Stranger's Eyes

Chapter 4

The next morning, after breakfast, Tyler was looking in the briefcase fumbling around, whilst I sat reading again. I couldn't focus, I kept thinking about what he had told me yesterday, and I kept staring at his drawings. They were so beautifully drawn. So real. I wondered how his sister's death affected him.

A knock at the door, startled me back to reality. I froze. Tyler froze too and stared at me with wide eyes.

"Keep quiet." He whispered.

He looked through the spy hole of the door.

"Stay there, don't move." I was already standing in the middle of the room at this point. If it was the masked man, I couldn't take anymore. He took a key from his front pocket, and opened the door slowly, and carefully.

"Yes, can I help you?" Tyler asked suspiciously.

"Morning Sir, I was just patrolling the area, I'm a sheriff in the nearby town. I noticed some lights on last night, and wanted to check it out, as no-one has lived here in a few years." The sheriff, was an older man in his 60's probably, grey hair. He stood there and was staring right at me, through the gap in the door.

"Erm...yes, we are just staying a little while to get away from the city, have a break. It's actually my uncle's place, he never uses it." His voice was a little shaky.

"Oh...you and er...

"Me and my er...wife." Ty interrupted.

Wife?!

I could feel my feet taking me closer to the door. Could this be my chance? My one chance to break free. He was standing just a few feet from me. Should I say something? Or make a signal?

Before I could do anything, he'd already noticed something, he had a worried look on his face.

My face! He's seen my wound on my face!

"Oh, thats a nasty bruise and cut you got there miss."

This was it, my one chance, I could run to the door and tell him everything!

Instead I stood there frozen, no words could come out my mouth. What was wrong with me?!

Tyler looked at me, and then to the sheriff. "Er...yeah she fell when we went on a little hiking trip up the mountains." Tyler said, looking agitated.

"She'll be ok though, wont you?" He looked at me with bitter eyes.

"Oh you poor thing, well, I hope it doesn't hurt too much, these mountains can be harsh... anyways, i'll let you get back to your day. You have a good one." He nodded at me, and started backing off.

"Wait!" I shouted, startling the both of them. My lips trembled. I was standing next to Tyler now. I tried to think of what to say, but my mind went blank. I needed to tell him! The sheriff turned back, and looked at me.

Tyler looked at me too, with fear and anger moving across his face. Within a blink of an eye, he maneuvered my arm so quickly so that it was now behind my back. He squeezed my wrist so hard, I tried not to make a sound. I just stood there, and failed, staring at the sheriff like i'd become a mute. I'd lost all control. It was like there was a huge brick wall in front of me, and I had nowhere to go, and still couldn't get any more words out. Tyler smiled politely at the sheriff, and let out a little chuckle.

"Oh she was probably thinking of food, do you know any good places to eat near here?" He said it so easygoing, and casual, it sounded so believable.

"Well, actually yeah theres a great bbq place up on lime ridge road, in the nearby town, you should check it out, if you like that sort of thing." The sheriff replied.