Layla's expression brightened as if she had an epiphany. "You can come stay with me!"
She shook her head and rolled her eyes as they turned and headed for the gate that connected the patio area to the parking lot. "Were you even listening to me at all?"
She gave a confused look.
"We can't do anything to make him suspicious."
A frown creased her plump face. "Are you kidding me?" She looked at her friend with wide eyes. "You're actually going along with this?"
Rayne shrugged. What choice did she have? She wasn't going to walk outside, alone, in the middle of the night and hope he came to get her. All she could do was listen to the police and hope that they were right. She'd never been the kind to sit back and take things lightly, but this time she had to.
Layla's shoulders drooped in defeat. "Ok. But I still don't like it."
The two girls reached their cars, Rayne's an older-model Honda Civic that definitely had seen its better days, and Layla's newer Chevy Impala. For one reason or another, Layla turned and hugged her friend, which was slightly unusual.
Sympathy, maybe?
Caught off-guard, Rayne hesitated before returning the gesture, car keys still in hand.
"Just be careful, please," she said quietly as she pulled away. Her dark brown eyes stared into the intense green hue of her companion's. "I mean it. You've been my best friend for fifteen years." She opened her door, but paused before getting in. "I don't want that cut short because of some creep."
Rayne smiled. She had her moments, but Layla really was her best friend. From day one when she transferred from out of state to Ridgeton, Washington, Layla had been the one to step up and offer her friendship. Her smile widened as she watched her pull out of the parking lot, and remembered the nice girl with braces who sat next to her at lunch. It was a little awkward at first, but soon it was apparent they would be inseparable, and they were. Fifteen years later, and still joined at the hip.
She got into her own car.
Why did life have to be so complicated
? Just once, she would like for things to somewhat go her way. Of course, she didn’t expect or even want things to be easy. Life wasn’t simple. But it would be nice to not have to struggle and fight so hard just to exist.
She took a deep breath, exhaled forcefully, and wished that all her worries would leave just as the air was expelled from her lungs. It was so difficult to believe that any of it actually was real or really had happened. These types of things only happened to people in movies or in crime novels in which it started out with the detective staring at the dead body and working backwards to figure out how it all had transpired. She didn’t want to be the starring role in that storyline. That’s not what she wanted her life to become.
Thankfully, it didn’t happen to people like her from small-town Ridgeton, Washington. She was the one who enjoyed the show from her couch with a bowl of popcorn every Wednesday night. It had to be a nightmare or someone’s sick joke.
Right?
Laughing to herself, she reached to put the keys in the ignition. Rayne hadn’t even made it as far as to close the door, when another something caught her eye. This time, there was no second guessing her sanity on this one. She was certain she had seen it.
She was well aware that paranoia could play tricks on the mind, make a person see things that allowed the imagination to run rampant, and create anxiety, distress, and misery where none was needed. Even with that knowledge, she was certain that it was real. She’d seen the dark shadow disappear around the corner.
Rayne moved around the vehicle and squinted against the bright sunlight. One step at a time, she inched closer, her feet moving of their own accord. Before she realized what was happening, she had crossed the parking lot and was on her way toward the back of the building.
Flattening herself against the brick of the coffee shop, the crunch of her boots on the thin strip of gravel near the wall made her pause as she came to her senses.
What am I doing?
It was too late. She was too far gone at that point. Her curiosity and stubbornness wouldn’t let her just get back into her and drive away from this one. She had to know what was going on.
So much for doing as I was told.
She slowed when she neared the back of the establishment and continued to creep toward the corner. Her heart beating faster and faster, she tried to ignore the steady thumping in her chest and ears.
Her footsteps crunched loudly, making her pause with caution, hoping that she hadn't been heard. Silent and listening, she took a few deep breaths and was able to hear nothing other than the blood rushing in her ears.
You can do this.
She jumped around the corner, landing knees bent and hands up, prepared to defend herself. She held her breath, ready for anything...
Only to stare into the faces of four shocked teenagers.
They stood in a circle, each one puffing on a cigarette, and neither could be older than sixteen. It was obvious she'd caught them. They tried to hide the smoking sticks behind their backs and failed miserably. Little puffs of smoke billowed up above them.
"Uh...I, are you kids old enough to be smoking?" she asked, thinking quickly. Her face flushed red in embarrassment.
They looked at each other, their faces full of fear. Without a word, they all turned and took off running around the opposite side of the building.
Rayne exhaled forcefully and tried to catch her breath. She fell backwards, her back hitting the brick wall harder than she intended, and she winced. It took a moment to slow the adrenaline pumping through her veins. "Get a grip, Rayne," she told herself. “You just crossed the line into paranoid.”
Her head spun as she tried to organize her thoughts into some recognizable order, and decided that it was a good thing it only had been some stupid kids. What would she have done if it had been her stalker? Yelled at him until he agreed to leave her alone? "Genius. Real Genius."
She pounded her fist against the wall before pushing away and making her way back to the vehicle. How was she going to pull this off? They wanted her to act normal, but it hadn't even been a day yet and already she was chasing shadows and frightening children. She reached her car and crawled into the driver seat, heart still pounding away erratically. At this rate, she would have a heart attack before her next birthday.
It wasn't until after she started the engine that she saw the piece of paper flapping in the wind under her windshield wiper blade. "What the...?" she asked, as she reached out the window and grabbed it. It was folded in half, and her name was scribbled on the back in an unfamiliar handwriting.
She was confused. It hadn't been there earlier, had it? She tried to remember. She definitely would have noticed if it had been, wouldn't she? Unfolding the paper, her breath hitched in her throat and her heart stopped. Fear grabbed her in a vice-like grip, and she was afraid to even breathe.
