Haven

4. Fear

It took a week for Norah to finally settle into the beach house and way of life. She spent a lot of time at home, writing her story and reading novels Wendy kept recommending her. It had only been a week and her reading list was as high as the kitchen table. Every morning, she got up and jogged into town for a coffee before she started her day.

Olivia was beginning to know her routine and her latte was now waiting for her when she walked through the door. The weekend had been busy, the tourists came in droves and Norah avoided the town at that time. She wasn’t a big fan of crowds, they often left her feeling frustrated and a little claustrophobic.

One thing that hadn’t settled was her irrational fear of Daniel showing up. She kept a small bag in the back of her closet, filled with money and clothes in case she needed to run again. Something she hoped wouldn’t happen.

The weekend was over and Norah put on her sneakers to go for a run. Standing up from the bed, she tucked the kitchen knife in the top drawer of her bedside table. She found she slept better knowing it was close by and if she woke in the night, it was the first thing she checked, the cold of the blade easing her fears.

Locking the front door, she started running down the long drive way, her legs still stiff from sleep. The first day she had started running again, her legs had seized up, unused to the sandy terrain. She was a bit out of shape, but she was slowly getting back into her routine. All the coffee and chocolate had taken its toll, but she wasn’t going to stop consuming them. Not a chance in hell.

She reached the main road and stuck close the edge. It was a ten minute run into town so she would pass through and go up the cliffs on the other side for a real workout before heading back into town for her coffee. Her breathing grew heavier as she passed through the town, waving to some of the locals who were beginning to recognise her. She didn’t know their names but they always sent her a smile so she would return the favour.

The path to the cliffs came into view and she started to mentally brace herself. It was a fair hike and she still had to stop halfway for a breather every day. Today, she wanted to make it with no breathers. It was going to kill her but she was determined. The path grew steep quickly and she focused on her breathing, keeping her eyes down. Looking ahead and seeing the way to go was always a motivation killer.

Her legs started screaming in protest and she pushed harder, secretly loving the feeling which told her she was doing a real workout. Twenty minutes later, the ground levelled out and she laughed in relief. For the last three minutes she had been groaning in pain but she refused to give up. Looking around, she glanced over the top of the cliffs and at the ocean grinning in triumph. She’d done it.

Heart pounding, she stretched out her legs, waiting for her breathing to even out a little more before starting the walk back down. She wanted to stay and savour the moment, but her stomach was demanding food. The sound of the ocean was muted by the cliffs and blended with the sound of the wind blowing through the green and straw coloured long grass. It was a simple but pretty path and at this time of morning, there was no one around and Norah felt peaceful, as though she were the only person around for miles and her troubles were long forgotten. Apart from writing, it was becoming her favourite time of the day. The grass on the cliffs was still wet with morning dew and she breathed in the fresh smell.

By the time she had reached the main street, her breathing had slowed and her heartbeat had returned to normal. The bells tinkled as she stepped into the café and Olivia was waiting with her coffee and croissant. “Wow, you’re early today.”

“Didn’t stop today,” she grabbed the bottle of water from the fridge and took a swig before grabbing her breakfast and sitting in her favourite place by the window.