Dialogue-5

The morning after the storm Anita spent making calls. Telemarketing work from home could be a blessing but sometimes a depressing drag. Greg tooled around the yard and planted a couple of trees he got from some nursery. Anita never cared to learn about such stuff. The yard looked great all year round and she considered it Greg-domain. She had the kitchen and he had outdoors. Of course lately she had the Study-storage and Drell7. Drell, tonight would be the night. She made plans for ten, about an hour after Greg would leave for work. She promised to wear something sexy even though he could not see it. Tonight they would have sex, technically.

The back door opened signaling Greg would come in get something to eat, watch a little television or walk on his treadmill and then hit the bed. She willingly banished herself to the kitchen. This had become their life. Pretending to not ignore one another but doing so as much as possible. How did this ever happen? Anita pulled some carrots out of the pack and started snapping them apart. The snack was healthy for a change. What to wear tonight? The laced underwear, the stark white ones Greg got her about six years ago would fit the bill. They made her hips look slimmer. Yes. Anita snapped off more carrot and chewed it. Wow, she was actually excited.

Greg walked into the kitchen. This would be a momentary intrusion as was customary. "Hey, lets go out to eat at the steakhouse." She swallowed the carrot, "What?" and stood up. The island between them a symbol of emotional distance. Anita looked back at the double sink, no dishes to do. "Well, I guess." Greg looked at her strangely. "Do you want to go or not, cause I am really tired..." The rest of the sentence would never be spoken because it was made up like his invitation. It wasn't real. Perhaps a reflex from times when they were close? He hadn't really meant to invite her out to eat a romantic dinner. Romantic? Did he say romantic? Anita had reflexes too. Her husband walked into the mocha kitchen and gave her a kiss on the head then he turned away. With back to her he offered, "We'll go Sunday, I have the day off then, okay?" Anita shook her head and sat back down. "Sure, that sounds wonderful." She called after him. The bedroom door closed leaving Anita to her thoughts. Drell...

Greg took off all his clothes except the red boxers and from the nightstand got the clippers, cut his toe nails. Then he climbed into bed under the rich umber covers. The bedroom was cool just the way he liked it. Things were working out for them slowly. He was getting over how he felt, the resentment and feeling of abandonment. Not too much longer. The therapy was working. If Anita knew she would think their marriage was over. Best to handle this problem on his own. Sunday. Sunday was only four days away. But he would not be ready then, almost. Trying to drift to sleep with weighty thoughts got easier and easier. He had lots of heavy thoughts and one by one during his therapy he cast them off. It'd gone surprisingly well. Through the door he heard the phone ring. Anita answered. After a few moments he did not hear his name so Greg turned on his back and slowly drifted to sleep.

"I don't know if I can do movie night again so soon."

"I need a night out, Walter just ended it."

"What? Why, what happened? You guys have been going out for six months, right?"

"Yes, but he told me I was too inattentive to him. That I wasn't jealous enough. What the hell does that mean Anita?"

"I don't know. Okay, come over tonight about eleven."

"What, why so late?"

"Me and Greg are actually doing something, sorry."

"Oh, then I understand totally...I do. I'll see you at eleven. I'll walk over cause by then I don't trust myself to drive eight blocks."

"Don't drink too much because I'm too old to play that much catch-up."

Her friend laughed. The conversation ended with the normal good-bye's. Anita returned to her kitchen. Safety. Drell seemed so much more safe than a real relationship. Back to the carrots and the stool by the island. How was it that things kept intruding on her not real relationship time? Perhaps this was more like a real relationship than first deemed. How to fill the time between now and Drell?

To be continued...

