Whispers in the Dark

Whispers in the Dark

 K.I. Lynn

Whispers in the Dark

“Fuck,” I groaned, staring at the sign hanging on the elevator that read “Out of Order” and almost burst into tears.

It was a crappy day that was only getting worse with each passing hour. I figured standing drenched in the rain was the icing on the cake, but no, I was wrong.

With a heavy sigh, and an even heavier bag on my shoulder and one in my hand, I took the first step in my seven-flight journey up to my floor. At about four floors, I had to take a break, so I threw my bags down on the landing and sat of the bottom step of the next floor. I closed my eyes, resting my head on my arms that were crossed on my lap.

My shoulders ached, my head ached worse, and I was soaking wet from head to toe. So exhausted, I was close to curling up on the floor and sleeping there, and would have if I wasn’t already freezing—the stairwell wasn’t temperature controlled.

“Need some help?” an unfamiliar male voice asked.

I didn’t look up—I didn’t care who it was. A minute of rest was all I needed to carry on. That, and the knowledge that a hot shower awaited me as soon as I finished the remaining three flights.

“No, I’m fine. I just need a minute.” I gave him a thumbs-up and hoped he would carry on.

“Are you sure?” he questioned again, real concern evident in his voice.

I took a deep breath and raised my head. My eyes widened as I looked at the stranger in front of me. His leather jacket was riddled with water droplets, his brown hair flattened on his head and soaked to the roots. His light green eyes drew me in like a beacon in the dark. I’d never seen him before, which was odd, because I knew almost everyone in the building. We often held parties on the rooftop garden, and I would have remembered seeing a gorgeous guy like him, even soaking wet.

Strong jaw, sharp cheek bones, and a fit physique—yeah, I would have remembered him.

“Who are you?” The words shot out, and I slapped my hand over my mouth. He let out a chuckle, exposing a perfect set of white teeth. “I mean... You must be new?”

“Yeah, I am. Tristan.” He held out his hand, and I took it.

I wanted to lick any part of him, but I’d settle on his hand for now… he was that hot.

“Mia.”

His hand was large, warm, and rough. Add that to the sexy vibe I was getting, and images of the two of us naked popped in my head.

“Nice to meet you, Mia.”

I nodded and stared back at him unblinking, the visions still dancing in my head the more I stared into his eyes.

“Going to need that hand back.” His gaze moved down to where our hands were still connected. I didn’t even realize I hadn’t let go. Dear Lord, I wasn’t drooling, was I?

“You sure?” I smiled up at him, trying to make light of the situation and not make myself out to be some strange psycho.

He let out a deep chuckle. “For a little while, but then you can have it back.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

My whole body felt colder when I let go. I didn’t realize his presence had beaten back some of my gloom, which returned in full force.

“So, are you going to be okay if I leave?”

I rolled my eyes at him. “I’ll be fine. It’s just been a really crappy day.”

“It can’t be all bad.”

“Yeah? Why is that?”

He grinned. “You met
me
.” My head tilted back in laughter as he stepped up and past me. “See you around, Mia.”

“Better. I’ll be searching out that hand.”

He stopped on the stair just above me, his tongue peeking out to lick his lips. “You’re going to be trouble, aren’t you?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “That’s what my dad used to say.”

Tristan nodded. “Oh, he was right.”

After the sound of his footsteps retreated, my hand reached up to fan my face. I hadn’t been that bold in…months. Not since the night my best friend Casey and I had a little too much to drink at the martini bar down the street.

I took a deep breath and gathered my strength. The call from my shower was growing, and I still had a few flights of stairs to go. With my bags in hand, I finished the climb of doom.

The end was nigh. The bright red door with gold painted 7C was within my sight, and my heart and body sang. It was a bit off key, and more like wailing cats, but in no way reduced the euphoria of finally being home.

Until I realized my key was not in hand.

I leaned forward, whimpering as my forehead came to rest against the old wooden gate to my apartment. The bags slipped from my grip, landing on the floor.

“Oh, enough with the dramatics, Mia. It was only seven floors,” the familiar voice of my neighbor said as she walked past.

“Bad day, Lena.”

Her keys jingled as she pulled them out. “I can tell. That peroxide was left on a little too long.”

“I’m sticking my tongue out—you just can’t see it. But I bet you can see this.” I stuck my arm out and flipped her the bird.

She laughed. “Find your fucking keys, girl.” The door creaked open. “Oh, and don’t forget we’re meeting up for dinner tomorrow night.”

“Six?”

“Yup, now get inside. If I come out here in five minutes and you’re still standing there, I’m going to throw your bags down a flight of stairs.”

I whimpered at the thought of climbing even one more step.

“That’s what I thought.” Her door slammed shut behind her, and my eyes stared down at my feet, locating my purse. I found my keys and unlocked the door before stepping in.

After locking the door behind me, I threw my bags down and shrugged my coat off. I moved the heaviest bag, which contained my recent purchases at the grocery, into the kitchen to unload.

Once done, I headed to my bedroom. Faint light filtered in the windows from the rain darkened sky. It would be pitch-black in moments, the sunset fast approaching.

I toed off my shoes and stripped off my wet clothing, tossing them into the hamper on my way into the bathroom.

I flipped on the light as I entered and recoiled at the sight of myself in the mirror. My brown eyes looked tired and my skin was sickly pale, making my cheeks look like they were ballooning off my face. The most noticeable was the disaster that was my hair.

My friend, Casey, was supposed to lighten my natural dirty blonde, but she went a little overboard to platinum. Hell, it was almost white.

