Sleep Tight

by BJ Hyman

  After backing up and taking another turn, she recognized how very quiet the garden was. There wasn’t much about Sabrina’s life that Charlie envied, but the peace of a settled home that was all her own…that was something worth a bit of jealousy.

  Cold as she was, she wasn’t ready to go back in to the party and face all the masquerade inside. She found a quiet corner where Sabrina had a swing set up and nestled in to the cushioned seat. Pushing off, she let the swing move gently forward and backward. Not enough to stir up much wind--that would have made her too cold to stay out. Just enough to calm her nerves and let her think.

  Frankly, all she wanted to do was finally shut all thoughts off and just BE. The fear had invaded her life and made her miserable. The fact that Dean was slowly coming back into play also had her turned all around. She forced herself to just listen to the gentle squeak of the swing and the rustling of the leaves in the wind. Before long, she felt soothed and serene.

  But another sound caught her attention.

  Someone was walking in the garden.

  She could hear their steps on the small pebbles that lined the path.

  She stopped the swing to hear it better. The crunching steps were coming her way. Her view was obscured by a pergola, two walls covered in vines, and a row of small trees. She could just hear the sound.

  She waited to see someone come into view. But the sound stopped.

  Whoever it was had stopped moving. They seemed to be standing just out of sight.

  “Hello?” She called out.

  A faint rustling in the trees is all that answered her. A chill ran up her spine and made the hairs on her head begin to rise. She glanced around her but could see nothing and no one.

  She stood and walked to the path where the footsteps had stopped. No one was there.

  Spooked, she took hurried steps back toward the house.

  The unmistakable sounds of someone walking behind her startled her. She turned quickly…but found nothing but an empty pathway. With so many little areas to hide, she realized someone could be standing just beyond her vision but watching her. She turned and began to run.

  The footsteps began again, but, this time, she didn’t turn to see. She bounded up the steps to the back porch and flung open the door to the kitchen. With a whoosh, she slammed it behind her and ran to the window to look back out. Just at the edge of the yard, she caught sight of a shadow dipping behind a row of trees.

  Hands dropped to her shoulders and she shrieked.

  Eli turned her around. “It’s me! It’s me! What’s wrong?”

  She fell into his chest and let him wrap his arms around her. “I just got spooked. I think someone was following me in the garden.”

  His body was warm, and she felt the warmth seeping through her chilled clothing. “It’s Halloween. Someone was probably just messing with you. You know how some of these people are when they get a little booze in them.” He pulled back to look at her. “You want to go?”

  In the warm house with Eli looking at her so concerned, she felt a bit silly. “Of course not. It was just a spook.” She pulled from his embrace. “I think I’m going to go to the rest room and pat some warm water on my face though. It’ll make me feel better.”

  He kissed her lips gently. “Whatever you want. Just let me know.”

  She nodded her head before slipping out the door and down the hall toward the stairs.

  Just as her foot landed on the bottom step to go upstairs to the bathrooms, the opening notes to People Are Strange bellowed through the house. Charlie shook her head. She couldn’t agree more.

  When she got to the top of the landing, she noticed almost all of the upstairs doors were closed. She stepped up to the closest one and pressed her ear to the cold wood. Moans and creaks from the unquestionable activities inside passed easily for her to hear. She stepped to the next door and did the same with the same result. She muttered beneath her breath, “Any excuse will do.”

  While she walked the familiar hall to the bathroom, she wondered if Eli would be up for a little elicit behavior at a party. The mere idea of it sent a thrill straight to her privates. Her feelings might be complicated for the long haul, but her immediate feelings were unmistakable. She wondered at how fickle the emotional state of the human being is. For her to love and desire two men at the same time? She knew the love she had felt for Dean had been real and it was with her still. She tried to deny it for a while, but it wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

  Was what she felt for Eli love? She thought so but also thought that if it were, she wouldn’t feel so conflicted over Dean. Can you love more than…

  A pair of strong hands grabbed her and dragged her into a nearby bedroom. The hand over her mouth was clamped tightly and her arms were pinned against her sides. She heard rather than saw the door kicked closed behind them.

  The room was dim. The only light came from the moonlight filtering through the windows at the far edge wall and from underneath the closed door. Whoever held her had dragged her to a dark, lonely place and she knew no one would look for her for some time. Panic flooded her bloodstream with adrenaline.

  She struggled but couldn’t move.

  She tried to yell but the sound would never overcome the hand over her mouth, the closed room, or the loud Doors music screaming through the house.

  Warm breath heated her left ear and a hoarse voice murmured in hushed tones, “I’m having so much fun with you. Let’s see how long I can make this last.”

  With that, she was shoved forcefully into a closet.

