by Middleton, J
“I want drink wine again if it makes you do this.”
“Darling that wasn’t the wine that made you this way.”
“What do you mean?”
“Come let’s get something in your stomach and I will tell you.”
He helped her out of the water and wrapped a robe around her. Her beautiful eyes staring at him they were the color of an ocean. Deep and passionate so full of life. Grabbing a towel, he wraps it around his body. Helping her to a chair that was in the corner of the room, he grabbed a pair of jogging pants out of his drawer and put them on. Her eyes never left his side as he dropped his towel and revealed his nude body, he eyes went to the floor for a moment as she started to blush. Katie stood up and followed him to the kitchen, with her bare feet walking slowly across the cold ceramic floor. Her legs were still heavy and wobbly. Sitting down at the closest stool opposite of him she had a perfect view of his bare-chest. She watched him get things out of the refrigerator looking at the muscular form.
“A man with such strength” she thought.
“Well it looks like we are having subs, hope that is alright with you.”
“Sounds good, now you want to tell me what going on.”
“Well Katie, I think your wine had something in it.”
“What? I had the same wine last night and this didn’t happen.”
“Well dear I think someone came in your apartment, because the front door wasn’t lock when we got there. When I looked at the wine it had a white residue at the bottom of the bottle.”
He watched her face as it turned white again, and her eyes got narrow.
“I don’t understand who would do this?”
John eyes watched her lips they were full and curve upwards slightly at the corner as she talks to him. He wanted to reach over and devourer them. Taking in everything about her. The way she talked the movement of her lips, the batting of her eyes. Looking at her skin was so smooth and fine. She had a small dark freckle just to the side of her cheek. She was a living masterpiece, a goddess, his love, his woman.
“I don’t know.” He said in a low voice.
She had a look of worry on her face.
John thought “If she could only let me take care of her worries, she has been though too much for so long.” He would calm her fears and keep her safe.
Watching her fall back into her shell was something he didn’t want to do.
Katie was horrified to know that someone had been at her house. This isn’t something she wanted go through again the last time she got shot. Chills ran down he neck as butterfly’s lit in her stomach.
John puts the sandwich in front of her with a small salad.
“You must eat.” He said handing her a fork. He took a glass out of the cabinet and poured her a glass of tea.
Katie looked down at her food, not even hungry, with everything going through her mind it was all like a nightmare and she would wake up. Her limbs feel weak and at the same time there was an unfamiliar surge of electricity that prickles though he body. Then she realized that it wasn’t the alcohol that done this it was some kind of drug. He was right someone had drugged her.
“But why,” all these questions going through her head.
“Could it be the person that killed her husband or as crazy as it sounds could it be Mitch?”
She looked up at John with a concerned look on his face.
“What’s wrong?”
“I need to go back.”
“No, I have to insist you are staying here.”
“No not back to my townhouse, to where I use to live.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to see if there is something there that might link this person.”
“Do you think that person that killed your husband is doing this?”
“I don’t know what to think at this point, but I am going to find out.”
“Well call the police and see if they have anything. Tell them what is going on.”
“Why? They never found the killer. What will they do? They have nothing to go on. I will find him myself.”
“Katie I don’t like this idea at all.”
“Well you don’t have to like it. I am tired of walking around looking over my shoulder. I’m going to be the victim again. It is going to stop.” Her strength is coming back though her anger and fear.
“When do you plan on going? I will go with you.”
“You don’t have to I can do this.”
“Oh no I am going with you. So don’t even think you are doing this alone.”
Katie nods her head as she bites a piece of her sandwich off. Then gets up from the stool and turns and stumbles back to the bedroom. John is not far behind her. When he got in the doorway he seen her putting on a pair of his sweat pants on. She was rolling them up around her hip she grabbed one of his t-shirts and pulled it over her head. Pulling her hair back in a ponytail she turns and faces him.
“What are you doing?” he smiled admiring the view of her with his clothes on. They were ten time to big and the shirt went past her hip. He wanted to laugh but he held it back.
“I told you I am going back to my old place.”
“NOW!” shocked at her answer, has she lost her mind.
“Yes now.”
“Katie I don’t want to argue with you but it is dark outside and you have just been though an ordeal.”
“So all the reason to go, no one will see me dressed like this. Plus, if they are watching me let them follower, I will call the police.”
“Katie this isn’t a good idea.”
“Then stay here I am leaving.”
“I only have your best interest at heart. I just want to help you.”
“I never ask you for help, and I have been doing just fine before all of this started happening.” Her voice sharp.
He watched her pick her phone up.
“Wait I told you I will take you no need to call your driver. If you must go I would prefer driving, at least I can keep you safe.”
“John I don’t need someone to rescue me, I can handle myself. I have been for the last five years.”
“Yes I can see that, but it never hurts to have someone with you.” His voice was louder as he was getting frustrated with her.
