Dark Unexpected Visitor

Ivy sat pondering her next move. Should she go out and see what the noise was or should she stay put and accept her second conclusion that it was just a cat at the dumpster or some other creature rattling things around.

She stayed put, huddled under her blanket, wanting to stay in bed and trying to ignore the fact that she should probably at least check out the window in the living area.

Another dull clunk sounded from somewhere outside.

"Oh, ok, I'll go look," She muttered to herself.

Ivy pulled herself up and out from underneath her blanket, grabbed the small decorative blanket off the end of her bed and draped it across her shoulders. If she had to get up, she might as well stay warm in the process, right?

As she was tip-toeing out to the kitchen window, Ivy held her breath. Once she reached the window, she let her breath out long and slow. Nothing there. Relief flooded her.

Her breath caught, had she just seen a figure duck behind the shrub at the corner of her garage? Leaning forward, she looked searchingly out into the darkness, as if looking harder would reveal what or who it really was. Had it just been her imagination? And why hadn't she changed her porchlight when it had gone out a week ago? This sort of thing always happens when she procrastinates!

She wanted to see what was out there, but also didn't want to go outside. What could she do if it was some thug and he attacked her? She knew the answer to that…pretty much nothing. She could call someone, but she also didn't want to bring them on a false alarm...what if it had been her imagination? She would feel rather foolish.

Whilst she was thinking another movement caught her eye and then the figure started toward her door. It looked like a big man dressed in black. Or maybe it just looked like he was dressed in black because of the darkness? She wasn’t sure and didn’t need to think about it too much.

She let out a small noise and ran for her room. Grabbing her phone off the nightstand and she dived under the bed, hoping that her blanket was pulled down far enough that no one would see her…particularly that creep outside, if he got in. Had she locked her doors? Probably not, why would she have done that on a night like this?

She decided to text her brother, who only lived a block away, and pray that he would wake up.

Paul, there’s a man sneaking around outside my front door.

Now she prayed that he would hear it and wake up…she hadn’t wanted to call, in case the guy got inside and could hear her.

Ping, a text came through, I’ll be right there! Hide!

“Thank you, Lord,” Ivy murmured.

Thanks! Don’t worry, I had no intention of being out where he could see me.

Ivy lay there in silence, every nerve in her body on high alert, waiting for something to happen. If only she had thought to grab something before taking cover under here. She began to move her hand along the floor in the dark, trying to feel if there was anything that could help her.

Then the thought hit her. Why had she assumed that the guy was out for her? He was probably here to steal something and wouldn’t even notice her.

In the stillness, the unmistakable sound of the door scraping against the hard rug that lay beneath it, was heard. Ivy clenched her hands tightly. Was it her brother? The figure? She didn’t really want to know, she just wanted whatever it was to go away and to get back into her bed and go to sleep. Although, she doubted if she would actually fall asleep after a night like tonight.

“What are you doing?” Paul’s voice echoed through the house, like a mighty gong. Then she heard the sound of police sirens in the distance. Paul must have called the police…like she probably should have. Her brother would probably give her a lecture about that later, but she didn’t care, she deserved it and had learned her lesson already.

Ivy started to crawl out from her hiding place, then heard a thud and footsteps pounding down her steps…what had happened? Was it her brother? Was he ok? Now she bolted upright and ran out to see what was going on.

“Paul!” She yelled as she saw his body propped against the wall in her entryway. His hair was ruffled, he was in rumpled Grinch pjs, and was bare foot.

“I’m all right. I just got the wind knocked out of me. Did he get out of here?” Paul groaned out while rubbing his head.

“Yeah, I think that he’s gone…he left before I got out here. I didn’t see which way he went, but I’m pretty sure that he left by why of…”’ Ivy started to answer, but got interrupted.

“So you think that I left, do you?” a gruff voice sounded behind her. Ivy froze, terror gripping her. She could see the look of shock on her brother's face that quickly turned to anger.

“This is dumb. You should get out of here, I called the police and they should be here any minute.” Her brother ground out. Ivy could tell that he was trying to sound steady instead of the anger that his face clearly revealed to her, but he wasn’t being too successful.

“Are you kidding?” the man asked with a menacing laugh that lasted for what seemed like an eternity. “I was planning to have fun with you…”

Ivy and Paul looked at each other - questions written all over their faces. What was this man talking about? Would they be alright? What was going to happen? Would the police get here in time?

Ivy finally turned around to look at whoever it was that was standing behind her…was that who she thought that it was? She remembered him well. The man who followed her around for that one summer, and then asked to take her out. When she had rejected him, it hadn’t been a pretty sight. But how could she have helped it? They didn’t believe in the same things, (obviously a bit more than she had thought, if today was any indication), and she had never felt comfortable around him. It certainly looked like him…

“Fredric, is that you?” She asked accusatorily.

He laughed, that horrid laugh that ran shivers up and down her spine, “Who did you expect?” Snearing, he continued, “I waited for you. I waited for you to see what you had missed in leaving me. I waited for you to come running back…but you didn’t! You fiend!”

Her jaw dropped…was this what all this about? He was digging up the past, that shouldn’t really be a past at all, if she had any say in it.

Paul pulled himself into a standing position behind her, and held her shoulders, as good brothers do, and said, “Who are you calling a fiend? You’re the fiend if you won't let someone alone just because they didn’t like you.”

The police sirens were practically at the door now. Ivy knew that they would be ok soon. But she could feel the air with all the tension and hate that it held which was practically rolling off Fredric.

“YOU! How dare you say that to me?” Fredric screamed at Paul. Ivy loved her brother…but sometimes he could just make a situation a whole lot worse.

“Both of you,” Ivy held up her hands between the men, “can you please just calm down?”

Friedric’s lips curled, “Oh, the peacemaker…well that won’t work this time…”

The police car lights swung across the entry way floor as they pulled up and stopped. Everyone inside heard the car doors open and foot steps pounding as they raced up the path.

Panic seemed to flood Fredric, as he realized that he didn’t have a chance. He pulled out a gun and pointed it at Ivy and Paul.

“This is not where it’s going to end…”

“Drop it!” Two policemen yelled as they ran through the door and pointed their guns right at Fredric.

Fredric slowly lowered his gun, “This is not over!”

“You have the right to remain silent…” the policeman chatter continued as Paul turned Ivy around.

“Are you ok sis?”

“Yeah, I…I…think so,” she stammered out as she hugged him and began to cry.

Paul hugged her back, “It’s ok. It’s ok. No one will ever hurt you as long as I’m around!”