It would be hours until she returned and I looked for something to pass the time. I was tired of unpacking, so I decided to catch up on some much needed practice with my soft pastels. Luckily, I had a blank canvas in my supplies, so I gathered what I needed and set up my easel. I needed to start with something simple, I chose the house I knew so well. I traced out my general idea and started. I chose to capture it closely and while it came together quickly, something was missing.
I don’t know the exact moment it happened, but I subconsciously made a decision to deter from my original plan. One minute, it was just the house, but when I stopped to evaluate my work, there she was. Chansey sat on the front porch on the edge of a patio chair strumming a guitar with her face hidden behind her hair while two red butterflies fluttered above her.
I had not been finished long when I heard her pull into the drive. I recognized her routine and stepped outside to prevent any avoidance of me. She was in deep thought and startled easily when I whispered her name. Her eyes grew large and her heart rate immediately accelerated. I threw both hands up and stepped back as a signal to show her I was harmless. “I’m sorry.”
She put her hand to her chest and said, “Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”
My hands remained up, palms facing her, like a caught criminal. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
She smiled beautifully and laughed as she said, “I know I have a healthy heart because if I didn’t, I’d be dead right now,” then continued, “I’m sorry for being so jumpy. I had something on my mind.”
“Again, I apologize for startling you, are you still willing to speak to me?” I knew she was probably tired after working an eight hour shift, but my selfish heart was impatient because I wanted to explain myself. The last several hours were excruciating and I hated the misunderstanding between us.
“Sure. Is it okay if we sit? It’s been a long night.” She looked around for a spot nearby.
“Of course. I’m sure you’re very tired and I promise to not keep you long.”
We walked to the back of the house and sat on the steps leading up to the kitchen. I couldn’t see her face well because of the way we sat side by side, so I turned to face her, allowing her to see my sincerity. She remained forward facing with her eyes lowered, staring at the fingers laced into a clasp in her lap.
I could hear her heart racing, and again, my silence became the culprit that plagued me. It didn’t matter that I had practiced the things I wanted to say because I was blank, so I combed through my mind, searching for the words I rehearsed. I was unable to recall the dialogue in my mind, so instead, I allowed my heart to take the reigns.
“I want to apologize for earlier today. I didn’t understand what my silence implied, not even when you became upset. When you questioned me a second time, I didn’t answer you immediately because I didn’t want to say the wrong thing. I was trying to think of the perfect answer, but now I see how my hesitation seemed like an insult.”
While my comfort level rose, Chansey’s seemed to dwindle as she continued to stare at her clasped hands. Again, her shield of hair prevented me from seeing her beautiful face, and without thinking, I reached and pushed her hair from her face. I placed it behind her shoulder, then reached for her hands and separated her clasp. Taking her hands into mine, I continued, “I liked talking to you, very much so. I am regrettably awkward when it comes to speaking with people I don’t know well. I didn’t wish to insult you and I am very sorry. Can you accept my apology?”
She lifted her face to meet my eyes and said, “I do accept, but it’s unnecessary because I was being silly and childish. I jumped to conclusions and made an uncomfortable situation even more awkward, sort of how I am now. Can you accept my apology?”
My response was on the tip of my tongue when my keen instincts distracted me, interrupting my train of thought. They announced the presence of an uninvited guest and I felt a predator among us. I scanned the surrounding property and my sharp vision honed in on the guilty one. He thought he was silent and hidden, but he was wrong.
I leaned closer to Chansey and reached my hand behind her neck, lacing my fingers through her thick nape and pulled her closer. She closed her eyes and leaned forward to accept the kiss she believed I was offering. I placed my lips close to her ear and softly whispered, “Listen carefully to what I’m about to tell you. Someone is here, watching us, but don’t appear alarmed. Wish me good night and calmly go into the house, then lock the door behind you.”
She leaned back to see my face and I knew she was evaluating my level of seriousness. The startled look in her eyes told me she understood. Too stunned to speak, I prompted her. “Goodnight, Chansey. I hope you sleep well.”
