Book 1: Valentina

Chapter 22

3 months earlier

I ran from the cabin with Marco yelling after me to come back, but I couldn't, I wouldn't dare turn around and run back into his arms. That would make me to comfortable in a place that I only wanted to leave, I couldn't stay. I ran until  got to a gas station to use the pay phone, I left my phone sitting in that damn chair.

About an hour later I stepped out of the cab and paid the driver, walking up those stairs, something felt off. Usually the porch light was on or even the light in the front room, but it was dark and quiet. I reached into my bag to get my keys but as soon as I reached for the lock someone grabbed my hand.

"Don't open that door." came a faint voice.

I turned and saw Mrs. Khan, the small old lady that lived next door to us, she looked frightened just staring straight at the door, apprehensively. To be honest she'd scared me because I didn't hear her come up the stairs.

"Mrs. Khan what's wrong?" I asked.

" You can't go inside, just come to my house, I've already called the police, they're on the way ." She said quickly pulling me back down the stairs.

"I don't  understand what's going on?" I asked following her steps.

She didn't answer me, she just pulled me across the street to her home, she was walking like she was in a rush, I was having a hard time falling into the rhythm of her small yet quick feet. We finally stopped in front  of her door where she ripped her keys from her pocket and pushed me inside  and looked back across the street to mine.

I'd never been inside her house and I'd only seen her leave out of here a few times and now I understood why, Mrs. Khan was a big time, Cat Lady. There were cats everywhere and I almost felt like I was in heaven, until she dragged me into a room that was cat free. She sat in front of me with her hands folded on top of her lap wearing a frightened expression.

"Mrs. Khan, why can't I go to into my home?" I asked.

She rubbed her arm and then got up, a few minutes later with a platter with tea things, sugar cubes, tea cups, a kettle and tea bags. She sat the tray down on the little table in front of us and began preparing the tea.

"About an hour ago, I was watering the tulips in the window, upstairs in my room. How many cubes?" she asked looking up briefly.

How fancy in this, I usually just dump a bag of sugar into my tea. I thought.

"Um, two. Thanks." I said grabbing the tea cup from her shaking hands.

"You're welcome dear. But I have to continue, when I was watering my plants, I just so happened to look out and I saw this guy walking up the stairs to your grandma's house, at first I thought it was the guy that'd been there, the Hispanic one? But then I got a closer look nd noticed that he was darker and looked more rugged. And then he punched the front light out, that's why your porch light wasn't on, and then he climbed up the side of your house into your room. He's been there since." she said.

"Are you sure?" I asked, no doubt scared out of my mind.

"I maybe old, but I'm not senile, I know what I saw, your grandmother should be here shortly, you can sit in here." she said.

" Umm, actually I need to use the bathroom, can you tell me where it is?" I asked sitting the tea cup on the table and wiping my hands on my thighs.

" Upstairs, second door to the right." she said pointing towards the staircase.

I took slow, steady steps to the bathroom,, trying to figure out who the fuck was in my room and why they broke in , in the first place. I used the bathroom and washed my hands, I was walking down the hall when a little black and white kitten rubbed up against my leg, I knelt down and rubbed between her ears, I stood back up when I heard the door downstairs close.