SWNOVELS Chapter Home... Sweet Home?
"Hey, what's the mat-?" I fling myself straight into her arms before she could finish, my body slightly trembling from the terrifying encounter.
"Dear, dear." Mom rubs my back soothingly in an effort to calm me down. "I heard the loud growl and was just about to run out in search of you...... How comes you are back so late?" I could tell she was trying her best to conceal her worry.
I take deep breaths, willing my heart rate to return to a state of normalcy. "I was in the library." I airily breathe out.
Mom pulls back slightly, tilting her head to one side as she surveys me. She opens her mouth to speak-
"You? Library?" Dad stifles a peal of laughter causing mom's sentiments to go unspoken as his sluggish footsteps come to a halt beside us.
Mom releases me, playfully slapping him across the shoulder, before returning her gaze to me. "What were you doing there?"
I sigh recalling how I had been staked out by my supposedly Tutor. "I was waiting for someone."
Mom and dad's eyes dart to each other, forgetting for a moment, the more pressing issue at hand. "Someone?" Dad repeats thoughtfully. "Is there something going on that we should know about?" Dad winks.
"Not now, Dee." Mom scolds, throwing him a stern glance, though I could tell she was just as curious.
"It's not like that... He's my tutor…... But he never showed up." My head hangs, a mixture of fear and anger plaguing me. I somehow feel like it’s all his fault. If not for his inability to be reliable, I would have been home before dark and would have never found myself in this predicament.
Instantly, the playful grin on dad's lips fades. "What?" There is a deafening silence at his outburst. "What do you mean he never showed?" Trust dad to be all fun and games but when it comes to issues that trouble me, he could easily lose his cool. "Who's he, Where's he?"
"Cool down, Dee." Mom sighs, running her hand tenderly over his tensed muscles, "Probably something came up for him last minute or there was a mix-up.... but what I really want to get to is, what caused the growl that made you rush in?"
I shiver slightly as a quick flashback of the night's event unfolds. "I was chased" four eyes suddenly stare at me in wide-eyed shock as I continue. "I ran, but the man seemed just as fast, if not faster... He was gaining in on me. But then, a beast appeared from nowhere and scared him off."
"Did the person chasing you smell like rouge?" Mom anxiously inquires.
I know how rouges smell, their odor is quite distinct, to some even pungent, but hardly ever pleasant, therefore I know, that was no rouge. I shake my head 'no' to answer mom, generating more shock.
"Do you think-" mom is cut short but the ringing of dad's work cell. A call at such an hour on dad's work cell instead of his personal cell could only mean it's an urgent matter and more likely than not, it will require his presence.
Dad abandons the conversation in haste to answer. From the distance created between us, I could only hear dad's end of the conversation. "Chief Parker speaking." He answers, sounding so militant and serious. "Yes” ... “Yes” ...... “WHAT!?" His voice roars into the phone, causing me to wince. "I don't want to hear any excuses. Ready the troop now." Dad demands, his face contorting to rage as he ends the call.
"Dee-" Mom's words die on her lips as her phone begins to ring. She quickly answers "Councilwoman Claire, speaking." Mom's eyes widen and for a while she is silent as she listens to the voice on the other line, occasionally nodding as if the person on the other line is conversing in front of her. Finally, she speaks again. "Yes sir, I'll be there."
Mom and dad's eyes connect. "What are we going to do about Liyah Lee?" Mom asks dad, seeming rather troubled in spirit. I assume that their individual calls had one common denominator and the situation had to be quite dire for both of them to be needed simultaneously and immediately.
My nerves get the better of me and worry fills my mind. What could be so urgent to demand their immediate attention at such an hour? However, I don't dare ask, especially since I already know I won’t get an answer. Work business for them was just that- work’s business, and that usually meant it was kept confidentially, from me and at times from each other.
"I guess I’ll have to call Officer DéSilver to come over and watch her." Dad answers, in motion of making the call.
