Page 44 of For Now

“Wake up, Delilah,” shesaid.

Something was wrong. She wasn’t really saying these things. The voice speaking wasn’t coming from her. I felt soconfused.

“Delilah. Wake up, Delilah,” the voicesaid.

I shot up from sleep, opening my eyes. I looked around my living room, trying to take everything in all at once. As the sleep fog lifted and my eyes started to adjust, they settled on the figure sitting in my chair. It was just an outline at first and then the details began to come through. It was a woman.Who the fuck isthat?

“Hello, Delilah,” she said. She had long blonde hair and crystal blue familiar eyes. Somehow, I knew them. Not really her, just her eyes. I followed her arms down to see her hands resting on herlap.

“Who are you and what are you doing in my house?!” I said, fear in my voice but I tried to soundstern.

She looked at me, studied me up and down. “I’ve been watching over you for a very long time, Delilah. I want to be your friend,” she said, tilting her head to the side. She stared at me with a sort of madness in hereyes.

“My friend?” I asked, confused. I shook my head and rubbed mytemples.

“Yes,” shesaid.

“Friends don’t break into your house. Are you the one who has been texting me? Friends don’t do that either!” I raised my voice a bit, hoping to get a reaction but she was stone cold still. Her overwhelming sense of calm frightened me the most. She didn’t move a muscle. She just kept looking at me and smiling the creepiest smile I’d everseen.

“Well, I’m not sure you would have accepted me any other way,” shesaid.

“What do you mean?” Iasked.

“Let’s just say had our paths crossed in a conventional way, we probably wouldn’t be so close right now,” shesaid.

“So close? We aren’t close. I don’t even know who you are,” Isaid.

“My friends call me Mare,” shesaid.

“Mare? Okay, Mare. What are you doing here?” Iasked.

“I already told you. We are going to be friends. For at least a little while anyway,” shesaid.

“What if I don’t want to be your friend? And what do you mean by a little while?” I asked as my hands frantically searched around the couch for my phone and theknife.

“Are you looking for these?” she asked, holding my phone in one hand and the knife in the other. She threw the knife into the fireplace. I had started a fire earlier.Shit.

“Give me my phone,” Idemanded.

“I can’t do that.” She shook herhead.

“Why?” Iasked.

“Because you will call the police and it will ruin everything,” shesaid.

The way she looked at me shot fear up my spine. Mare pulled herself to the front of the chair before lifting off. I hadn’t noticed it while she was sitting but as she stood, a plump round belly began to protrude. I watched as she cupped her hand around the bottom. I felt my own hand curl aroundme.

“Do you want to feel her kick?” sheasked.

“No,” Isaid.

She tilted her head with both confusion and understanding. “Some other time then,” she said,smiling.

“Look, I don’t know what you want, but I really would like you to leave,” Iinsisted.

“I told you I can’t,” she said. “Would you care to chat with me?” sheasked.

“Not really,” Ihissed.

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