The Follower by Kate Doughty (ebook reader with built in dictionary TXT) 📕

to get Amber’s attention, and she glances at the comment readout. She freezes.

DON’T INVITE HER IN. DON’T MESS WITH THE GHOSTS.

Other followers have found the comment. They’re asking them to answer it, to address this strange person who’s posted on so many of their Tremont photos. Rudy had expected the follower to comment, but somehow seeing the posts come in, in real time, makes them all the more real.

Amber shoots Rudy a concerned look, and he shrugs. He knows that they’re supposed to ignore the follower, but right now that seems impossible. So Amber answers, shaky. “Some people are worried about our safety. Don’t worry, we’re big and strong—and, we have Rudy to protect us!”

How can he protect you if he’s dead?

Amber’s eyes go wide. Cecily and Rudy are shocked, as well. Alex Grable keeps posting.

Where’s Rudy?

Why isn’t Rudy on camera?

Where is he?

Cecily is frozen. Amber collects herself and turns to the camera, smiling. “Looks like we’ve got more than a ghost haunting us, huh?”

Where’s Rudy?

Rudy can’t keep quiet anymore. “Hey!” he says, voice clearly audible from behind the camera. “I’m right here—who did you think was filming? How’s it going, Mr. Creep? Did you see our latest posts? What did you think about the paint job, huh?”

Cecily gives Rudy a warning look. Laughing emojis appear all over the livestream as their fans taunt the follower and congratulate Rudy on his “epic prank.” But then, the emojis and supportive messages are drowned out by something else. The follower is going insane:

Get OUT now.

YOU shouldn’t be ALIVE.

How DARE you do that to the room.

REMEMBER WHAT I SAID: YOU TOUCH THAT HOUSE, I TOUCH YOU.

And then one message, on repeat:

I warned you.

I warned you.

I warned you.

I warned you.

I warned you.

I warned you.

I warned you.

I warned you.

I warned you.

I warned you.

I warned you.

I warned you.

I warned you.

I warned you.

Rudy looks back to his sisters, and he can tell they are freaked out. Amber’s mouth is slack, and Cecily looks frozen.

Even Rudy is unsettled. This is much more of a response than he’d expected.

“Shut it off,” Amber whispers, so only he and Cecily can hear. “He’s taking over the livestream. No one else can even get a comment in.” And she’s right. The follower is commenting so frequently that all other comments get lost in the fray, unnoticed, unanswered. This isn’t what was supposed to happen. Rudy watches the warning flicker over and over in the comments, unrelenting.

Amber turns the lights back on. The comments continue. Cecily is still frozen, petrified, eyes frantically scanning the endless array of comments. Rudy gestures at Amber to wrap up.

“Well,” Amber says, swallowing hard. “That might be all there is for now, folks. Stay tuned for our next video—we’ve got a great surprise coming your way, and I know you’ll love it.” But her voice sounds forced. Canned. “And, uh, don’t forget to follow! Bye!”

I warned you.

I warned you.

I warned you.

I warned you.

I warned you.

I warned you.

I warned you.

I warned you.

I warned you.

I warned you.

I warned you.

I warned you.

Amber walks forward and shuts the camera off. She turns toward her siblings. For a second, no one says anything. Rudy knows he should say something to reassure his sisters that there’s nothing to worry about, but he’s worried. He finds himself feeling a little . . . scared. Or maybe a lot scared. He can admit it.

YOU shouldn’t be ALIVE.

“That was weird,” Rudy says finally. “Super weird.”

“Super weird,” Amber echoes. The three exchange looks. No one really knows what to say.

There are footsteps on the stairs. All three of them jump, but it’s just their mom, here for a debriefing. “Cecily, great promos. Amber, great thinking about ending the livestream when it all started going crazy.” Amber flushes. “And Rudy—what did I tell you about feeding the troll? Now look what you’ve done—we had to cut off our own livestream!”

Amber’s phone pings. “The livestream’s hit trending,” she says.

Rudy smirks. The uneasiness he felt just moments ago has been replaced with the feeling of being annoyed at his mom. “And, uh, once more, the Cole triplets’ viral internet success is because of . . .” He mimes a drumroll and points to himself, laughing as he stands up. “I’ll see myself out.”

For once, Mrs. Cole doesn’t have a response. Rudy realizes that she knows he’s right. Even if she won’t admit it.

Amber opens her mouth as if she’s going to say something, then shuts it.

Cecily lets out a shaky breath. “I’m heading to bed,” she says.

“Aw, Cece, it’s not that bad,” Rudy says. “It’s just some jerk—and we made a ton of money, so—”

Cecily’s face is tight. “I’m just tired, okay?”

She heads downstairs with their mom, leaving Amber and Rudy alone in the room. Rudy shrugs. “Well, whatever that was, you were great,” he says, clapping her on the shoulder.

Amber gives him a small smile and starts disassembling the key lights. It’s not until they’re on their way downstairs that she answers him. “You know? I think so, too.”

She heads to her room to edit and post some creepy doll stills.

Rudy collapses onto his bed and picks up the mixtape on his nightstand. He still has a fair bit to go before it’s fully untangled and back on its spool, but he’s willing to put the work in for some cool nineties tracks. As he begins to work on it, a loud thunk