Beneath the Fear

Chapter Two

I've finally made it home, after many failed attempts at hailing a cab and getting splashed by every passing vehicle. I scurry up the steps to my four story apartment building. Of course I was at the very top! I scrambled for my keys as thoughts of Dante went through my mind. I still don't understand what it is about him but I must see him again. After dropping my bag, I slide the key into the lock and give it a twist. I hear the phone inside my apartment ringing as I push through the door. I run to the phone that was perched upon my red stained end table and just as I pick up the phone I hear a 'click" on the other end. The number was unknown but whoever it was, it wasn't important because they never left a voicemail. I drop my things on the kitchen table and scurry to the shower. Just what I needed to get the thoughts or 'Mr. Dark and Mysterious' out if my mind.

I reach down and turn off the shower and just as I stumble out I hear my cell phone ringing this time. I fumble through the hall and rummage through my purse. Finally I feel the vibrating electronic in the palm of my hand. I swipe the screen and say "Hello?" On the other end I hear deep heavy breathing but no one is talking. "Hello?" I say again. But still nothing. I listen for something in the background but all I hear is the strong breath of someone on the other line, followed by a 'Click'. I take my phone away from my ear and stare at it with a blank, scared face. "Who was that?" I thought to myself. I creep thought my hallway out to my door and reach for the lock and give it a twist. Just as I turn around I get a cold breeze across my neck. It was coming from somewhere. But where? I walked into my bedroom, following the breeze. When I get in there I notice the window is open and my curtains are blowing with the breeze as rain came spraying in through my window. I reach up and close the window and decide to get a glass of wine before I call it a night.

Just as I was finishing the last drop of wine I hear a knock on my door. Who could it be at 4:00 in the morning? I run over and peer through the peep hole. Standing in the hallway awaiting my appearance, was my best friend Alex. I open the door and give her a hug. I almost have to stand on my tip toes to reach her. Alex was very tall and slender. She had long black hair with the perfect amount of curl wishing towards her face. She had bright green eyes that stared through a pair of black thick rimmed glasses. I pulled her into my apartment and checked the hallway before closing the door and locking it tight. I decide to tell Alex all about my mysterious phone calls and all about Dante as well. After all, she is my best friend. "Why are you stopping by so late?" I ask. Alex looks back at me as if I'm crazy. "The last I seen you I was just about to pull over and pick you up out if this dreadful weather and you were crawling in a cab. " "What's so strange about that?" I say with a confused look on my face. "That wasn't the strange part." She says. "The strange part was the tall man standing behind you watching your every move. I had to make sure you made it home." I just stare at her with a puzzled look on my face. "What did he look like?" I finally say. "Well besides the fact of being tall and dangerous looking. He had dark hair that was a little shaggy but seemed to fit in place just right. Looked to have dark eyes but I'm unsure of anything else. But he looked like he wanted to crawl in bed with you."

"Elena? Elena!? You in there!?" I came back to my senses as I hear Alex screaming at me. She looks at me a little confused and says "Do you know the man or what?" I just stare back and quietly say "No I don't think so." I press my back up against the couch and think to myself. Could it really be? Dante.

We finish up our conversation as I'm nodding in and out. Finally Alex gets up to head home. She leans down and gives me a hug and than pulls me up to send me to bed. We say our goodbyes and she disappears with a bang of the door. I trudge into my bedroom and pull back the covers. Within minutes I'm drifting off.

"Dante. Why are you here?" I wake myself and realize I must have been dreaming. But why was it about him? Out of all people. Him. What was it about this guy? My brain just would not shut off and allow me to drift back to sleep. I lid there wide eyed, staring at the ceiling. I start to feel a breeze and than I got the chills. I bolt upright and remember about my window being open. I know for sure that I had closed it. I was almost too afraid to move. Finally I get the nerve up to walk over and close my window that mysteriously opened. I reach up and grab the window and slide it down with a 'creak'. I lock the latch and feel a hot breeze across my neck. It felt like someone was there. I slowly turn around to see a set of dark hazel eyes staring back at me. "Dante?"