"Why not one of the veterans?"
"Because DéSilver doesn't know these parts well enough to be in the field but he shows impeccable skill and I’m confident he'll protect her with his life."
Mom sighs as she looks over at me. She pulls me into a hug before turning her gaze back to dad with a nod. "Ok, hurry and call because we have to go now."
The call is made, then Mom and dad disappear into their room before returning dressed and ready to go. They walk over and embrace me. "We'll be back soon, sweetie." dad says kissing my temple. Mom nods in agreement hugging me with such emotion, that it feels as if it might be our last embrace.
Fear gripes me, especially as they walk out the door and I overhear mom whisper to dad. "It might have been him that went after Liyah Lee tonight."
I rush to the door, where mom and dad are about to enter their vehicles.
"Officer DéSilver should arrive shortly, he's coming to guard you. So lock up tight and don't open for anyone else, except him, ok?" Worry stretches from dad's voice and mom's countenance is none the better. It really must break their hearts to leave me home alone at a time like this.
Yes, there have been similar emergencies in the past that would have called them away from me, yet it seemed like the older I got, the more I understood the risks surroundings their job, not just for their life but by extension mine, and the scarier it all appeared. As for Stella, she was most chatty and fierce when she could comfortably dominate the situation but in reality, when it mattered most she was all bark and no bite, like a helpless pup, needing protection from predators.
I sigh as I nod, bidding mom and dad farewell. "Love you both, be safe."
Dad honks his horn in acknowledgment and waits until I go in before driving off.
The house is now empty and fear rises like bile in my throat. I am tempted to believe that the attempted attacker was probably some revengeful escapist, settling their vendetta against my parents by coming after me. However, whatever that's the case or not, the bottom line remains, the culprit is still very much at large and could be anywhere, maybe even lurking somewhere out here.... watching me.
The thought sends a shiver down my spine and in an attempt to alleviate these thoughts, I turn to food; maybe that should help.
Food, bathroom, bed- a simple night routine, and soon I'm lying in bed staring up at the ceiling.
Suddenly, the snap of a twig echoes through the house and my heart instantly starts pounding wildly in my chest. Curiosity whispers in my ears, telling me to peek outside, but fear adamantly objects. It's almost like I'm frozen in place.
Another crack, and my heart rate spikes as my breathing becomes panicked.
The phone rings and I jump.
My heart is on the verge of an attack as I slowly sit up, trembling. My feet dangle over the edge of the bed and a million thoughts run through my mind. Who could it be, could it be him, but how'd he get my number, did he hack the system, should I go to the phone, should I answer?
Slowly dragging myself up and out of bed, I make my way towards the phone but it rings off before I could reach it. I breathe a sigh of relief. However, just as I'm about to go back to my room, it rings again, startling me; sending my heart back into a frenzy.
I creep to the phone, and suddenly loud footsteps come to a halt outside the door.
My eyes dart to the door in sheer panic, until the next ring, scares me out of my skin; I nearly scream.
I glance down at the caller's ID..... And instantly, a wave of relief washes over me; it's dad. I quickly pick up.
"Officer DéSilver is outside, sweetie... Oh and please charge your cell, we couldn't reach you when we tried calling before."
Oh yes, that's right. I remembered my phone did die. I make a mental note to go and change it when I return to the room.
"Ok, will do. So, how are things going?" I quickly ask.
"Well-"
"Chief we're ready." A voice cut through from dad's end, cutting his sentence short.
"Ok." He replies, sounding slightly distant as if his response is meant for the one who just spoke to him. His voice then returns stronger and clearer. "Sorry, sweetie, talk to you later." Without a second to spare the phone clicks out.
I exhale, feeling somewhat at ease knowing that protection lies just behind the door. I open but instantly freeze, my jaw dropping in the process as my eyes take register of who stands before me. My eyes then widen in shock. "Y-you are Officer DéSilver?"