Sinister Shadows

by Brittany Cournoyer

  “Speaking of which, where is my car?”

  “Your car?”

  “Yes. Where’s mine?”

  “You don’t have a car.”

  Duncan’s eyes snapped open, and he jerked his head up to stare at Pierce. “What do you mean, I don’t have a car?”

  Pierce shrugged. “You sold it to put the money toward the closing costs of this house. Since I work nights, you’d take my car for whatever errands you needed to run during the day.”

  “And you left me without a car at night?”

  “You never had a problem with it before.”

  “What did I do at night?”

  Pierce shrugged again and clenched his fingers tightly around the arms of the chair. “I’m not really sure. Probably worked on getting the house put together.”

  Duncan shook his head with a scoff. “Doesn’t look like I got much done.”

  “I told you before, we hadn’t been here long, and you were having a hard time deciding what furniture you wanted to decorate with on the budget we have.”

  “How can we afford to furnish an entire house with one income? Especially when I had to sell my car to help pay for the closing costs?” Duncan asked. “Hell, we don’t even have cable, and it seems like the internet never works properly. Why the hell did we settle on this place out of all the homes I’m sure are available in town?”

  “We chose this place because we both agreed it’d be a nice place to raise a family, and it gave us the quiet and privacy we both wanted. You were ready to get out of the city, and we looked at numerous houses, but we both fell in love with this one.”

  “Can we even afford it on one income, though?”

  “When we made our budget, we didn’t factor in you running up a ton of expensive medical bills. We worked and saved until we had the money to buy our home and furnish it, and then the accident happened.”

  “I see.”

  Pierce could see from the tense set of Duncan’s shoulders that he was upset, and he knew he needed to say something to make things right. But he wasn’t sure what he could say. He was just as irritated as Duncan, since this was supposed to be their dream home, and Duncan was acting ungrateful and unsatisfied. What was meant to a nice, relaxing time spent outside had turned into an exchange of words. Rather than spend any more time arguing, Pierce stood.

  “Where are you going?” Duncan asked.

  “To take a shower and…cool off. I’ll come help you back inside when I’m done.”

  “Pierce…”

  Pierce didn’t stop to listen to whatever Duncan had to say. He was too irritated, and he needed to get inside and take a much-needed shower. As he stood under the heated spray, letting the scalding water pummel the knots of tension that’d formed in his back, he had to remind himself that Duncan had been injured. Of course he’d have questions, even if they weren’t ones Pierce was ready to answer. Their life had been perfect, but Pierce couldn’t stop the reoccurring fear that Duncan would no longer want it once his memory returned.

  The convenience store had a customer waiting at the counter for the clerk who wasn’t anywhere in sight. Pierce made his way toward the cooler in the back to grab a few iced coffees before stopping in one of the aisles to get a snack. As his eyes scanned over the various bags of chips, he could hear the quiet exchange between the clerk, who’d finally appeared, and the customer.

  “Is it okay if I hang this on the bulletin board over there?” the man asked.

  “Oh, of course. Just hang it wherever you find a spot.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

  “No problem. I gotta be honest, though. Most people put babysitting services and lawn care. One of those ads has been hanging up there for almost two years. I’m not sure how many people will see that.” Pierce could hear the apology in the cashier’s voice.

  “It’s worth a try.”

  “It is. Good luck.”

  “Thanks,” the man said.

  Pierce grabbed a bag of ranch flavored tortilla chips and then went to the candy aisle for a bar of chocolate before carrying his purchases to the counter.

  “Did I hear you say that bulletin board has ads for lawn care?”

  “I did. A teenager trying to save up for a car posted it a month ago. I don’t know if he’s had any takers, yet.”

  “Well, I think he will now,” Pierce told the cashier as he bagged up the purchases.

  “That’s great. The poor kid told me his entire life story after he asked about hanging up the flyer. I felt so bad I asked him to mow mine, though I typically do it myself.”

  “That was a nice thing for you to do.” Pierce paid for his purchases and waited for his change. “Have a great night.”

  “You too.”

  Taking the bag of food, Pierce walked toward the bulletin board to look at the various flyers for lawn care, babysitting services, and even a yard sale that’d happened six months prior. Finally, his eyes landed on the one he was searching for. When he left the store, the bulletin board had one less item taking up space.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Duncan’s skin was slightly red and tender. After Pierce had left him to go inside and shower, Duncan had stayed outside, where he stewed over his thoughts and tried to figure out what’d happened. As he replayed the conversation in his head, he realized he probably came across as rude and unappreciative. Evidently, they’d put a lot of thought and effort into buying the home, and they had planned to build a future together there. Even though living way out in the middle of nowhere seemed unlikely to Duncan now, he’d agreed to it before the accident, and his questions and blunt remarks had most likely hurt Pierce’s feelings.

