Surviving Him

Prologue

Alexia

"Abby?" I called out to my best-friend, who was currently eyeing the can of tuna she held like it had world trade secrets embedded in the nutritional values section.

"Yeah?"

"I've been meaning to tell you, Freddie gave me a promotion and he said I could choose to move to the Seattle branch as a publisher." I said and she slowly nodded, eyes still on the tuna can. I knew the middle of a grocery store wasn't the best place to break this news to her, but I'd been hanging onto it all week and needed to get it out before I lost my nerve.

''Do you want to go?'' she asked distractedly.The tuna had been replaced by a can of corned-beef she was studying just as intensely.

I knew then she was avoiding looking at me or really talking to me, she could also feel that things had been strained between us for the past few days.

Well, now the secret's out.

I looked away from her and sighed.

Do you want me to?

''I just wanted you to know, Abigail, I wanted to talk to you about it, editing isn't really my area of expertise and a change of scenery couldn't hurt."

While Abigail and I had been living within walking distance of each other in Milter for 2 years, we had been doing the best to live the lives we always imagined we'd have during our 3 years of being best friends and roommates in college. I worked at the only fashion magazine in Milter as an editor and Abby was a registered nurse practitioner. I really considered my life to be almost perfect on most days, but my boss had dangled the proverbial carrot of a promotion and a move to a bigger city and I couldn't help but be intrigued.

''We should get going, it's already past ten pm, I could use a bath and some wine.'' She said interrupting my train of thought and I nodded. I had no idea when she put away the can of corned-beef and a couple loaves of whole wheat bread she'd been holding.

After readjusting my bag on my shoulder, we walked out of the grocery store together silently making our way to her car.

The drive to our street was painfully awkward, and not even the admittedly funny radio hosts could dispel the tension. I just wished she would say something so it wouldn't be so....well, awkward. I'd been terrified of telling her about the promotion and I just needed advice and support from my best friend.

Soon, we were at the street containing the row of joint town houses where we lived, mine was east of the street and her's was west, we both valued our space, but weren't able to secure houses right next to each others, but it was still a great living situation.  I looked towards her and met her brown eyes. They were guarded.

"Night Lexi" her voice came out to me, as did her arms.

"Night Abby" I replied joining her hug. Everything was going to be okay. At least I hoped.

On getting out of the car, the chill of the night had me tightening my already zipped jacket around me, hoping it would expel the unusual dread in the pit of my stomach.

I wasn't normally paranoid about walking home alone in the dark, I lived in a relatively safe neighbourhood, and I did it almost every night, as someone who preferred not to drive at night, but I didn't know why I felt different, I kept looking over my shoulder. I felt watched.

A very cold gust of wind blew past me causing me to hold my jacket and bag even tighter around me and all the street lamps barely lighting my path went out, plunging the entire street into complete darkness.

Oh fuck! That's not normal at all.

I turned back around to look for Abigail's car - hoping she was driving slow and didn't go into her garage yet- but all I saw was the darkness.