by Alta Hensley
I nearly fell running back down the stairs, but I had to get out of the house. I could feel the walls closing in. The darkness was here. I could feel it. Eyes were on me. They were on me. They were still on me.
But as I neared the bottom of the stairs, I saw the shadow of a man approaching the house through the small window by the door.
Nearly flying, I bolted the door lock. “I called the police!” I screamed. “They’re on their way, so get the fuck out of here!”
I held my breath and waited.
Please leave. Please leave. Please leave.
A pounding on the door had me screaming.
“Corrine? Open up. It’s Mr. D. What’s going on in there? Open up!”
Tears of relief streamed down my face as I unlocked the door with shaky hands. My knees threatened to buckle, my ears rang, but at least there was someone outside who could help me.
When I opened the door, Mr. D charged inside, scanning the room with fisted hands and raging eyes.
“Who’s here?” he demanded.
“No one,” I barely managed to squeak as the tears kept flowing. I struggled to regain regular breathing so I wouldn’t hyperventilate and collapse in my foyer. I wasn’t sure if I could tell him the truth. The truth got me nowhere in life.
He spun on his heels and took hold of my upper arms, forcing me to look him directly in the eyes. “Who were you screaming at? Why did you call the police?”
I couldn’t imagine the thoughts that had to be running through Mr. D’s mind. From the look of him, and the way his eyes were wide, his jaw locked, and his entire body tense, I had scared him. And if I looked anything like how I felt… well, I had to appear a hot mess.
“I got worked up on… something… I thought you were…” I paused as I still struggled to breathe.
He released the tight hold of my arms and placed his palm reassuringly on my back as his stance and facial expression softened.
“I thought you were someone… I was yelling at you by mistake.”
“Who did you think I was?” He waited and when I didn’t immediately answer, he continued. “Who did you think I was that had you so terrified you called the cops?”
I shook my head. “I didn’t call the cops. I was saying that to scare you, and I was just…” Fuck, I didn’t even know how to explain this nightmare.
I glanced at another open door off the living room, and my world began to spin.
“Who are you so afraid of?” Mr. D prodded again.
I took a step away from him feeling as if his very presence was the reason I couldn’t quite get my breath. “I just got spooked. I thought someone was in the house, and then I saw your shadow, and… my imagination got the best of me.”
I needed to tell Mr. D something… anything other than I may be losing my mind.
“You thought someone was in your house?” He was already scanning the immediate area with his piercing eyes. “Can I look around?”
I nodded with maybe too much zeal.
God yes. Please look around. Please don’t leave me alone. I can’t be alone.
“Did you hear noises?” he asked as he walked the front hallway with me following close behind.
I didn’t want to be left alone for even a second, not even as he checked out the house.
“No. I noticed that all the doors were open in the house.” I instantly regretted answering him the minute the words left my mouth.
He turned and looked at me with an eyebrow raised and narrowed eyes. “Do you normally keep them all closed or something?”
I took a deep breath and nodded. “It’s a big house. It makes me feel safer.”
Seemingly satisfied with my answer, Mr. D continued walking in and out of every room, careful to open every closet and look under and behind every big piece of furniture. I stayed glued to his side, even though with every room searched and deemed safe, I was able to feel my heart beginning to beat normally again, and the shaking of my body stopped. Mr. D seemed to care, and that act alone seemed to make everything raging inside of me ease.
“Do you have an alarm system?” he asked as he made his way upstairs.
“I do, but I forgot to set it after you dropped me off.”
“What about video cameras?”
“I want them. But since this is just a vacation home we rarely used, my mom never got around to installing them. I tried to set them up myself, but…” I shook my head. “No, I don’t have cameras yet.”
Answering the question out loud made me realize how stupid I was. Why in the hell would I not install cameras? I was a young woman living alone, and I only relied on an alarm system that most likely was outdated.
“So, you close every door in the entire house?” he asked.
“Yes. I know I closed them all this morning.”
“But you were running late for school this morning. Could you have forgotten?” he asked, not knowing just how obsessive compulsive I was over the closing of doors and that was one of the main reasons I was always late for school. I had to check and double check so many times, I wouldn’t even be able to keep count.
“I’m positive,” I answered simply.
“Do you have a cleaning lady?” he asked as we made our way into my bedroom.
I pointed to the pieces of clothing thrown haphazardly around. “Obviously not.”
He gave a slanted grin but continued on with his investigation.
“Why did you come here?” I asked, suddenly realizing I didn’t even know why he came back after dropping me off.
“You forgot your chemistry book in my car. I figured you may need it for homework tonight. Since I had the gate code, I just drove in. Then I heard you screaming and well… I readied myself for a fight.”
We made our way to the kitchen, and at this point I was feeling much better, but my body nearly itched with the need to run and close every door again. I didn’t want to do it in front of Mr. D for fear of him not only wanting to speak to my mother about attendance but also about committing me.
He looked around the large room and seemed amused. “This is a huge kitchen for what I can only assume is very little cooking. Unless you’re some secret chef I didn’t know about.”