  Pierce had taken a while to come back and help Duncan inside. So long, in fact, that Duncan wasn’t even sure how much time had passed. But his back was getting stiff, his butt was going numb, and he was starting to get a sunburn. When Pierce finally appeared, Duncan had tried his best to apologize, but Pierce had waved him off.

  “It’s fine. Let’s just drop it,” Pierce said with such a sense of finality that Duncan didn’t say another word.

  After getting Duncan situated, Pierce disappeared down the stairs and returned a few minutes later with the usual snacks and drinks, as well as Duncan’s daily medication.

  “Do you need anything else before I go take a nap before work?” Pierce asked.

  Duncan shook his head. He had his snacks and DVDs, as well as the knife he had hidden under his pillow so he could try to explore what was behind the locked door. He was biding his time until he knew Pierce was gone, and time seemed to be ticking slowly. The longer he sat there waiting, the more tender the skin on his arms and face became. Being outside for so long after being stuck indoors for days on end had left him easily susceptible to a sunburn. Duncan wouldn’t allow tender skin to prevent him from exploring later that evening, though. If he could walk around on an injured ankle, he could handle a damn sunburn.

  Glancing at the tray, Duncan saw a bologna and cheese sandwich, as well as some cookies and chips. His stomach rumbled, and he realized he hadn’t eaten since breakfast. Duncan reached over to grab the sandwich, and his arms stung at the movement. Duncan hissed at the pain but didn’t stop reaching for the food. If he gave in to the pain now, then he’d give in to it later when he wanted to walk around. No, he’d move around periodically to try and prevent stiffness, and hopefully a pain pill would help with the rest.

  While he munched on his sandwich, he listened for any signs of Pierce. The house was almost too quiet, and Duncan wondered if maybe Pierce had left early. But then he heard a door shutting. After finishing his sandwich, Duncan bit his pain pill in half and quickly swallowed it down with a drink of the cranberry juice. The bitterness of the pill lingered on his tongue, and he took another couple of sips until it washed away.

  As he settled back against the pillows, Duncan waited for the tell-tale signs of sleepiness creeping in and was glad when he only felt a tiny bit of drowsiness, but not enough to make hi
m crash like usual. Hopefully, only taking half a pill would help with that. He grabbed the laptop he’d discarded on the side of the bed and loaded a DVD while he continued to listen for Pierce moving around downstairs.

  “You’re still awake?” Pierce’s voice came from the doorway a few minutes later.

  Duncan startled at the noise, since he was too engrossed in his movie and didn’t hear Pierce climbing the stairs.

  “I am,” Duncan answered. “Maybe I can actually finish this movie, since I’ve restarted it at least three times.”

  Pierce stepped closer and looked down at the tray with the nearly full glass of cranberry juice and the remaining half of the pain pill. “Why didn’t you take the entire thing?”

  Duncan shrugged before pausing the movie to look at Pierce. “The pain is starting to subside, so I figured I’d get by with only taking half. It’s nice to be lucid, rather than sleeping all day.”

  Pierce nodded. “Well, your sunburn looks pretty bad. Make sure to drink your juice so you can stay hydrated. I’ll run and grab you some aloe before going to work.”

  “I don’t want you making an extra trip to the store. Don’t you need some rest?”

  “It’s no big deal. That’s what husbands do, right? Take care of their spouse during their time of need?”

  “Yes, but—” Duncan started to protest.

  Pierce leaned over and put his finger against Duncan’s lips to shush him. “But nothing. For better and for worse. Don’t forget that, okay?”

  Duncan jerked his head back slightly, forcing Pierce’s finger to move. His lips tingled from the touch, and the gesture made him uncomfortable. Clearing his throat a few times, he finally addressed Pierce’s comment. “I won’t.”

  “Good. Would you like anything else from the store?”

  “Um…” Did he really want to press his luck? “Maybe a few more DVDs?”

  Pierce’s brow furrowed. “What’s wrong with the ones you have?”

  “I’ve watched them all.”

  Pierce blew out a breath. “I’ll see what selections the store might have. Anything you prefer?”

  Duncan’s automatic reaction was to shake his head, since he couldn’t recall if he had any favorites. But as soon as he opened his mouth, a movie title popped out. “Twister. My favorite movie is Twister.”

  “Really? You never told me that, or else I would’ve made sure it was part of the other DVDs I got you.”

  “Surely it came up during our time together.”

  Pierce shook his head. “Not that I can recall. You always made it seem like you enjoyed the eighties classics.”

  “I do enjoy them.”

  “Why do I hear another but coming on?”

  “But Twister is apparently my favorite,” Duncan finished with a grin.

  “I’ll see if the store has it, okay?”

  “Thank you.”

  “I’ll also pick you up some more juice. Make sure you finish what you already have. You don’t want to get sick from your sunburn.”

  “Okay, but shouldn’t I have water to stay hydrated?”

  “I think any liquid is fine, with the exception of alcohol.”

  Duncan dutifully reached over and grabbed the glass of cranberry juice. