The Facilitator© First Published 2023

Chapter 1 - The New Neighbour

Author's Note:
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Open Novella Competition 2023

Prompt 61: "A new neighbor comes to town. Not a very social person, they hide out in their house every day, only leaving through tinted cars. Then, one night when you are going out, you look straight into the face of your idol.

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The SOLD sign appeared very quickly. It must have only been two weeks since the first Open For Inspection. There had been some level of interest in the old dilapidated two storey next door. Harry told Sue he thought it wouldn't sell at all, since it was a deceased estate and in such a run down and damaged condition.

It reminded him of a museum. Sort of Gothic run amok as the original house had been extended several times by various owners. This latest owner would later become known, in the neighbourhood, as Crazy Joe. He was a little weird. A lot weird Harry thought if pressed for an opinion. His wife, Sue, had been a little more forgiving.
Perhaps because she was home more.

She had made several attempts to get to know Joe over the last few weeks. But something about him just hadn't been quite right. Right from the start, he had made it quite clear that he wished to be left alone. She remembered how she had made a batch of her famous hot scones, complete with a small tub of homemade strawberry jam and a tub of freshly whipped cream, and happily taken it over to welcome him the day he had moved in.

He hadn't come to the door when she rang the lion head shaped doorbell so she left the plastic dinner plate on the front doorstep. It was still there when she returned after fetching a pen and paper from her house. She scribbled a quick welcome note and invitation to meet for a introductory drink with her and her husband, Harry.

The next day she was shocked to discover her present sitting atop Joe's dust-laden garbage bin. She had approached the house with some optimism that morning, expecting to meet her new neighbour who would thank her profusely for her thoughtful, generous and delicious gift. After all, that was how it was supposed to be wasn't it? Her going out of her way to be kind, and the recipient heaping praise upon their unknown benefactor.

As she got closer she noticed the curtains in the front window being drawn to. She wandered over to the bin and saw that her note was still sitting under the plate. Something in red had been scrawled across the bottom - 'Don't like scones give me wind.'

She found herself chuckling herself out of her disappointment and as she raised her head up from the note, she had the feeling that eyes were watching her. She wasn't entirely sure how to take this insult. She had been insulted a few times before on Facebook and Twitter, mostly due to her speaking her mind out loud in person, and in capitals on social media. But never about her cooking.

It was the one safe place she thought she had, security and peace in the certain knowledge that everyone thought her an excellent chef. After all, she had written several books and appeared as a guest on several lifestyle TV shows, and been a guest judge on a few of the better cooking shows. It was crazy, she knew, but why was she so upset by someone not liking her scones. Whoever was behind those curtains, the person she would later come to know as Crazy Joe, had wounded her. She was about to summon the courage to confront her attacker when the curtain was pulled back exposing a dishevelled individual. He was leering at her. She wheeled away in alarm, and thought she heard mottled laughter accompanying her hasty retreat to the safety of her spotless kitchen.