I appreciated his ability to try to lighten the mood and offered a smile that I figured he was on the hunt for.
His face grew serious as he studied me. “Everything looks fine here, but are you okay?”
I nodded as I folded my arms over my chest, suddenly feeling cold. “I’ll be fine. Like I said… just my imagination I guess.”
He seemed to study me for a long moment before releasing a deep breath. “Is there anyone you can call? Maybe go spend the night someplace? You still seem shaken.”
“I’ll be fine. I’m used to being here alone.”
He was analyzing me… I could tell. I’d been analyzed by enough people in my lifetime to know.
He walked to the counter and sat on a barstool. “Well, the least you can do is offer me a drink for saving your life.” He smiled, and I had to admit it warmed the chill that was taking over my body.
“I uh…” I opened the refrigerator even though I knew nothing was in it. “I don’t really have anything to offer.” I turned to face him. “I guess I could go down to the cellar and get a bottle of wine.” The thought of going downstairs in that dank and cold room alone terrified me, but it was the least I could do.
He stared into the empty fridge that I still held open. “What do you eat?”
I shrugged like it was no big deal that I stood in a mansion, but my refrigerator was completely bare. “Pizza. Or Chinese food.”
In reality, I hated the Chinese restaurant that delivered, but I had to make it sound like I didn’t just live off of pizza alone. Thank goodness for the lunch at school or I would most likely die of vitamin deficiency.
We stared at each other in silence for what felt like an eternity until I couldn’t take it any longer.
“Where’s my chemistry book?”
His
narrowed eyes that hadn’t broken their stare on me widened. “Oh, I must have dropped it by the door when I charged in.”
Grateful to have a reason to leave the kitchen, I walked to the door, which was still wide open, and saw my book cast aside on the porch.
When I bent over to pick it up, I heard the words, “Why don’t you come out to dinner with me? I know of this great restaurant about twenty minutes outside of Black Mountain. A small drive, but worth it. They have a steak and baked potato that can’t be mimicked.”
Ahhh, the pity invite.
“I’ve taken up enough of your evening, Mr. —”
“We’ll be far enough from Black Mountain that you don’t have to worry about anyone seeing you eat dinner with your principal and then teasing you tomorrow.”
I huffed. “I seriously doubt anyone would pay enough attention to me to even notice what I do or don’t do. But—”
“I’m starving. I’m sure you are too,” he interrupted. “Come on. My treat.”
I walked past him in the doorway and put the book on a nearby table. I looked at the open doors I could see, knowing there were more, and the thought of being left alone in the house again made me feel sick to my stomach.
“Corrine. Come on. Grab a jacket and your purse or whatever. I’m not taking no for an answer. I need the company and a good meal. And after the evening you’ve had, you do too.”
I glanced over my shoulder at him and knew he meant business. And at this point, I didn’t want to resist.
He walked into the living room. “Let’s shut all the doors and lock up before we go.”
Bless the man. I wanted to do that so badly but didn’t want to seem insane. I knew he was throwing me a bone, but I’d take it.
I quickly ran upstairs, with Mr. D doing the downstairs, and slammed all the doors shut with no intent of opening most of them again. And as I closed the last door, I finally felt like I could breathe. I was safe for now. Even if I had demons lurking… they’d have to watch me walk away with Mr. D.
4
Mr. D
“You ate more than me.” I laughed as I turned the car onto the highway leading us back to Black Mountain. “I didn’t realize so much food could fit in a tiny body like yours.”
“I couldn’t help it. It was the best dinner I think I’ve ever had in my entire life,” Corrine said as she stared out the passenger window with a smile on her face, and a casual demeanor about her. It had taken her almost half the meal before she seemed to relax around me, but it was nice to see she finally had.
“I told you it was good,” I said. “But it needs to be kept our secret. I don’t want it to become the next hot spot, and then we’ll be forced to make reservations days in advance. I also don’t want to see all those Black Mountain assholes—” I swallowed the rest of my sentence, realizing I didn’t need to be revealing my true feelings on anything. “I think it’s best to keep this little gem to ourselves.”
“You don’t have to worry about me,” she said, her smile fading. “I don’t really talk to anyone.”
“Why is that?”
“I don’t know. I guess, I just never fit in with the Hollywood life I was born into. You think Black Mountain Academy is full of spoiled brats, you should have seen some of the other schools I went to in L.A. and New York. London was the worst of them.”
She let out a deep breath which had me stealing a glance at her. The streetlights lit up her face and her soft brown hair, which only seemed to expose the sadness inside her even more. The expression in her heavily-lashed eyes seemed so far off, yet present at the same time. I wanted to read this girl but struggled to.
She continued, “You wouldn’t blame me for not wanting to really have any of them as my friends. And as for Black Mountain Academy… I’m new. It’s hard to break into social circles that have been formed already.”