Horror at Blackstone(Part 2 of 3)

Twilight. Nathan took the phone. "That isn't good." Mia said nothing. Darkness seemed to grow deeper around them. Mia felt suddenly exposed but more than that she was getting upset and it showed. Snatching the phone from Nathan she dialed in again and listened. The phone was barely audible. It rang as Mia walked toward the woods to her right. Voicemail. Mia hung up and dialed again. Nathan followed behind reluctantly. The sound was getting louder. They would have to go into the woods to find the phone. Closing the cell she walked straight to the edge of the woods and stopped. Nathan was a full ten paces behind. "Okay." She huffed and dialed in again. The phone rang pretty clearly this time. Mia darted into the woods even as Nathan silently waved for her not to do it. Under a leaf was the cell. Mia answered it. "Does it have blood on it?" Even in the dark of woods Nathan could see Mia's expression. "So, no blood." Rubbing through his hair Nathan motioned for her to come to the edge of the woods. Mia did so and once beside Nathan she handed him the phone. "What the hell is going on here?"

Mia headed for the house. Determined steps moved her quickly to the front door even as she called the police. "Police department, this is Peggy." She looked at the phone for a moment in disbelief. "Peggy you can send the police to Blackstone. I just found a missing cell phone that goes to a missing person and I'm about to enter Blackstone proper, so hurry up you hear." With that Mia clicked off the phone and gave it to Nathan. "What are you doing girl?" As if to answer she moved into the house. It was too simple. A large front room, that weird rectangular kitchen and a small hall that lead to a study that lead to a bed room. The bedroom was small with only one bed. Mia moved through the house like she owned it. Owned it and intruders were afoot, ones she had no idea where they were. She made her way back to the large front room. Nathan still stood in the doorway framed by the night. "Wait, something is wrong...but what is it?" Her friend was no help. Mia looked suddenly scared as she motioned to Nathan. "Close the door, hurry get in here..." Quickly he closed the door expecting to see someone behind him intent on harming them. He turned the lock. "What, what was it?" The place was not that brightly lit but they could see well enough. Mia closed in till she was uncomfortably close. "This house is not on the market." Nathan perplexed gave her the huh-what stare. "When you first called me that Michelle was missing and did not know the address I got impatient and tried to look it up in the paper." Nathan just kept looking at her awaiting the eureka moment. She huffed. "Nathan, it is not advertised in the paper and if the land lady gave you the keys what keys did Michelle use to get into the house?" Nathan did not look convinced of anything. "Maybe there are only one set Mia." She shook her head to signal Nathan incorrect. "No, because you had to have the keys to get in and look around and if the land lady had the keys that would mean she got them from Michelle one way or another. You said you had a hard time getting the keys from her." Mia completed her words but paused internally. Internal monologue began as she turned away from Nathan and moved to the fireplace. 'Fine, if Nathan has the keys and only one set does exist then the land lady knows something...unless Nathan never got the keys from the land lady. But why involve me if he made Michelle disappear?'

Mia pulled the poker from the fireplace and used it like a sword. "Don't come any closer buddy." Nathan sputtered non-sense and stepped back. "I had nothing to do with Michelle going missing, is that what you think?"
"I never said that, but now that you do say that...I can say that I think that would be a good thing for you to explain, that. Go." For several tense moments not a sound was made. Mia pointed the poker and Nathan stood across from her arms out, pleadingly. A shrill scream could be heard close to the house. It was a woman, not Michelle, screaming for help. Mia moved to the door but Nathan grabbed her. Stunned she let down her guard and looked into Nathan's eyes. "Don't open the door Mia." The woman's voice grew closer as she screamed unintelligible things. Someone hit the door hard, pounding it. "Let me in, it'll kill me, hurry." Nathan held Mia as she tried to escape his grasp. Just before she could manage to get free the woman wailed in terror. Both of them stopped moving as something heavy hit the door. Sounds of a struggle beyond the door ended quickly enough. "I heard growling." Nathan shook his head, "No Mia." and let go his hold. "What do you mean no Mia..." Her complaint trailed off as she realized his words were a plea because now she saw what Nathan saw, blood slowly pooling under the door.

For the space of nearly fifteen minutes they did not speak. Mia kept trying to get signal in the house but could not. The place did not have a phone so all they could do was wait for the police. Several times they thought they heard movement outside. But it was impossible to see outside the house. The narrow windows were only in the front and they were marked with strange silver swirls and "symbols" of many different kinds. A back door didn't even provide exit. One way in and one way out. The blood slowly pooled onto the tile and moved out in an irregular blob. Nathan could barley bring himself to look at it. Mia went into the kitchen. Nathan walked in where she was and in a taunting voice said, "Well, since you are all about rushing in where angels fear to tread and question this and question that, right? Did you happen to wonder why this place has no bathroom?" It was then that the front door could be heard opening. "Hello?" Neither Mia or Nathan said anything. The voice was deep and not altogether pleasant. 'Who is that?' Mouthed Mia. Nathan shook his head but stayed still otherwise. "Hello?"