He tried to keep in mind that it was the drugs that was making her bold and daring, but again was it. Was this her normal self before he met her.
“Let’s go then.” He said watching her walk to the door in the foyer.
She could barely walk in a straight line she wasn’t completely over the drugs that was in her system. John got beside her and with his arm over her shoulder trying not to let her fall. All her wanted to do was hold her close and forget all that was going on. His body was crying out to feel her warmth. Stepping in the elevator she almost fell as she grabbed his arm. Falling almost into his chest. John arm went around her holding her in place. He looked down at her as she looked up at him. His lips went down own hers kissing her hard almost knocking her over. When he pulled his mouth from her she was gashing for air. He could see in her eyes that she wanted more much more. He door made a ding sound as it opened quickly to the garage. If the door wouldn’t have come open, he would have taken her there.
He led her to a dark black dodge double cab truck. Hitting the button on his keys, the door unlocked and he helped her in. He then walks around to the other side and crawls in.
“Never thought you were a truck man.”
“Really, what kind of car did you think I had.”
“Oh maybe a sob, are something like that.”
“Well dear I do have one of those but I love my truck.” He giggles.
He pulls out into traffic as she gave him the direction to her old neighborhood. It was fourth miles outside of Manhattan. The interstate was busy all you could see was headlights from other cars whizzing by.
The closer they got to her old neighbor the more nerves she seems to get.
“We don’t have to do this Katie if you are not rea
dy.” His voice had a different tone, he was agitated with her, but he knew if he didn’t go with her she would of went by herself and anything could have happened.
“I have to. This is the only way I can move on with my life. I need to go see if anything can be tied into the person that is following me. Plus, I can’t keep hiding my past, I have to find a way to set it free, and I think by going back there that is one way to let it go. You have no idea how long I have holding all this in. Regrets, anger, revenge, all of these feelings have been trapped inside of me for years. Now it is time to let them all go.”
“Is that were it all happened, at your house.” John ask, even though he heard it was.
“Yes it is.”
“You want to talk about it.”
“Not really but you need to know. I was coming home from work one afternoon. When I pulled up in the driveway Mitch was already home, I walked in and found him on the floor shot. Before I could call for help the shooter shot me under my shoulder blade. That is the scar that you see above my chest it is a gunshot worn.” Her voice became starchy as a tear started to form in her eye.
She held it back and turned and looked out her window.
“I’m so sorry Katie you had to go through such a terrifying ordeal. Are you sure you want to do this? I hate to see you go back down that road. Sometimes it’s best to let sleeping dogs lay.”
“Yes I am sure, but I fell I have to do this, so let’s get this over with.”
She looked up and they were approaching the entrance of the small estate. It was confronted by two tall brick columns. The street was lined by trees and the small house set back in a circle drive. Hers was the last house on the right. The house was a small brick home nothing fancy. Three bedrooms and two bath, it was but 16 hundred square feet.
“There she pointed.” Her hands start to tremble feeling the adrenaline running though her like a title wave.
The house looked different broads were covering the four large windows in the front. Scrubs had grown half way up the broads that looked like sticks with vines growing up them. Grass had turned in to tall weeds that had dead from the winter. The darkness covered the house casting a dreadful silhouette. The light shinned directly at the door as eerie shadows took form around the house. Everywhere they looked there were dark shadows of shrubs leaning towards them. He slowly pulls up close to the door, as his head lights lit up the front. John felt as though he was leaving civilization behind and walking into a horror movie stepping into an unknown world. This house looked more like something out of a Steven Kings novel.
“No wonder she has been having nightmares, I would to.” He thought.
“Katie how are you going to see there is no electricity.”
“Yes there is we never turned it off. We thought maybe it would keep people from vandalizing the place. The lights are on a timer.” She said as a shiver raced through her as her blood turned cold.
The events of the last week have pulled her back here to the horrible place. Yet, this was something she had to do, something she should have done a long time ago.
“Well it looks to spooky to vandalize.” His mind couldn’t even comprehend what had gone on here.
“It didn’t look like this five years ago.” she said as she sat there with her knees shaking.
“Katie you don’t have to do this I’m serious, we can turn around and leave.”
“You don’t understand, yes I do. I have to put it to rest once and for all.”
For at least the next twenty minutes she just sat there and stared at the door before turning and looks at John. He finally gets out of his truck and goes to the other side and opens the door. Climbing out slowly she walks in front of him. Looking down trying to find the hiding place she put the spare key. Grass had grown up so high she could barely see the large rock in her flower bed that it was under. The weeds had grown over it. She finds the key and puts in the door and listens for the lock to pop. When she heard the sound her hand started trembling as she pushed the door open. Still standing in the entrance a steal odor hit her hard in the face. She started gagging and gashing for air. Turning her head to get some fresh air in her lungs. Standing there in the dark, with the only light shining was the headlights from his truck. For what seemed like forever she stared into the darkness of her small home. The picture of the front room seemed to spin around in her head. A thought of helplessness, fear, made her wonder why she was here. “What am I doing?” she thought.
