The Crack in the Side Wall

Chapter 4

22nd June 2012,

As I stared at her in horror, her words echoed again and again in my head.

'I knew it! I always knew there was something off about her! I wasn't crazy, I wasn't wrong! She IS running away from something!! Something dark and sinister!! Murder? Robbery? Rape?'
My mind was screaming loudly but all I could do was gulp at those words of her while staring helplessly at her cold killer eyes.

'Fuck! She just revealed her truth to me! She is gonna kill me and then throw me at some abandoned location where my body will be eaten off by mice and bugs long before it gets discovered!'

I frantically looked around for something to defend myself, 'A knife? A gun? A nail-cutter? Anything?!'

Just then, I noticed her break into a smile, or was it a grin?

Oh my god, she is a psychopath like Harley Quinn! Wait, did Harley Quinn kill people, or did she just do crazy stuff? Maybe she did kill people. Okay, she is a Killer Harley Quinn!

I became more scared as her smile turned into a grin and then into a maniacal laugh! My breathing increased, my hands shook and my heart palpitated. I took a gulp, looking at the Grimm Reaper behind her that seemed to be laughing along with her.

"You are so stupid." She said.

'Of course, I am! I saw you with a knife. I ALMOST saw you killing a cat, and instead of running away for my life, I decided to help clean up YOUR mess!'

"I was joking!" She said, laughing at my frightened self.

Suddenly my breathing slowed down, my heartbeat returned to normal and my hands stood still. Even the Grimm Reaper seemed to be clicking his tongue and shaking his head at my paranoia.

I took a deep breath and grabbed the edge of the counter to steady myself. My lips started to curl into a smile and I began laughing with her.

"Please don't do this again!" I said and she started laughing. Again.

"Okay," she said, once again beginning to laugh.

I smiled as I stared into the twinkle in her eyes. She too calmed down and smiled at me. Time stopped as we looked into each other, smiling at what we saw.

Suddenly, her eyes darted at my t-shirt and her lips pouted.
It then moved along with her tongue to form a string of words, "You need a change of clothes."

I didn't answer but kept staring at her in awe. Her lips once again smiled and her eyes twinkled. She waved her hand in front of me, snapping me back to reality.

"Wh-What?" I stammered.

"I said you need a change of clothes." She said with a laugh, pointing at my chest." Your t-shirt has gone all bloodied."

I looked down at it and smiled." No probs. I will get it dry-cleaned."

"Rubbish." She declared," You were cleaning my mess. The least I could do is get it dry-cleaned for you."

"No it's fine", I insisted but she grabbed my hand and pulled me into her bedroom. She then let me go and opened her closet, rummaging through her clothes.

I stood there and looked around at her bedroom. It was like mine, although the furniture was of a different shade and the walls were whitewashed. I tried to locate the other side of the crack that opened here.
After a bit of keen observation, I finally located it. It had blended amazingly between the bedpost and the modern art that hung above the bed.

" Remove your t-shirt", Ella ordered and without thinking I complied.

She came out of her closet, holding a brown t-shirt. She looked at me and bit her lips. Slowly, she came towards me, her eyes not at all faltering from my bare body. She finally closed the distance between us to barely an inch and looked into my eye.

"Some gym-freak you are." She whispered.

I finally let go of my held breath as I growled slowly and nodded, smirking.

Her eyes lowered to my lips and she licked her own. I looked at her eyes which were still aimed at my lips. She then pressed the brown t-shirt on my chest, her nails deliberately scratching my chest lightly.

"This should cover that sexy, muscular body of yours." She barely whispered.

Suddenly she bent down in front of me and I reflexively backed away. She picked up my fallen t-shirt and flinging it over her shoulder, smirked and walked away.

"I will get it dry cleaned." She said without turning. My gaze followed her as she walked away like a model, swaying her hips.

30th June 2012,

As I ascended the stairs and reached my floor after a wonderful jog, I saw a basket lying in front of my door. I stopped and looked inside to see my t-shirt sitting there, neatly folded. I sat down and took it out of the basket, smiling like an idiot.

"Happy, Mr. Jogger?" I heard a voice as I stood up. I turned around and there she was looking like a diva, smiling coyly at me while easily leaning on the doorframe to her apartment.

I opened the t-shirt and spread it over my body, nodding at her with a boyish grin. She laughed a merry laugh. "Looking dapper, Jogboy." She finally said.

"You don't Jog?" I asked

"I am a late-riser so evening walk is more of my thing." She pouted and smiled, placing her right hand on her waist, near her hip and tilting her head to her right.

I snickered and said, "But you woke up at— I quickly looked at my watch— 7:13 am".

"To surprise you with this t-shirt," she said with her now so iconic smile.

I grabbed the left side of my chest and mock stumbled two steps backward. "Such an honor," I said dramatically, " Do you wanna kill me with a happy heart attack?"

She laughed maliciously at my antics and bade me goodbye.

I laughed and shook my head, opening the door to my apartment and gently kicking the basket inside.

July 2012,

Ella and I slowly became the best of friends. Whenever we met, we had a bit of witty banter, a casual conversation or harmless flirting.

Slowly, I started falling in love with her. Steadily, she became my world.