Burning Ember

Chapter 6

Ivy and I stood in the driveway hugging. Her bags already in the trunk of her rental as she readied to leave. "I'm going to miss you," I told her.

"I'm going to miss you more, and you need to keep me updated on things with Hale. Don't let that one go, I mean it," she replied, glaring sternly at me.

"Okay, maybe I won't miss you that much," I joked.

Ivy huffed, "Whatever, I know you're going to miss me." I couldn't help but laugh, even under the threat of tears over her departure. Those moments we spent together, just like old times, had been truly special. "I gotta get going, don't want to miss my flight. Take care of yourself, will you?"

"I will. Let me know when you get in, okay? I love you." I hugged her one last time as she got into the car and rolled the window down.

"I will, I love you too," she said, and then she was gone.

As I stepped into the house, a wave of loneliness washed over me. Ivy's presence had filled the space with light and laughter, leaving it feeling hollow now that she was gone. Even though she could frustrate the ever-loving hell out of me sometimes, her absence was deeply felt. She left me with a lot of things to think about, and I know she was only pressing me to get out of the house more, and meet people because she cares. I used to be social and fun, and liked going out, and now after everything, I was more of a recluse. As for Hale, and the whole issue of potentially dating, I was still unsure. I was undoubtedly attracted to him, as I imagine any woman with eyes would be with his dark combed hair, and those eyes, so piercing and blue. The clean cut of his jaw that was riddled with dark stubble. His muscles and tattoos, but I was afraid. Putting myself out there again and potentially getting my heart broken or worse—I didn't think I could handle any more pain.

Days slipped by in silence. I lay in bed, my mind awash with relentless thoughts, as sleep eluded me once more. With Ivy around, the house's creaks were easily dismissed as her stirring in her sleep, but her absence left me without an excuse. I had been listening to slow creaks that echoed from the attic, almost like someone was slowly pacing, when a sudden thud from downstairs jolted me to attention and my gaze shifted from the ceiling to the door. On high Alert, I thought of Gabriel whose presence had become a constant in my mind. Familiar with every loose board, I navigated the hallway with deliberate steps, avoiding any noise. Peering into the foyer from my vantage point, I stood motionless, watching, waiting, as minutes stretched on.

From the living room, a hooded figure in black appeared. From their build I could tell it was a man. I pressed myself against the wall with my hand clamped over my mouth. The urge to scream was powerful, but fear silenced me; I didn't dare breathe, lest the intruder heard me. He began ascending the stairs, each step deliberate and cautious as if they were testing for sound. I crept down the hallway and made my way to the attic stairs. In my panic, I realized I'd left my phone charging in my bedroom. Desperate not to succumb to panic, I looked for a hiding spot, guessing the shadows would conceal me best. Tucked away at the back of the house, where the roof's slope met the floor, I saw a dark area to hide in. I crouched under the rafters and squeezed into the corner. My heart thundered in my ears as I strained to hear any sound. Weaponless, phoneless, I couldn't fight, I was a sitting duck.

A creak on the stairs was a clear sign they were ascending to the third floor. Tears blurred my vision as I fought to calm my breathing. My view was partly blocked by a thick wooden rafter, yet the sight of heavy black boots moving from room to room was unmistakable. It was evident they were looking for me; this was no ordinary burglary. As the boots halted in front of my hiding spot, I held my breath. 'He can't see me, he can't see me,' I repeated in my mind, trying to will it into reality.

He crouched and tilted his head. I remained motionless though my lungs were screaming for air. I resisted the urge to breathe, but the threat of fainting loomed. A sharp inhale betrayed me, and he pounced, seizing my ankle. Yanked from concealment into the attic's moon lit expanse, he overpowered me as I cried out for help, though there was no one around to hear me for miles. Aside from Hale, but even then, he was probably too far to hear my screams as I inevitably got murdered.

The intruder's face was hidden behind a stark white, featureless mask, his eyes were solid black—terrifying and surely the work of contacts. A gloved finger pressed to the mask's lips signaled silence. Trembling with terror, I tried to brace for the worst. Pinned down, my legs flailed helplessly under his weight as a sob broke from me. He wiggled his finger back and forth as he tilted his head to the side again like he was seeing right through me. His knees were on either side of me as his boots held my legs down. "Please," I sobbed, "Please, don't so this."

The shattering sound of glass downstairs caused him to quickly lift and look over his shoulder. He turned back, staring down at me before he let go and fled back down the stairs. I pushed myself up and pressed against the wall paralyzed with fear. My lungs couldn't pull in air fast enough and I frozen. It was only after what felt like an hour of silence that I mustered the courage to stand. I knew I needed to reach my phone and call for help, so I dashed down the stairs, bolted into my room without a thought for stealth, and locked the door. I called emergency services and stayed on the line as instructed. Peering out the window, the reassuring glow of red and blue lights finally approached the house. I made my way downstairs and rushed outside to the safety of the officers.

After I recounted the events to them, I allowed them to search the house. They combed through the entire property but didn't find any trace of the intruder. The only evidence of an intrusion was a shattered red glass goblet and a chilling note on the table that read, 'Hiding won't save you.' I was certain the intruder hadn't broken the goblet since that occurred while they were upstairs. So, the question remained: who did? The note was clearly from the intruder, and despite its unsettling nature, it instilled in me a sense of resolve because they were right—hiding wasn't going to save me.

The following day, I called the number for the general store and asked Martha for Hale's number. She gave it to me without question, and I called him.

"Hello," his husky voice answered.

"Hey Hale, It's Ember. Sorry to bother you, I got your number from your mom, but I was hoping I could take you up on that offer for a security system?"

"Oh, hey, yeah of course. When are you wanting to set it up?"

"As soon as possible, today if you can."

"Is everything alright?"

"No . . . not really," I said, fighting back tears. I was still terrified, and I could still clearly see those black eyes and mask.

"Okay, it's okay. I'll be right over."

"Okay, thank you." I hung up the phone and waited on the porch. Hale arrived within thirty minutes of our phone call and carried a large box of equipment to the porch. He set it aside on the steps as he walked over.

His face showed concern as he asked, "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

I nodded. "Someone broke in last night."

His eyes flared as he moved to put his hand on my shoulder. "What? Are you okay? Did they hurt you?" he asked in rapid succession.

"I'm okay, and no, they didn't, well I think they were planning on it, but a glass broke downstairs, and then they ran." Hale pulled me into his arms, hugging me tight. It was more comforting than I had expected as I sunk in, a few tears escaping onto his shirt.

His hands rubbed my back, as he said, "I'm so sorry Ember, but I'm glad you're okay." He pulled back, running his hand through his hair as he blew out a full breath.

"It's okay, I'm just a bit of a mess today. It really freaked me out," I admitted as I paced the porch.

"Well, I'm going to get you fixed up, so this won't happen again." Hale grabbed his box of equipment and got to work. He installed sensors on all the doors and windows, even up on the second floor. Cameras on the front, back and sides of the house, and lastly installed a console in the foyer and showed me how to set up the passkey. I felt a little more secure, but the fear was still present. I thanked him profusely for everything he had done before he left. He told me to feel free to call him at any time if I ever needed anything. I hoped I wouldn't have to but trusted that he would be there for me if I did.