Fear (Book One of Fear Series)

Chapter Four: The Panic

   I was still screaming and Sammy was barking his head off. More shots were fired near me and the man—still very much alive—practically tackled me and kicked the door closed behind us. The gunshots subsided almost immediately and he got off of me quickly.

  I was still on the floor, curled up and crying like a baby.

   “Call 911! Call 911!” I screamed. I had just witnessed another person’s death. Another murder. Though I didn’t even know her name, it was bringing back even more dark memories.

  The stranger knelt on the floor beside me. Sammy growled and the man didn’t dare move any closer in fear of the sharp teeth that now threatened his well being from that point forward.

  “Zoe. . .” he said, his voice concerned and caring, but shaking with his own shock and fright. “I need you to get up and sit on the couch. I’ll get you a glass of water and some tissues, but I need you to call off your dog. I don’t intend to die tonight as well.”

  “What is going on?” I screamed. “Who are you? Who was just shooting at us?”

  “Please, Zoe. Just tell your dog to leave me alone while I try to help you.”

  “How do you know my name?” I was writhing on the floor, my eyes flooded with seemingly never ending tears.

  “Zoe, please!” There was panic in his voice; panic that I understood; panic that I had felt before.

  “Sammy, here!” I held out my hand and my dog came to me. I buried my face in his fur.

  “Thank you,” he breathed.

  “Kitchen’s that way,” I choked as I jerked my thumb over my right shoulder. He got up and hurried into the other room.

   I dragged myself to the couch and curled up with my blanket and Sammy and continued to cry. Sammy whimpered in sympathy. I closed my eyes and I saw my father’s face as he mouthed his last word—run. I shook my head. I couldn’t think about that right now. It was just too much.

  The man came back with a glass of water and a box of tissues. I jumped as he tapped my shoulder and gave me the glass and carefully set the tissues next to me.

   He sat in the armchair opposite of me. I blew my nose and sipped the water. He put his head in his hands, moving one of his hands through his dirty blonde hair periodically. I studied his sharp face and lean figure, trying to figure out who he was and what in the world he was doing here. I probably would’ve thought that he was good looking at the time if the circumstances had been different. I guessed that he was about twenty-five or so, but that was about as much as I could get from just looking at him. As much as I tried to read him, I couldn’t. He was just too confusing.

  When I finished the glass of water, I closed my eyes and took several deep breaths. I controlled myself to the point where I believed that I could speak. I cleared my throat and he looked up, his soft, blue eyes startlingly kind.

  “You have a lot of questions to answer.” I said hoarsely.

  “I know,” he nodded. “This can’t be easy for you.”

  “And it is for you?” I interrupted. “We just watched someone die. We just got shot at by who knows who and you’re acting like this a regular occurrence.”

  He looked down soberly.

  “I’ll answer your questions,” he said after a minute or so of silence. “We’re safer now.”