“Good night,” she whispered, then rose and walked toward the door. She turned the knob and looked at me, hesitating while she considered my safety. I lifted my eyes and nodded for her to go on in the house. I waited until I heard the click of the lock before I left the steps. I waited to see if I would be approached, but the lack of his appearance confirmed my instincts. He was a coward.
I inhaled deeply and my impulses screamed to end his life. This intruder was human, and male. His heartbeat was rapid and I sensed his fury, as evidenced by the smell of his sudden adrenaline release. I strongly suspected this was Chansey’s harassing caller from earlier in the day and it was a mistake to position himself so close to me.
I walked toward the coward hiding in the shadows and I expected him to run the moment he realized I was coming for him, but he didn’t. When he saw me walking toward him, he stood and waited.
I knew Chansey watched from the window, so I walked toward him with human speed while I knew she could visualize me, but when I was certain she lost sight of me behind the trees, I dashed behind her predator at lightning speed and stood behind him, amused by his confusion. He waited for my appearance, turning his head from side to side searching for me while the watcher became the watched.
“Looking for me?” I asked, startling him and causing him to jump. Good.
“How did you get...,” he trailed off, as he realized he was bested. My palm caught the punch intended for my face and I graciously returned his fist in one piece.
He’d receive one warning from me. That was a kindness I didn’t have to show him. “Never come here again and don’t attempt to contact Chansey again. Do not approach her and never think of her again.”
He interrupted me to say, “Look, I don’t know who you think you are, but Chansey is my girl and we have history. It’s only a matter of time before she realizes what a mistake she made and comes crawling back.”
I hated being interrupted. It was rude and disrespectful. “I was not finished. If you contact Chansey again, I will hunt you and when I find you, I will place my hand around your neck and squeeze until all the life has left your eyes.”
As the lurch begin to grin and laugh, I stepped forward and gave him a taste of how it felt to have your windpipe crushed. He desperately pulled at my two fingers squeezing his trachea with both hands unsuccessfully. His eyes grew large and I asked, “Are you feeling me now?” I knew my message was clear when he began nodding his head. “I suggest you leave and never return.”
I released my obstruction of his air passage before he blacked out. He had been educated, so we would see if he learned his lesson. He ran north and crossed the property of the adjoining neighbor. I looked down and saw a roll of duct tape and long strand of telephone line he hastily left behind. It’s probably best I didn’t see those while his trachea was between my fingers. His intentions were darker than I imagined and I had underestimated him, but it wouldn’t happen again.
I heard the start of his vehicle and he revved his motor, then screeched his tires as he left. It was his foolish and childish way of displaying his anger.
No doubt, Chansey heard his departure, along with the entire neighborhood. I didn’t make it to the back door before she opened it and asked, “What happened? Who was out there
?”
I didn’t know if telling her was the right thing because I didn’t want to unnecessarily frighten her, but she needed to be cautious. The items left behind were evidence this guy was serious, not mildly obsessed.
I chose my words carefully as I explained, “There was a guy out there. I told him he wasn’t welcome and warned him to not return. He seemed embarrassed about being caught, so I don’t think he’ll be back, but I do think you should be very careful.”
“What did he look like?” she questioned.
“He was a few inches taller than me. I’m five foot ten, so maybe around six-one. His hair was sandy, maybe a dark blonde., He was muscular and had a scar above his left eye.” I wanted to add kidnapping psycho to the description, but thought I might ought to leave that off.
She didn’t appear surprised and that was enough to cause me some concern. “That was Julian. He is my neighbor at the apartment complex where I live when I’m in school. I was forced to skip summer school and move home with Granna and Granddaddy to get away from him because he wouldn’t stop bugging me about going out with him and frankly he started doing some bizarre things that freaked me out.”
“Has he threatened you?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
“He called me this morning and told me that he better not catch me with you, which means this wasn’t the first time he has been here.”
He had watched me and I missed it. Now, this was personal.
She continued, “I filed a restraining order against him last month and he has broken it time after time. When I report it, they won’t do anything because his dad is a judge. I really think he’s crazy.”
He was escalating and he would be back because he couldn’t help himself; he was a predator. Unfortunately for him, I knew the dynamic mind of a predator. “It isn’t a good idea for you to be alone.”