Page 130 of Sour Lollipops and Sweet Nightmares
I focused on the quiet shuffle of footsteps moving around my room. First, they were on the right, then in front of me by the foot of the bed, and finally over to the left.
“This will be easier if you come out.”
I almost snorted at the word 'easier.’ Easier on him, maybe. Issac might be able to see in the dark. That was obvious when someone pointed out that I had a lamp.
I assumed they had night vision in their masks. But night vision wasn’t foolproof, and it sure as shit didn’t let them see through furniture. I just had to stay quiet and wait for my moment.
The only problem with that plan was that I wasn’t the only one being quiet. The room had fallen so silent it pressed against me, weighing down my chest and suffocating me.
My own heartbeat was the only thing left. It rattled through my chest as I strained to hear something. Anything that would betray Issac’s presence.
But there was nothing. Not a shuffle, not a whisper, not even a rasp of breath. There was just us, the darkness, and the sound of my panic threatening to swallow me whole.
I stayed as still as I could while the darkness closed in around me. It was absolute—a blackened void swallowing every shape and corner. The room was alive. Watching and listening while Issac stayed hidden somewhere inside it. He was stalking me, and the darkness was protecting him.
The only ally I had was the soft area rug underneath me. The feel of the fibers on my skin gave me an odd sense of comfort as if I could bury myself in those silky threads and no one would find me, onlymy safety was an illusion. One thatcracked witha simple sound.
“Hooooooot.”
The owl’s call smashed through the silence, making me scream and jump up, whacking the back of my head off the bottom of the bed. Panic raced through my veins. I expected Issac to pop out of the darkness and grab me. What happened was almost worse.
Issac didn’t grab me, nor was I mocked or laughed at. There was nothing but the dark and quiet.
What the hell?
Did he leave? I would’ve heard him if he left. But would I? Maybe I was so focused on my own panic that I wasn’t paying attention.
Holding my breath, I waited for a few minutes.
Nothing.
Huh? Where did he go?
I cautiously crawled closer to the edge of the bed and tipped my ear to the left, then to the right.
Still nothing.
He must’ve really left. That was a relief.
“Whoooo.”
I slapped my hand up to stop my heart from jumping out of my chest. “Stupid owl.”
That thing was evil. It almost got me caught, and was probably laughing at me right now, perched in its tree. I wouldn’t be surprised if it were working with Issac.
Speaking of Issac…
I twisted my head to look around the darkened room. There was no sign of movement or sound of any kind. Was he really gone? That didn’t feel right. What was his plan? Come in here, scare me, then go home to laugh himself to sleep. That seemed like a lot of effort for a few seconds of amusement.
Then again, I wouldn’t put it past him. Issac Kratz was the biggest asshole I’d ever met. And the term asshole might be too nice for him. One thing was for sure: I was going to give him a piece of my mind tomorrow. Maybe? It might be a better idea to avoid him altogether.
“I should charge him with breaking and entering. That would serve him right.” I grumbled while shuffling my body over the edge of the bed.
Not that charging Issac with anything would do any good. The police in this city were corrupt and completely inept. Nothaving the boys in blue to protect me might be a little scary if I hadn’t grown up in a bad neighborhood.
We were lucky if we could get the cops to come a week after a break-in. So, fortunately for me, I was used to relying on myself.
What I wasn’t used to was being mean or rude. How did one out asshole an asshole? I could figure that out later. The first thing I needed to do was get out from under this bed, turn the power back on, and get some sleep.