  CHAPTER

  TWENTY-ONE

  Search and Rescue

  The darkness was instant. All sound was muffled out and there was not the slightest bit of light by which to see. Charlie immediately turned around to try to get out of the closet. She pushed as hard as she could, but it bounced open only a small fraction. An annoyed tut tut tut came through the door loud and clear. She prepared to give another hard push but heard an odd thick sound against the door knob. She moved forward with everything she had but the door didn’t budge a bit this time. Something had been pushed under the door knob to keep her securely locked inside.

  The closet was filled to the brim with clothes and shoes leaving her very little room in which to move around. “Damn you and your clothes obsession, Sabrina,” Charlie muttered. It was bad enough to be trapped in a small space, but the clothes gave it a suffocating quality, like she was a forgotten pair of socks stuffed into the bottom of an over-full drawer.

  She didn’t know what her abductor meant by the ominous statement. Let’s see how long I can make this last. Did that mean they were coming back to do horrible things to her? Were they sitting out there waiting to see if she could manage to get out of the closet? Were they making plans on how to hurt her here or move her to another location so that they could take their time?

  She searched the interior of the closet for anything she could use as a weapon. It was difficult in the dark. She imagined it must be what being blind felt like. Her hands slid quickly over the top of the clothes bar. All the clothes hangers were plastic. That seemed hopeless. She searched pockets of the clothes hoping Sabrina left a fingernail file or something.

  Of course…nothing. Not even a wadded up used tissue.

  She shoved the shoes aside to flop down in the floor in despair. She landed on a pair of stilettos. The heel of one nearly punctured her left buttock. She grabbed it and slid her fingers down to the slender tip. That could do some damage if it was used right. She pointed it out like she was holding a hammer. That was at least something. It made her feel marginally better to think that she wouldn’t go down without a fight.

  She got up on one knee like a man preparing to propose. She thought, if she came up as she shot out of the closet, her momentum would give her an edge. Her palm was sweaty on the shoe and it felt slick. She switched hands for a moment to dry her palm on the bent right thigh of her pants. When she wiped it across her backside, she realized something was missi
ng.

  Her cell phone.

  She hadn’t thought of it yet, but it would have come to her that she had a means to get help. But in one short moment, gone where her hopes of texting or calling. Most everyone found somewhere to put their phone in their costumes even if it was on silent or vibrate. She knew that any shouting she might do would have very little chance of being heard over music and the chatter of the party.

  She didn’t want to have to face her attacker, but she wished whoever it was would hurry up and make their move. The anticipation was almost as bad as being grabbed. If that closet door opened, at least she’d be on her way to this being over.

  Charlie listened intently at the door. Besides the muffled party sounds, there was nothing else. Not a rustle. Not a sigh. Not even the disturbing tut tut tut.

  Her left knee pressed into the carpet was growing tired, but she didn’t know if she could get up as quickly coming from her right. After several more moments, she switched sides with a sigh. Her heart rate was slowing, and her fear was turning to aggravation.

  After another eternity that was, in all probability, only around twenty minutes, she sat cross legged on the floor. Whoever had grabbed her was in no hurry to do anything else. The feeling of threat faded.

  She heard a faint buzzing sound from the bedroom. She leaned against the cold wood of the door to better hear. After a short time, it stopped. But seconds later, it began again.

  Her cell phone! It had to be. Someone was trying to find her! She slapped the door in irritation. But relief flooded her at the same time. If they were trying to call, then they were looking for her.

  She sat back and waited to see what would happen next. It didn’t take long to find out. She heard Kellie’s voice above the ambient sounds from below shouting her name. She got up and started kicking and pounding on the closet door. “I’m here! Can you hear me? I’m here! Kellie! I’m in a closet!”

  “Charlie?!” The yelling came closer.

  She screamed as loudly as she could. It was a terrifying sound from inside the closet. She heard the door open to the bedroom and voices. Eli said, “There’s her cell on the floor!” She kicked and pounded on the door again.

  The knob rattled as whatever was holding it closed was removed. She stumbled out of the closet into the blindingly bright room straight into her sister’s arms. “Oh! I’m so glad you all found me!”

  Hands all patted her, and questions shot from each direction.

  “What happened?”

  “Who put you in a closet?”

  “Did you see who did it?”

  “I was going to the bathroom when someone grabbed me from behind and dragged me in here. It was dark, and they kicked the door closed so fast that there wasn’t time to scream. Whoever it was whispered against my ear before shoving me in that closet and locking me in.

  Eli’s forehead furrowed with worry. “What did they say?”

  A chill ran back over Charlie’s skin. “I’m having so much fun. Let’s see how long I can make this last.”

  Kellie put a hand to her mouth. “Was it a man?”