The me in the mirror pursed her lips and quirked her brow as if to say “really?” I sighed, stuck with the look for at least a little while, so I might as well get used to it. Five days later, and I still was struck with confusion each time I saw myself.

I jumped in the shower, letting the warmth of the water defrost me from my stint in the cold rain.

My mind began to wander, and I wished it was Friday night. True, it was only a day away, but still too far after the day I’d had. I wanted to sleep late into the morning, snuggled into my warm bed, not waking at the crack of dawn.

Though I
had
met Tristan, and that alone could make me forget the craptastic day. My body warmed just at the reminder of his calloused hand. It’d been months since I’d been touched by a man, and the roughness had me begging to feel him all over me.

I bit my lip as a familiar ache began to spread between my thighs, and I contemplated my options. There was always the cool comfort of my vibe, but with the chill I had, I wanted something warm pressed against me.

My ex, Greg, had texted me earlier in the day for a booty call. It was a tempting offer, but being him, it wasn’t enough for me to cave, no matter how desperate I was. He’d always been an asshole, and it would be a get it, get off, get out kind of experience that would leave me still wanting. I’d probably end up pulling out my vibe after he left, going back to option one. Plus there were the dirty dishes he’d leave me thanks to his after sex snack.

Since I was going to be left wanting in some way or another, my hand trailed down my stomach. My eyes fluttered closed when my fingers skimmed across my clit. I was wet, and not just from the spray of the shower.

My middle finger pressed against the familiar little nub it had grown to know very well over the years. I let out a small moan, my breathing picking up as my hand increased its pace.

I was climbing as Tristan came to mind, taking me higher. My legs began to shake, the familiar coil building in the pit of my stomach. My eyes opened, unfocused as they stared at the shower head.

Then everything went black.

I blinked against the darkness, my motions stopping. The feeling of water still pelted my skin, so I hadn’t blacked out.

My hand swatted against the shower curtain, sliding it open enough to look out. Everything was dark, not even a sparkle shining through the window from the building across the way or the street below.

I waited another moment, hoping it was just a fluke, but after a while I gave up.

“Fuck!”

I let out a harsh breath and fumbled to turn off the shower. With blind hands, I opened the curtain all the way and felt around for my towel. Once located, I threw it around me and held on to the edge of the claw-foot tub and climbed out.

As I dried off, I tried to recall where I had a flashlight, or anything to help me see in the pitch black. I didn’t even have the moon to help, with the rain still pouring outside. I wrapped the towel around me, tucking the tail end in before feeling around. I stumbled my way through, bumping into furniture, even stubbing my toe more than once as I made my way down the hall to my purse. My cell phone could at least help me find another light source.

I had a few candles strewn about my apartment, and I was pretty sure a flashlight was hiding somewhere in one of the kitchen drawers.

After a precarious journey and knocking over more than one thing, I located my purse where I’d dropped it when I entered. I breathed a sigh of relief when the glow of the screen lit up, breaking through the dark.

With a little illumination, I made my way to the kitchen and began rifling through the drawers. The familiar round shape caught my eye, and I pulled out my one and only flashlight.

I sighed in relief, then switched it to on right when my screen went to sleep.

Nothing. Darkness.

“Fuck.”

I shook it, banged it against my hand, and still nothing. Not that I really thought it would work, but I was desperate. I even took out the batteries and moved them around.

Dead.

They were D batteries, a size I didn’t keep extras of, unlike its AA counterpart.

I whimpered and walked with my makeshift flashlight to where I had a small assortment of candles. My eyes had adjusted somewhat to the dark, but it was still a challenge getting around.

I picked up the matchbook and opened it, cursing as I looked inside.

“You have got to be fucking kidding me!” I cried out, my chest tightening.

The booklet was empty.

I had no way to light the candles.

The heel of my hand rubbed against my eyebrow in agitation. What had I been saying earlier? The day could get worse, it seemed.

I had to go to Lena’s—she’d have something to help me. She used to smoke, and always had a lighter or two lying around.

It was the first time ever that I really wished my fireplace hadn’t been closed off and was functional instead of just an architectural feature. They were a liability in old buildings like the one I lived in.

There was no way I was leaving in only my towel, no matter how close her apartment was to mine, so I headed back to my bedroom to change.

Dressing in a simple tank top and lounge pants was even difficult, and I prayed everything was on right. I didn’t bother doing anything to my still wet hair—I was only going to be gone a minute.

I slipped on my house shoes, and with the help of my cell phone, headed out the front door.

My feet made cautious steps down the pitch-black hall, one hand on my salvation light, the other on the wall, keeping me steady. At the rate I was using my phone, it would be dead in no time.

It wasn’t a far walk, maybe twenty feet, but under the conditions it felt like a mile. There was one window at the other end of the hall, but I could barely see where it was, and there were no security lights. It felt like a foreign world.

I let out a sigh of relief when I saw the gold lettering of 7D and began pounding on the door.

“Lena, it’s Mia. I need a light.” I stood and waited, but there was no response. “Lena. Come on, open up. I’m starting to freak out.” I paused again before my pounding became frantic. “Lena! Please answer!”

She wasn’t home, and I was getting scared, my chest constricting. I wasn’t afraid of the dark per se, but it was really creepy without anything.

“She left about a half hour ago,” a male voice said from behind me.

I jumped, turning as I did so, and settled against Lena’s door.

“Oh, hi.” I stared wide-eyed at him, watching as his arms crossed over his chest while he leaned against the frame. A soft glow of light filtered into the hall from inside.

Tristan.

He smirked at me. “Need something?”

My stance relaxed. “What are you offering?”

“That’s a loaded question, beautiful.”