Danielle

I was leaving work and since Mariss was off sick today, it was just me going home. I don’t know why, but I wasn’t feeling that good. I never usually worried about things like that, walking home alone, but today it felt like the last thing that I should be doing.

The car that had caught my attention the day before was back this morning and while I’d expected it to follow me to work, it hadn’t and I was left to forget about it. Until I was on my way home and I swore that I saw the car twice driving past. It looked like the same car, but I couldn’t be sure. I was making something out of nothing, like I always do. It couldn’t be what I thought it was, right? What would someone be following me for anyways? It didn’t make sense, but sense or not, I walked a little faster with the idea of it all.

When I got down my street and I could see my house, the car that was now slowly moving beside me sped up and swerved right in front of me in one of the driveways. It stopped me from going any further and my heart was racing a mile a minute. I don’t know what was going on, but I knew that I needed to get away from whoever it was.

I heard my name being called, but that didn’t help anything. I just ran towards the house, thinking that if I just got inside everything would be okay. I don’t know who was following me or what they wanted with me, but I knew that I wasn’t going to stick around and find out. I was going to just see what happened.

Getting to my door, I pulled it open and looked beside me to the car. It was still pulled in my neighbor’s driveway and I hoped that I had this all wrong and they were there for them.

As I went inside I peeked out the front window and the car stayed for a moment and then took off down the road. No one got out of the car to knock on the door of the neighbor’s house and that told me that they weren’t there for the Fishers. They were there for me, but why?

“What in the world is wrong with you? Are you hallucinating or something?”

Mariss’ voice pulled me out of my thoughts and I looked behind me and nodded that everything was okay.

“You don’t look okay. What is going on?”

“I don’t know. I think someone followed me here.”

She waved me off like I had lost my mind. “You’re a school teacher Danny, who is going to follow you?”

It was a good question, one I didn’t have an answer to, yet I knew that I was right. There was something going on. I wasn’t a paranoid person so I had to think that there was a reason that I was feeling this way.

“I don’t know Mariss, but something isn’t right.”

My roommate looked concerned. She didn’t look concerned for my wellbeing though. I think Mariss was more concerned about my sanity and that had me shutting up. There was no way that I was going to let that slip again.

***

A little while later, there was a knock at the door and I about jumped out of my skin. I could only think of the men in that black car and wonder if that was who was on the other side of it. What would happen if I went to the door?

“Are you going to get it?”

Mariss was looking at me with the insanity look again and I smiled, telling her that I was just fine. I didn’t want to tell her that obviously I was losing my mind. I think she would have accepted that more than the truth.

“No, I think I’m going to keep going through my bills.  Do you want to get it? It’s probably for you anyways.”

I felt bad leaving her to answer it, but I was frozen in place and would have just waited for whoever it was to leave instead of finding out. I was that freaked out, even though if they were here to ‘get’ me, I’m sure they wouldn’t have knocked. But that was rational thought and I didn’t have much of that going on at the moment.

“I’m not here by the way.”

I hoped that was enough to say and I waited, straining my ears to hear who it was. I couldn’t discern the muffled conversation, but it seemed as if everything was okay. No one was looking for me.

Then Mariss came in. “Um Danny, I think you might want to come out here and see who it is.”

My heart was beating hard in my chest as I got up and made my way to the door. I was sure that this was going to be those guys, here to take me away, but to where and for what was still a mystery.

“Mack, what are you doing here?”

“I missed a few calls and I wanted to come see how you were. I missed you.”

I hadn’t heard from him in several days and now he was here in front of me all of a sudden. I wasn’t dressed for it and I looked down at myself. I looked at mess and I tried to hide myself a little bit behind the door.

“I didn’t know you were coming Mack. I would have done something with myself.”

He told me that it wasn’t necessary.

“Do you want to come in?”

“No, I was hoping that we could go out.”

“I have work tomorrow and I can’t stay gone all night again.”

He chuckled and told me that he would have me home at a decent time. Mack had something on his mind, but he wasn’t spilling it and I was going to have to work for the answers apparently.

After all this time with him not answering his phone, I had told myself that when I saw him again I was going to give him a talking to. I didn’t appreciate how he had left me hanging like he did, but now I was just feeling all fluttery, hoping that he was going to put his hands on me again. I was so embarrassed of that feeling and hope. How weak was I really? When it came to Mack, I didn’t like the answer all that much.

“Of course, come in. I just don’t know what to say. I thought you had taken off and I wouldn’t see you again.”

“It wasn’t that way at all. I just had some business to attend to.”

“Well let me get my coat and something else on. I will be back out in a few minutes.”

“Will do”, he hollered behind me and I tried to slow my heart. Why did I get so worked up every time I was around him? It didn’t make sense, but nothing with Mack ever did.

For a time, anticipating us seeing each other, I forgot all about the dark cars and the men in suits calling out my name. I was only focused on Mack and the attraction that was palpable between us.