[ WP ] You 're a teacher , and you suspect one of your students is about to attempt to kill you .

The phone rings, startling me back to reality from the mindless TV movie that's somehow kept me occupied for the past hour. 
 
 `` Hello?'' 
 
 `` Lily, hey. Are you coming over tonight? Do n't back down, we're expecting you. And Gabriel's also here... waiting for you.'' 
 
 `` Uh... okay.'' The second I said that I knew I should n't have agreed to go to the party. But it was Friday night, and even though I already had my wine for the evening, I could be allowed some more fun. `` I just have to get ready, alright?'' 
 
 `` See you then.'' Helen hangs up just as my doorbell rings. Odd, I do n't usually get any visitors this late in the evening. I approach the window by my door only to see Josh, one of my senior students, eagerly waiting outside. I open the door to greet him. 
 
 `` Josh, what are you doing here? Is everything okay?'' 
 
 `` Ms Carroll?'' he replies and apparently is just as surprised as I am. `` I -- I'm sorry to bother you, it's just that my car broke down at the intersection. I'm trying to get some help but a lot of people are out this evening.'' 
 
 `` Yes, of course. What do you need?'' 
 
 `` A flashlight for now until I figure out what's wrong. Mind if I come in? I'm really thirsty.'' 
 
 `` Sure,'' I reply, stepping aside and motioning for Josh to come in. I close the door behind him and turn around only to see the tip of a knife inches away from my throat. With a gasp, I step back to get out of harm's way but the door does n't allow me to go far. 
 
 `` W-What are you doing?'' The words barely audible as I start to shake uncontrollably. 
 
 He pulls me by the arm, knife still very close to my throat, and orders me to sit down on a chair. A million reasons for this unexpected event go through my head but none of them make any sense. He finally breaks the silence as he begins tying my hands behind my back. 
 
 `` It's nothing personal, Ms. Carroll, but I had a dream last night that you were on your way to a party, a little buzzed if I may add, and you cut off my little sister. She lost control of the vehicle and crashed. She died, and of course, you continued on your merry way. I do n't think that's fair, not the least bit, so I'm going to prevent that from happening.'' He kneels in front of me. `` I see your empty wine glass over there, I'm guessing you were on your way out soon?'' 
 
 For some reason, I nod my head. I know I'm incriminating myself, but there's serious doubt in my mind that Josh is going to kill me, especially over a _dream_. 
 
 `` No surprise there.'' He gets up to walk closer to me, then grabs a handful of my hair to jerk my head back until we're eye to eye. `` Care to make peace? This is your last chance.'' 
 
 `` Josh, you ca n't --'' 
 
 Without warning, he plunges the knife deep into my abdomen. I cry out in shock as the pain completely disables me. For a moment, the world around me is non-existent, and after the longest seconds of my life, the rope around my wrists becomes loose. I feel arms on my back and behind my knees and look up to Josh with tears running down the side of my face. He carries me to the couch and carefully lies me down, this gesture not something I'd expect from the kid who came to my house to kill me. 
 
 `` Ms. Carroll, I hope you know that...'' 
 
 His voice fades out along with my vision, and I awake to some dealership commercial on TV. My hands immediately go to my abdomen and much to my relief, there is n't a knife in sight. What an odd dream. Just then, the phone rings. 
 
 `` Hello?'' 
 
 `` Lily, hey. Are you coming over tonight? Do n't back down, we're expecting you. And Gabriel's also here... waiting for you.'' 
 
 After a few moments of silence, I tell Helen I'd be right over. In a rush, I grab my jacket and bolt for the door. No Josh in sight, thankfully, even though that would have been silly. As I'm driving to Helen's, my hair a mess and my face free of any make-up, traffic slows down at a major intersection. Once it resumes, I pull up to the light, but a cop signals me to stop. Off to my right, there's a big mess of an accident, some car that had wrapped itself around a pole. I manage to notice the blood on the pavement as well. Someone from within the scene gets up -- they look unscathed -- and he turns to look at me. Josh. He shakes his head at me with a stare that sends chills down my spine. 
 
 *Tap tap tap* 
 
 I jump in my seat, turning to look at the officer shining a flashlight inside my vehicle. I lower the window. 
 
 `` Is there a problem, officer?'' 
 
 `` Ma'am, mind if we ask you a few questions? Your vehicle fits the description of our suspect.'' 
 
 `` Uh yeah, of course.'' I drive around and pull off to the curb. Once I exit the car, the officer blinds me with his flashlight again. 
 
 `` Have you been drinking this evening ma'am?'' 
 
 `` Yes. Well, I mean, only a little bit. I had a glass of wine but I slept it off --'' 
 
 `` Turn around and place your hands behind your back,'' he orders. 
 
 `` Wait, what?'' 
 
 `` I'm not going to tell you twice.'' 
 
 The officer was n't budging. I do as he says and sigh when the cold hard steel makes contact with my wrists. He walks me to the back of his patrol car and shuts the door once I'm seated. I turn to look at the scene and notice Josh standing still, looking straight at me with a wicked smile on his face.
