to bear when viewed through the lens of her camera.

She was so focused on capturing the golden leaves scattered on the path that she didn't hear the footsteps behind her.

"Nice shot," a voice said.

Startled, she turned to see Mr. Thompson standing a few feet away, hands in his pockets. Her heart raced-not out of fear, but surprise.

"Oh, hi," she said, lowering the camera. "I didn't know anyone else was here."

"Just out for a walk," he said smoothly. "Sometimes you need to clear your head after a long day."

Sophia nodded, suddenly aware of how alone they were. The park was quiet, with only the occasional rustle of leaves.

"I didn't know you were into photography," Lex said, glancing at the camera.

"It's just a hobby," she shrugged.

"You're good at it. I've seen some of your work in the school gallery."

A faint blush crept up her cheeks. "Thanks."

They stood in awkward silence for a moment before Sophia cleared her throat. "I should probably get going."

Lex's jaw tightened, but he forced a smile. "Of course. Be careful on your way home."

She nodded and walked away, her footsteps crunching against the gravel path. Lex watched her go, his heart pounding. He knew he was playing a dangerous game. One wrong move could shatter everything he'd built.

But the pull was undeniable. And that was the most terrifying part.

As Sophia disappeared into the distance, Lex stood frozen in place. The darkness within him whispered promises he wasn't sure he could resist.