The Dark Stranger

Close encounter

"The Dark Stranger"
© VeGirl 2014

About a week later; a week of sassing from Eddie at work, Peter is looking a bit anxious as he walks into the lounge of our house, like he has something to say but doesn't know how to take the subject up.

"Noel asked if we could go out with them tomorrow."

"Yes?"

"Are you okay enough to go out, I mean with this creep stalking you?"

I had almost forgotten about that, especially with the last attack. "Sure, I'm okay," I lie and am surprised as how easy the lie rolls off my tongue. I plaster a fake smile on my face as a suffix.

"Great, I'll give him a call," Peter beams and walks off with the phone to his ear.

That next evening I sit alone on the back porch when Peter and his friends go out to the pub or wherever they were going. I told him I wasn't feeling so good and that they should go without me, and truth be told, I am glad to have them out of the house; the pre-party was enough for me and I was getting more and more annoyed by these guys. It turned out as a guy's night out and when they asked if they should call their girlfriends to come over and keep me company, I had to tell another white lie and say I had a migraine coming on and was going to bed as soon as they left.

I draw a sigh of relief when a cab roll off with them and the house is silent again. Too lazy to make dinner, I call the local Chinese restaurant and have them deliver a chicken chow mein with the most delicious sauce. It is my favourite and with a rich chocolate icecream or cake for dessert it is definitely indulgence-food.

The doorbell signals that dinner is ready. I take it out on the back patio where I sit in the last red light of the setting sun. I smile to myself when I pour myself a glass of white wine and open the box with deliciously scented food, leaning back in the chair to dig into this food. A few deep contented breaths later I almost laugh to myself while savouring the delicious dish and enjoy the solitude as I satiate my hunger for food.

Halfway through the dinner, my entire body starts to tingle in that eerie way I have experienced before, and I can see a black figure walking out from the woods behind our house, sauntering across my lawn towards me. My breath catches in my throat and I'm instantly on my feet as I watch this man closing in on me like a predator his prey.

My own eyes are wide open in fear. "What do you want from me?" I stutter as I back up against the wall.

A pair of piercing dark blue eyes narrows. "I have saved you more times than one and you think I'm here to hurt you?" It is the same dark husky voice that has spoken to me inside my own head.

"Saved me?" I breathe barely audible, keep pulling shallow breaths.

"What do you think would have happened if I hadn't got you out of that alley, or if my... associate had caught you in the middle of the road?" There is a humorous edge to his words, but I still have a hard time to breathe in his mere presence.

"Your associate?"

He lifts his eyebrows and those blue eyes glisten with mirth. "The black car," he explains with a smile lurking at the corner of his mouth; the next minute, that smile is gone. "You need to stay away from me." His expression is once again dark and broody as he turn on his heel; he is almost instantly swallowed up by the darkness that suddenly seem to surround our entire neighbourhood.

I can breathe again and I lean forward with my hands on my knees panting for a couple of minutes. Was there actually another man, about to attack me in that alley, when this dark evenger saved me?