I got the feeling she didn’t care to try, but I wasn’t going to push her on that anymore. I had gotten the feeling over dinner, that though Corrine was very easy to speak to, and it actually was a very pleasant night of casual conversation, the talk needed to remain light and only on the surface. She wasn’t comfortable talking about her mother, her past, or her current situation. She was highly educated, very well-traveled, and frankly, far more cultured than me. Because of her mother, Corrine had traveled to most of the world, and yet, she didn’t seem too excited to discuss her memories of those trips. She had also met some amazing people ranging from celebrities, chefs, artists, musicians, critically acclaimed authors, and political figures. Though she seemed to be a loner currently, the young woman had lived a lifetime already with her experiences and social interactions.
I truly found her fascinating and could have spoken with her all night had our meal not ended. When we reached her house, I was actually disappointed to have the evening end. It had been so easy, effortless, and genuine. As of late, all of my social engagements had been anything but.
“Thank you for the dinner,” she said as I entered the gate code. It was also obvious that this girl had been trained on proper etiquette, had impeccable manners, and had the grace of a queen.
“Thank you for joining me.”
“I’m sure it was the last thing you really wanted to do. Having dinner with a student was most likely not how you planned your night. But I appreciate it.”
“Don’t sell yourself short,” I said, driving a little slower than need be just to be able to give the compliment. “You have a lot to offer, Corrine. I’ve met very few people like you.”
“Like me?”
“True. Real. You aren’t pretentious even though you know about a lot and have lived more life than most your age. You aren’t immature, materialistic, or frankly… annoying. Listening to you this evening was actually a joy. I like you, Corrine Parker.” I smirked and gave a small chuckle. “And I don’t like most.”
The car came to a stop, and Corrine ran her hands on top of her pleated uniform skirt that she’d not changed out of before leaving for dinner. I wished we had thought of that when we first entered the restaurant—as did she—but we both soon forgot about her attire, and it ended up being a non-issue.
“Thank you, Mr. D. Not too many people make me feel comfortable. But you did. I needed that.”
I got out of the car and walked around to open the door for her. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to do one more walk through of your house before I leave.”
Shoulders that had tensed when we arrived at the house, visibly relaxed with my words. “I would like that. Thank you.”
I bit my tongue on lecturing her about the fact that no motion lights came on as we approached the door. I had to remind myself that while she might live in this house, it wasn’t her own. This responsibility fell directly on her mother. But considering Corrine was a young woman living alone, the very least she could have is proper lighting.
When she opened the door, I entered first and instantly noticed all the lights were out. I couldn’t remember if we had left them on or not since the sun hadn’t completely set yet when we left for dinner. But once Corrine flipped on the lights, I instantly saw something was wrong.
So wrong that the hairs on the back of my neck stood at attention.
The doors of the rooms were open.
Every. Single. Door.
“We closed every door,” Corrine breathed out, clearly seeing what I did. “I know for a fact we did.”
I looked up the stairs from the foyer and then into the hallway, and I saw doors open that I had personally closed.
“Go back to the car now,” I ordered as I reached for my cell phone. “I’m calling the police.”
She reached for my arm. “Please don’t call the police.”
“Corrine. Car. Now.”
She snatched the phone from my grip and took a few steps back. “Let’s leave, but don’t call the cops.”
“Someone’s been in your house, or could still be. Of course I’m calling the police.” I reached for the phone annoyed and
also listening for the slightest movement in the eerie silence. “Give me my phone.”
She glanced around the house with wide eyes and trembling lips. Without warning—and not giving me my phone—she ran out the door toward my car. I knew I needed to get her out of the house, and there was no way I was letting her back in until we got to the bottom of what was going on. I reached for the stack of books on the table, grabbed her school bag and followed her to the car.
Walking up to the passenger side of the car, I handed her things to her and then extended my hand. “I need to call the police. Someone could still be inside.”
She shook her head. “You don’t understand. I’ve called the police a lot in the past, and nothing good comes of it. My stalker isn’t dumb enough to wait around for them. And all it does is risk one cop getting wind of who I am… or who my mother is, and the paparazzi will be all over this.” She looked up at me. “You don’t want media swarming around me, which then means around Black Mountain Academy, any more than I do.”
She was right about that. I was paid a lot of money to make sure the students were shielded as much as possible from the limelight or any scandal of any sort. I most certainly couldn’t be the one responsible for bringing the rag hags to our doorstep. There was an important Board of Directors meeting tomorrow, and the last thing I needed was a media circus outside the doors of the school during it.
“What do you mean by stalker?” I asked.
She swallowed hard and looked down at her hands which were clutching the strap of her bag.
“Is this something that has been happening multiple times?” I added.
“I’ve been a victim of many sick people in my past,” she said softly. “Comes with who I am, I guess. But yes, ever since I arrived at Black Mountain, I’ve felt like someone’s been watching me. He comes to me every day.” She paused and studied my face before continuing on. “You might think I’m crazy, or that I’m lying, but I swear to you, I’m not.”
“And this person comes into your house? Have you seen him? Has he touched you? Harmed you?” Rage bubbled inside as I fisted my hands to try to control my tone of voice. Who the hell would torment a poor girl like this?