“Katie that’s enough let’s go, you are not ready for this.”
“No I am not leaving.”
She walks a few steps inside with her heart pounding hard in her chest so hard she could hear it in her ears thumping. With her shacking hand she reaches for the light switch on the side of the wall. She flipped it on and the nightmare comes to live once again. She wasn’t ready seeing her house again, not like this. This was nothing like she remembered, it felt like a strange place. Something she had seen out of a horror movie but yet she was walking in it. The light dimly lit only a narrow area of the room but it shinned enough to see the dust particles that were covering the air, and settling on the plastic that was covering her furniture. It took several minutes to compose herself again. Every step she made the dust moved in the air. Dark powder was covering parts of the walls leaving the remains of someone finger prints. Looking around it didn’t look like she ever lived here. It felt like she had walked in the pits of hell and couldn’t get out. Her breathing became fast and shallow, trying hard to remain calm she turned her head to the window and it was the same dark powder everywhere. She took a step in the living room and she could her knees started to buckle. The air was so heavy and had an old musky smell to it. Dust was on the plastic so thick you couldn’t tell what color her furniture was. She finally moved slowly to the kitchen holding her hand over her nose as nausea set in. Glancing at the glass door that was boarded up, shattered glass was still on the floor. Tears started to fall down her face as the memory of that night came back to her.
“Mitch I’m home “she could here herself calling out them words. It was almost like it was happening all over again.
“Katie” she heard a voice come from behind her snapping her out of her trance. She turned and John was standing a few feet from her.
“Katie are you alright, we can leave right now.”
“I’m fine” her voice low.
She wanted to just leave and never return her memories were almost too much to bare. Knowing she had come this far she had to finish. She could still here noise of the shower in her head. With her heart pounding like drums, fear consumed her.
John could see that she was having a hard time dealing with all this. She looked as if she was going to pass out. He stayed as close to her as possible. He couldn’t believe what his eyes was seeing, it was hard for him to image her here with the killer. The kitchen was clean with nothing out of place. The floors were covered in prints and glass. His anger boiling though him with the thought of someone hurting her.
Katie seen the present she had bought for Mitch still sitting on the corner top next to the wine bottle she had opened five years ago. The two wine glass half full of wine, the bottle popped open his card and gift still in the same place. Nothing had been moved. It was like walking back into time, everything stood still.
“Mitch.” She could hear herself calling his name again. The memory rushed through her mind as she turned and seen the same prints leading to the hallway.
She repeated her steps just like she did years ago. Hearing the glass crunch under her feet with every step she took it sent a sudden chill down her spin. Was she ready to go back down that hallway. Taking a few steps forward and stopping taking a deep breath she finally turned the corner. She froze in the same spot she did before. There was a white outline of a body and large dark spots on the carpet. It was the blood that had dried up, it had turned black. Nausea hit the pit of her stomach. Crumbing to her knees, covered her face with her hands she sobs.
Jo
hn reached down and pulled her up to his chest. Holding her tight against him.
“Oh Katie why did you come here. This place is too much for you to handle it is your past that don’t need to be rekindled. You have a future leave the past here and focus on now.” His voice low and soothing.
He held her tightly in his arm, one hand held the back of her head as he placed a soft kiss on her head.
She pushed away from him her cheeks covered in moisture. She turned around closing her eyes and took a deep breath as she walked to her old bedroom. She couldn’t remember a time that she felt anything other than emptiness. This seemed like another life in another world. She tuned back into reality and realized that this life was finally over. Flipping the light on, her bed was still made with an imprint of someone sitting on the edge. She felt dizzy as if everything around her moved in slow motion. It felt like a dream, a nightmare and she couldn’t find her way out.
Finally, snapping back she seen his cloths were on the chair no far from the bed. His dresser was opened slightly like he had took something out without closing it back. Everything was just like she left it. Except some pictures of her and Mitch was missing off the wall. The pictures were gone leaving just a nail. She looked around to see if there was anything else that looked different. It had been so many years ago she couldn’t remember. She walked to the closet and opened it. It looked like someone went through their cloths but she couldn’t be sure. She looked down at the shoes and there was a pair missing. His work boots were gone. Mitch always wore them to the construction site. Bending down she moved some shoes out of the way and still she couldn’t find them. Then it hit her they looked almost the same size of the dirty print on the floor.
“But Mitch was on the floor he couldn’t shot his self because someone shot me from the back. It’s just not possible. Maybe he left them in his car.” All kind of questions was going through her head. Something wasn’t right she could feel it. She turned and John was standing a few feet from her watching everything she was doing.