End Part 2.

Dialogue-4

The rain poured down from swollen clouds. A chill wind blew through the woods and distant thunder rumbled from time to time. Erica looked small and fragile as long brown hair stuck to her body. Her red dress was muddy and the sleeve was torn where he'd grabbed her. The dress tearing finally as she slid down the embankment. The rain made her slippery and the dress tearing as she railed against her attacker gave her the chance to escape. He'd seemed so nice when first she met him but anticipation tuned to terror quickly enough.

Erica was a small plain woman with a light tan. She'd always been ten or so pounds under weight and many of her friends commented on how tiny she was. How could she have made the decision to meet a strange man at a cabin in the woods? Why did he want to kill her? None of that mattered right now because Erica needed to make a choice: Left or right?

In a flash she decided. Pushing off from a twisted oak she ran right. She was sure that would lead her to the road. In either direction she knew that houses were not too far. Help was only a few miles away. She had no proof she'd not already lost her attacker and none he wasn't close. Keeping on running seemed the best choice. The rain was letting up and the thunder subsiding but the wind worsened. Erica's body shook with cold as she tried to navigate the uneven flooring. Her shoes long gone and stockings torn to shreds by underbrush were the least of her problems because Erica also lost her purse and with it the inhaler. Already wheezing while climbing a third hill Erica began to pray the road was close. What if she chose wrong? Deeper into woods might be her undoing if breathing didn't improve. One final hill, at least that is what she told herself, Erica.

Muscles shaking and teeth chattering she arrived at the top of the hill. From that vantage point even in darkness she could tell the woods ended...a field across the road. It wasn't far to go. In less than a minute Erica managed to stumble to the road. Looking left and right trying to remember the way to town. What did it matter since houses dotted both directions. She chose left. But her legs like lead and breathing more and more shallow made for difficult going. After a few minutes she fell to the ground. Intending to sit turned into a flop as Erica collapsed in the road. Her chest being crushed by a vice as ribs felt banded in iron brought fear of dying. Erica turned over, now almost in the center of the road, on her belly and tried sucking in air that way. Did not work. 'Concentrate Erica'...

Anita looked out at the subsiding storm and thought about how movie night had gone pretty well. She'd had a bit too much to drink but so what. When her husband finally got home and crawled into bed with her she curled up to him and his warmth. He let it happen. Good. But now she was alone again and the short cuddling session felt more dreamlike than reality. The phone rang several times before the protest was too much. Anita answered.

"Hey honey, I just thought I'd call to check on you."

"Okay." Anita twirled the cord around her finger as she walked back to the island of the kitchen and away from the big window behind her. Dishes were still soaking in the sink. Anita found it hard to think of another single word to say to her husband.

"I know I've been working lot a hours but I've had so much to take care of..." His voice trailed off and the dead air became evident.

"Are you coming home soon?"

"In a couple hours, I've a few things to wrap up, I will be."

"Okay, I'm fine. The storm was not as bad as predicted." Anita turned to look out the window but it was the pile of dishes that drew her attention. "I have some work to do dear I need to get going." More silence.

"Okay, see you soon."

She hung up the phone and sighed. Tonight she was totally alone and feeling it too. No Drell tonight...no one at all. Wondering into the study she checked one last time. No Drell.

Drell7: Hello, you still around?

Kitegrl: Sure am, where were you?

Drell7: Had to do some errands. Storm held me up.

Kitegrl: Fine, no big. Lets talk.

Drell7: I'm pretty tired. I signed on only to say hello. I really will have to go in a few minutes.

A few minutes was sure better than nothing. Anita looked at her watch and typed a response.

Kitegrl: I've got dishes to do, so that works out fine.

To be continued...