Dearest Rayne,
Please don’t be alarmed. I can only imagine what you are thinking after the most recent turn of events. I want you to know, first, that I’m not here to hurt or frighten you. If all of this has, then I sincerely apologize. I’m here to help you.
There is a certain group of individuals after you. I don’t know who exactly, but I know what they want, and you are in very real danger. I can help stop it if you allow me.
I know you’re wondering who I am and how I know these things. I can’t tell you here, but all will be revealed soon enough. I am sending someone to get you. Please watch for him soon. You have to trust him and do as he says, no matter what. It’s the only way he can protect you.
This is not a case of the Trojan horse. I will do everything I can to keep you safe, Rayne. After all, we are the only family each other has left.
Best Wishes
Rayne stared at the paper in silent shock. Her mind was running a thousand miles a minute. Everything was trying to process all at once and couldn’t decide on which way to turn first.
OK. First, an unknown someone thinks I’m in danger, which I can agree with. This mess is ridiculous. Second, this person wants to help me and probably even knows that the hell is going on. Third, family? Well, that can’t be true. Does that mean the rest is a lie, too? Am I really in danger, and from what?
She plopped down into the driver’s seat, letting herself fall forward onto the steering wheel. Her entire body was in a state of hysteria over the complete absurdness her life had become. Her heart rate was volatile, her muscles tensed and shaking, and her brain was on overload and on the verge of a meltdown.
This can’t be real.
How could it be? Everything had been boring and normal just two weeks ago. Even the break-in hadn’t been too terribly incredible.
But now, all of this?
Rayne wanted to disappear. She wanted to crawl under a rock or melt into the pavement to hide from the rest of the world where she could never be found.
Why me?
Sitting motionless for what seemed like forever, she willed the shock to fade away just enough so she could function properly again. She took a deep breath and straightened in her seat, holding the note in her hands to read it again. One phrase continued to stand out above the rest. “
This not a case of the Trojan horse.”
As much as she loved the story, it felt oddly out of place.
Who could have known it was my favorite tale? I only read and shared it with Grandpa.
Her stomach churned and she thought she might actually vomit. Letting her head fall back against the seat, she looked up at the roof of her car. Where did she go from here? Should she call the police? What about telling Layla?
Staring at the sagging cloth above, she sifted through her options. If there was even the slightest chance that she could have family somewhere, she wanted to know who and how. Telling the law enforcement wouldn't help that happen, and if she told Layla, well, she couldn't guarantee that she wouldn't go to them herself. She hadn't seemed too happy about the whole situation earlier.
Rayne put the battered Honda in gear and backed out of the parking lot. She had a lot of thinking to do and decisions to make.
Please let me make the right one.
Chapter 3
Rayne sat cross-legged on her ugly navy blue sofa in a pair of flannel pajamas, her long auburn hair hanging down her back in a cascade of gentle waves. Her lap was occupied by the largest bowl of popcorn she’d ever seen, and she constantly defended it from Layla’s stubby fingers.
"Hey! I thought you didn't want any!" she said, moving the bowl out of reach.
"Now I do," Layla said stretching her short arms over Rayne to grab some more.
Two days had passed since the break-in at Karla's and the note left on her car. Originally, she thought it would be a bad idea to share the letter with her friend. It wasn’t as if she had been overly receptive to the idea of going along with police orders. Apparently they weren’t proactive enough for her. Of course, she couldn’t blame her. Had the circumstances been switched, she would have wanted every precaution taken to ensure the safety of her best friend.
So, she’d broken down and told her. Surprisingly enough, Layla had understood. She'd agreed without hesitation that if she really was in danger, then this could be her only hope. Desperate times called for desperate measures. Rayne had been incredibly surprised, but wasn’t complaining in the least. Layla was all she could depend on in the world, and having her support made all the difference.
After their discussion, the two had decided that it was definitely time for a girls’ night. Layla showed up a few hours later in her pink silk pajamas that made her round figure look even more so, and they relaxed on the sofa watching reruns of The Big Bang Theory, munching on popcorn and thinking about anything other than her situation.
Neither of them seemed too keen on dwelling on Rayne’s problem just yet. The time would come when they would have to face the music, one way or another, but for now, they were content just letting it all ride. It was almost as if they were afraid to talk about it, as if it somehow would increase the speed of progression.
Of course, Rayne couldn’t get it off her mind. It played on repeat, over and over, from the first break-in to every grueling detail of her nightmare. She sighed. She felt a little more at ease not being at home alone, wondering if every little creak and thud was someone coming to get her. Living on the bottom floor with a neighbor above her, well, there were plenty of noises. Needless to say, she'd slept very little, and when she did, it wasn't restful.
She swatted Layla's hand as it dove into the popcorn again. The pudgy girl cradled the appendage and gave her friend a wounded look. "Don't look at me like that. Get your own popcorn!" Rayne said, laughing.
Layla rolled her eyes and left the couch, making her way into the kitchen. Rayne shook her head and smiled to herself. She was thankful to have such an amazing friend. It really helped to have someone she knew she could trust by her side during all of the mess she was in. She doubted she would have made it this far without her.
A knock sounded at the door, startling the both of them. Simultaneously, they looked to the large clock hanging on the dingy white wall next to the television.
A visitor at nine PM?
Rayne crossed her fingers and looked over her shoulder. "It's probably just Mrs. Baxter telling us the TV is too loud again," she said, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. She wasn't sure whom she was trying to convince, Layla or herself. She stood and crossed the small room to the door, but paused with her hand on the deadbolt. Slowly, she opened it and peered out.