Chapter Twenty-three
662 Words
It was the third day now and Nicholas hasn't returned. Alison busied herself with her paintings all day till she eventually ran out of supplies. Her paintings represented her restlessness and it only became worse as she ran out of paint.
She sat by the window, watching the sunset. The sunset calmed her mind a little bit. As the sun began to go, rain started to fall. She loved the rain but at this moment she hated it. The house felt like a prison.
A knock at the door broke the silence. Her heart skipped a beat. She knew it wasn't Nicholas. Nicholas won't knock for sure. She approached the door with Nicholas’s warning in her mind.
“ Who is it?” she asked, hesitating a bit.
“ Just a passerby seeking refuge from the rain” came the reply.
Alison contemplated whether she should open the door; despite Nicholas's warnings in her mind, she opened the door.
She opened the door and it revealed a man. He looked like he would be around Nicholas' age or a bit older. He had long dark hair, although he was drenched and his hair covered a part of his face; Alison could still see his piercing blue eyes.
“Can I come in?” the man gave her a warm smile, and Alison found herself parting her way for him to enter.
“ Thank you, the weather cut me off guard”
“Yes, the weather has been unpredictable lately”
The man looked around scanning the house. “Your home looks lovely, do you live alone”
She felt a bit uneasy about the question.” No, I don't” she answered without explaining further.
“ I see,” the man said, removing his wet coat and hanging it on the chair. He didn't ask further about who was living with her as she thought he would.
They settled down in the living room; Alison offered him tea, which he accepted graciously.
Alison stared at him, he didn't look like a dangerous person. He seemed calm and friendly compared to the men she had seen so far. She knew it was a big mistake inviting a stranger in especially when there was a dangerous situation.
As they drank tea, for some reason Alison found the man’s presence oddly comforting.
“You must find it peaceful here,” he said, glancing around “ Away from all the noise,” he said, and she nodded.
“ Do you know the thing about isolated places?” he asked, staring at her intensely.
“What”
“ Anything can happen, and no one will hear,” he joked,d, but Alison didn't find the joke funny at all. She felt her heart beat faster. Why would he say something like that?
“What brings you here?” Alison found herself asking even though she was a bit nervous.
“Like I said, passing through,” he replied, looking at the clock.
Alison wasn't satisfied with the answer and she wasn't sure if she could probe further.
“Thanks for the hospitality; I should be going now,” the man stood up.
“ So soon, the rain hasn't stopped yet,” Alison said, a little disappointed even though she was meant to be glad he was leaving.
“ I know, I have a long journey ahead of me but I really appreciate your kindness”
He wore his coat which was a bit drier now. As he reached the door, he turned back to her, his eyes locked on hers.
“ Take care, Alison; we'll see soon enough, hopefully,” he smiled before stepping into the rain.
As Alison closed the door, she felt quite uneasy. She couldn't remember telling him her name. How did he know her name? She wondered. It was at that moment she knew she made a big mistake.
Unknown to Alison, she invited the very
man she was dreading to cross paths with.
Adrian.
- Writer
