Hush

Chapter five

It could be there you know, The voice some where inside my head whispered, That could be him at every car that drove past the side walk, It could be hiding there it taunted near every garbage can or hedge that I passed, shut up I told it, we moved out of the state, It will never find us and unrelenting, un-forgiving  still it came again. How do you know?

My breath rose like smoke in the mid September air, It was one of those days where the sun shone brightly above but it was still cold, the sun was not warming me it just hung in the air teasing, big and bright and yellow, like an advertisment  of something you want but can not have, a preview of summer.

A man walks his dog on the side walk my steps halt, for a moment, getting slower and slower as he nears. That could be him you know. I looked around wanting desperately to find Crayola's tail sticking out from behind a hedge, her paws to run across the pavement. The mans dog paused and sniffed the ground That could be him, stalling, waiting. I Stopped by the alley way and looked for the cat snapping my fingers, the way I get her attention. My heel scraped against the gravel when I stumbled, I caught my balance reminded my self not to put to much wait on my left. Then I realized, I wasn't wearing shoes and thats why me feet were so damn cold no duh Levi. I looked up and down the alleyway not wanting to look through crates and the maze of junk in the shadowed corners I stepped onto the side walk and kept going snapping as I went , The man was a lot closer now his dogs footsteps made soft noises on the concrete The man's hat pulled low over is face so I couldn't see, it played with the nightmarish path on which my imagination was running on. The voice growing more breathless and frantic That could be him coming, faster. No, shut up voice leave me alone. Faster faster. I took another step a needle prodded the inside of my foot every time I step, a figurative needle where It had put its knife, like a nail through the center, into the floor .

"You can not escape" It said. And I had not  replied I had said nothing only screamed. 

And that man coming closer, closer could be him.

I took a step back, Crayola will be fine I tell myself just fine. I want to run but I cant', I just stand there and watch him come.

Like a clock ticking in my chest my pulse struck midnight.

The dog, A burly German Shepperd stopped, sniffed the ground and started  barking I shook every time, Its tail wagged and it pulled its leash to the side.

"Hey"  Came a voice beneath that hat.

"Hey Russ, leave it alone";

With one hand still clasping the leash he knelt by the shrub and pulled out a little scrap of black fur known as Crayola. The strangers hat tilted upward, Its face savage and brutal was  not  under it,  just a harmless old man, He walked a few paces forward,

"This your cat?"

I nodded My lungs which seemed to have been tied in a knot loosed and let me breath again. Fear which had grasped my heart like an icy claw let go.

The man came forward,the kitten outstretched in his hand, struggling  to keep his dog under control. I took her with both hands and held her against me. Her fur was damp and hugging her skinny little frame, mewing pitifully she didn't even bother to claw me, not even once. I looked up at the stranger hoping he could tell I was grateful, I wanted to say thank you, the words stopped stuck halfway in my throat then drowned as I swallowed. His forehead creased and a frown replaced his previous expression, " Are you alright?" I became aware again of the sweat dripping down my face, my shivering hands clutching the kitten and my feet standing on frozen pavement, bare with old wounds reopened.

"Are you alright?" he repeated a little louder, I looked up at him and while my eyes threatened to start watering and the rest of me threatening to pass out. I opened my mouth with words ready to spill from a fountain of regret No, no I'm not please help me! I didnt say that though, what could he do anyway? I looked up and nodded, and lied. Im fine thank you.