  Charlie thought for a moment but had to admit that she didn’t know. “That’s the thing. I would assume so, but I couldn’t tell you for sure. They had strong arms, but anyone who works out can be strong. I don’t exercise, really, so it’s not that hard to be stronger than I am. Kellie could beat me if we arm wrestled.”

  Craig sat heavily on the edge of the bed. “It could have been a prank. It’s a Halloween party. There’s all kinds of people here. I just think it was a joke meant to scare you.” His face told a different story. Charlie knew he was just hoping.

  “I wasn’t asleep this time. What does that mean? I’m not safe anywhere? It doesn’t have to just be when I sleep?”

  Eli waved a hand in the air. “I’m getting you self-defense lessons.”

  “Screw that! Get her a gun!” Sabrina crossed her arms across her chest.

  Charlie’s head drooped. “None of that will help me if I’m alone and asleep. What if it’s this killer on the loose? There are at least three deaths already! Maybe more. What if I’m next?”

  Kellie gasped and started to cry. Mitchell pulled her to him and spoke over her head to Charlie. “We are not going to let that happen. Never in a million years. We’ll do whatever it takes. You understand me?”

  Eli walked to Charlie and put his arms around her. She nodded uncertainly but her eyes drifted to Megan who was standing next to Craig. Megan’s lips were pressed tightly together. “Megan?”

  She shook her head at first, but Craig touched her arm prompting her to speak. “This person got her in a crowded house with all of us here. What’s to stop them somewhere else?”

  CHAPTER

  TWENTY-TWO

  Surprises

  On the ride home, Eli and Charlie rode in silence. He rolled up to a stop sign but didn’t drive on. Instead, he let the car idle for a moment before he put it in park. “You want to go home or to my place?”

  “I want to go nowhere.” She looked out the side window and watched it fog from the heat of her breath.

  “What does that mean?”

  “I’m being attacked in my life. It’s confusing. I don’t know where we are going, and I can’t concentrate on it. I’m sorry. I know it’s not what you want to hear. I’m trying.” She looked down into her lap. “At least, I think I am.”

  Eli stared stonily out at the empty street ahead. “What about Dean?”

  She glanced at his profile before looking out at the road as well. “I don’t know.”

  His eyes fell to the steering wheel and he sat silently for several moments. “Maybe I should back off until you do.” He put the car into gear and took a left. “I’ll take you home.”

  “Eli…”

  “No. It’s okay. I don’t want to be part of your confusion…or, at least, to add to it. I’ll protect you when you need me.” He sighed heavily. “I love you. That’s not changed. I’m not abandoning you. I’m just giving you space.” Charlie looked back out the side window to hide the tears that started down her face. “I want to be there for the good and the bad but, if it’s confusing right now, I’ll back off.”

  They rode the rest of the way to her apartment in silence. Fear gripped her at the idea of being home alone, but she knew that she had security and it helped a little. Her heart ached for what was happening to her relationship with Eli. She cared for him. She did. The past was just too strong to let go of yet. The feeling of self-hatred spread through her like molasses…slowly and coating everything it touched.

  When they got to her apartment building, she got out and expected him to drive on. She looked at him in surprise as he climbed out on his side and locked the car doors. “I’m not letting you out of my sight tonight until I know you’re safely secured in your place.”

  She nodded mutely and walked toward the entrance. Like a true gentleman, he walked her all the way to her apartment. The tension was like a second person pushing at them both. When they reached her door, she turned to say something but was quieted by his mouth over hers. His arms crushed her to him and she held fast. Desire flooded her system and she pressed herself even closer.

  As quickly as it began, it was over, and she was separated from him. He stepped away and it felt like a wall dropped between them. “Go on inside. I want to hear the locks click.”

  Charlie’s legs betrayed her as she tried to turn, and she stumbled a bit. Her fingers fiddled with the keys, almost dropping them, as she unlocked the door. Stepping inside she turned to look back at him. He waved an impatient hand for her to finish. He disappeared slowly as the door closed. She quickly locked it before leaning her head against the wood.

  ◆◆◆

  Craig met Charlie at the door to open the store the next morning. “Anything bad happen last night?” His hands stirred the air as he realized his mistake. “I mean, beyond the obvious of what happened at the party.” She shook her head mutely. Craig took it as a positive sign. “G
ood! The party went over well. Well, except for the closet thing. Everybody seemed to like my music mix.” He continued chatting almost like an excited little kid as Charlie wearily followed her usual protocol before opening. He trailed along behind her doing things here and there to get the store ready for customers. She made encouraging sounds when required to show that she was indeed listening.

  It didn’t take very long for Craig to realize he was mostly talking to himself. He examined Charlie’s puffy eyes and bleak pallor. He leaned against the counter next to her. “Spill it.”

  She looked up in surprise. “What?”