What's Said in Silence

Sera-XXIV

After the first two and a half weeks in this house alone, I was beginning to go stir crazy. It would be another two days before Vessel was due home. As much as I hated to admit it, mostly due to the way he brushed me off, I missed his presence. I tried to convince myself that it was the sense of security that I missed and not him, but I was growing tired of lying to myself. I was supposed to be the one person I could admit my truths to and yet I had done the opposite. It's become an exhausting task. 

It was time for me to go back to the shops to do some actual shopping. Sustaining myself on junk for the last couple of weeks was one thing. Not having anything to make for dinner when he returned home was another. From what I gathered, he had been busy in the US and the last thing I wanted was for him to come home hungry and there be nothing for him. 

Domesticated, much?

I shrugged the negative thought away. This was never the way I saw my life going but its where I was. So, I may as well do my best at it. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before forcing myself out of the front door. 

The walk down to the shops was nerve racking, but the beautiful scenery of the countryside made up for it. The foliage of the trees were starting to take on an orange hue and the ground was covered in reds and browns. I stopped to pick up one leaf that had already fallen. It was still green in the center but yellowed towards its edges with the very tips of them a light orange, it had fallen prematurely.  

Fall used to be my favorite time of year. It was when I could get the best pictures with minimal editing. The trees were always my favorite thing to photograph in the fall. It was almost like they told a story about how a new time was coming, so the old must fade away, but it did so in the most beautiful sense. 

I carried the leaf with me, deciding I would press it in a book when I returned to the house. After ten minutes or so, the shops came into view and I sighed with relief. I really needed to invest in a bike at the very least. 

I picked up a basket and started strolling through the isles, picking up the necessities for the upcoming week. I had bent down to pick up a package of pork chops when the hair on the back of my neck prickled up. I turned around, looking in all directions, but seeing nothing suspicious. It could have just been my paranoia getting the best of me. Regardless, I made my shopping quick.

The wind had picked up outside, whipping my hair in all directions. The bags of groceries kept threatening to slip from my grasp, nearly making me trip a couple of times. Nevertheless, I still made it home much faster than usual.

I fumbled with the keys before finally sliding them in and twisting the lock. Once I was inside and had triple checked the lock, only then did my breathing finally return to normal. I looked down at the bags of groceries on the floor. I hauled them into the kitchen and began putting the cold products in the fridge. 

My phone vibrated in my back pocket and my breath caught in my throat. I hadn't heard from Vessel since he left, not that I would have given much of a response anyways, but I had thought he might at least check in. I finished putting the groceries away before pulling out my phone, fighting back the excited feeling growing in my chest. I shouldn't be giddy over him texting me, especially considering how he reacted after our kiss. 

Unknown: 1 Image 

Unknown: Just as beautiful as I remember.

The giddiness evaporated. With trembling hands, I tapped on the message and waited for the picture to load. The loading circle spun for what seemed like hours before finally showing me the full image. Bile rose in the back of my throat and my heart plummeted to the floor. It was a picture of me... In the street... Holding a leaf. 

Time stood still as I gawked at the picture. He had been there, watching me. He may have even followed me to the shops. Which means he could have followed me here. In a flash of panic I forced my feet to move and ran around the house shutting every blind and checking every lock. I turned every light off, which didn't make much of a difference considering sunlight still poured in through the cracks of the blinds. 

I scurried back into the kitchen and grabbed the largest knife we had and sank down behind the bar. My heart pounded in my chest and blood roared in my ears. Seconds turned to minutes as I sat there on the floor, listening intently for anything besides me to make a sound in the house. 

It occurred to me that I should send a screenshot of the message to Jessie so I reached in my back pocket for my phone, only to find it wasn't there. I glanced around the kitchen frantically trying to remember where I put it. Without getting off the floor, I peered around the bar into the living room. On the coffee table was my phone. I must have set it down without realizing it in my haste. Damn.

I debated running to grab it. I probably could and all of this wasn't necessary. I was fully aware I might have been psyching myself out and being over dramatic. However, if there was anything I learned from horror movies, it was the dumbasses that went for the stupid phone that got caught. 

So there I stayed, knife clenched in both fists, until the sun faded away and I was left in a dark, empty kitchen. I wasn't sure of the time anymore, but it was pitch black in the house. Only a small stream of light from the moon poured into the living room. My ears began to ring from the prolonged silence. 

That is until I heard the sound of gravel crunching outside and the familiar sound of a car door being shut. A lump formed in my throat as I felt the familiar rush of adrenaline course through my body. The quiet jiggle of a lock being turned was as loud as gunshots to me. He had always been a master at picking locks. I cursed myself for not barricading the door. 

The front door let out an eerie creak as it swung open and shut again. The sound of the lock being turned back echoed through the house, followed by muffled footsteps. This was it. I had been found. He was going to drag me back and punish me for getting him caught all those years ago. 

Not without a fight, first.

I stood up and tip-toed to the edge of the kitchen until one eye peaked around the corner. I worked to steady my breathing as I listened to the foot steps that came down the hall parallel to me. A dark figure appeared through the entrance way. Immediately, I reacted, lifting the knife high in the air and bolting out from around the corner, ready to strike down on this asshole. 

He reacted just as fast, grabbing the wrist I held the knife with in one hand and my shoulder in the other hand. In one swift motion, he swung us around until my back hit the wall, knocking the wind out of me. He pinned my wrist against the wall high enough to where I couldn't get any leverage. 

"Drop it." He demanded, only it wasn't the voice I expected to hear.

Vessel?