The Abyssal Kingdom: part 1

Chapter Five

After sleeping for what felt like weeks she awoke to the long summer nights and stress-free evenings as July began. Salantina had spent most of her time locked in her room with just the light from her computer. Ruby had managed to convince her to go swimming at the complex.

When she was getting ready in her room, voices echoed from downstairs. Immediately she recognized her mother's voice but there was a male voice she couldn't place. Groggily, she opened her bedroom door just enough to hear better.

'Thank you so much for helping me. I really appreciate it. Please do come in for tea some evening when you're passing.' Salantina's mum said politely to the person in the hallway.

'It's no problem at all and thank you for your very kind offer. I don't want to be imposing on you and your family.' A deep male voice replied with a Midland European accent. 

'Oh no, you wouldn't be imposing at all. You're always welcome. Thank you again. I would have been stuck for another while if you weren't passing.' Salantina's mother said gratefully, and the front door closed. Her mother went into the kitchen and Salantina to the window to look out. There it was, the same white Golf that passed her the day she went for a walk with her sister almost two months ago.

Why is he in my driveway?  Bella was at her feet rubbing her nose on her hand. She looked down and noticed the markings were appearing now without water... it was faded but visible. Staring in disbelief, she watched it disappear. During exams, she had taught herself to forget about it but it never went away. Shaking off her anxiety, they ran down the stairs.

'Who was that I heard?' Salantina asked out of breath now standing in the doorway of the kitchen.

'Oh, that was our neighbor David!' Her mother appeared a little flushed pulling things out of cupboards. 'I got a flat tire at the end of the road and he helped me change it. What a sweet man. Your father wasn't answering his phone and I wouldn't have been able to move it on my own.' Even with her mother now singing appraisals for him, something didn't feel right.

'That was very nice of him to help you like that.' She studied her mother's face looking for any signs of suspicion. Nothing came. 

'Oh, before I forget, I met Ruby. She said you two are going back to the pool today, you must be excited. I'm going to make you girls a good lunch now before I go to work.' She sounded more excited than Salantina. I guess the scholarship win proved it wasn't a waste of energy.

'Thanks, Mum I'll ask Ruby to come up afterwards.'

Noticing the time, Salantina grabbed a banana from the fruit bowl in the kitchen and ran upstairs to get her bag packed. She felt a stinging in her hand where the green line appeared moments ago and flexed her hand walking out the front door.

Salantina sent a text to Ruby saying she was heading off now. She was early, so just decided to take her time and stroll. Her feet carried her down the country road, away from her home, looking up at the green trees. Summer was in full swing now. 

As Salantina was walking the white golf car slowly approached her.

Nervously she stepped off the road to let her neighbor David pass. Her chest felt tight as he drove past at the same speed as when they met him on the bridge two months ago. Looking out at her was the same aggrieved look. Although she felt scared with no place now to run, she nodded this time and the sides of his mouth pulled up to an awkward smile returning the nod.

After he had passed her just a meter ahead, she noticed the car had stopped. Panicked she quickened her pace progressing into a run. Once onto the main road, there was more traffic and she felt safer. There was no sign of David following. Her hair was in her eyes, and when she pushed it away she noticed the green mark back on her skin. Feeling alarmed, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed Ruby.

'Hello Salantina, sorry, just saw your message. I'm about to leave.' Ruby answered her phone after the first ring sounding out of breath.

'Hey Ruby, it's okay. I need to talk to you about something privately, can I come to yours?' Salantina asked unable to hide the shake in her voice.

'Yes, of course, do you want me to meet you?'

'I'm just walking past the old school now. I'm about a five-minute walk from your house,' She said now doing a better job of masking the shake.

'I'm walking out the door now. I'll meet you along the road.'

She took her phone down from her ear to hang up and noticed that the line had disappeared.  Inhaling a deep breath as relief but tears filled her eyes. What is happening to me?

Ruby met her just at the crossroad beside the lane to her house giving her a hug.

'Are you okay Sal? You sounded really shaken up.' She couldn't hide it anymore. Tears flooded down her face and between hiccups, she told her everything about the bite mark.

'I've just freaked myself out.' Salantina looked embarrassed now she was calming down. It was like a weight lifted from her shoulders. 

'We should ask someone about it. Maybe they can give you a cream or something to make the mark go away. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about.' Ruby was going into mother mode.

'I don't know, Ruby, let me think about it. I'm still feeling a little strange. Do you know my neighbor that lives in the forest past my aunt's house? I'm not sure if I'm being paranoid, but I feel like he's watching me lately.' Salantina felt foolish saying it out loud.

'Really? That's weird, have you said anything to your mum?' She was relieved Ruby believed her without questioning it... not even her sanity.

'No, it was strange, the last few times he passed in the car he stared at me intensely and then today my mum got a flat tire, he helped her and was in my house. I just get this weird feeling, I don't know how to describe it.' She spoke so fast it was like she was swallowing her words.

'That does sound strange. Look, I think you should say something to your mum if you are not feeling comfortable. I'll come with you if you want. She won't be mad or anything.' Ruby was good at talking and if Salantina was totally honest she would like Ruby to do all the talking to her mum for her. But that's the thing, Ruby didn't know her mum, not really. She had only ever seen the nice smiling version. 

'Let me just think about it all for a day or two before we start raising alarms.' Her chest felt tight again. Why couldn't this just go away on its own?

'Okay, if you're sure. Hey, how about we give swimming a miss today and just watch some movies at mine? I think we've been overworking ourselves for long enough.' Ruby was already directing Salantina towards her house, taking her by the sleeve and walking towards it.

'I'll agree with you today, but I should tell you my mum made us lunch so we could go pick it up later when we were hungry.' A day of watching movies with her mums cooking had them both smiling again.

*

That evening, when Salantina returned home, she was greeted by her Mum and Dad sitting together watching TV in the sitting room. It was the first time she had seen that in so long and her tummy felt warm. 

'Hello Salantina, good to have you home again. How was your day?' Her Mum called and opening the door her now tired body landed beside them on the armchair.

'It was good, spent the day with Ruby. We didn't end up going to the pool. We watched movies like normal teenagers,' Salantina replied, smiling at her mother who laughed in response.

'I'm glad you had a good day. I met David again this evening, he was giving me back some of the tools to my car earlier. He told me he tried to stop you on the road today to give them to you, but you ran past.' Salantina's mother said nonchalantly.

'Oh... I'm sorry I didn't even notice him.' Confused her face felt warm.

'Don't worry, I told him you're always on the run. Have you eaten? Dinners in the oven if you want to heat it up?' Jumping up instantly wanting to leave the awkwardness she walked into the other room.

After eating she went straight to bed. This time unable to sleep and lay awake for hours staring up at the ceiling, reflecting. Am I imagining this?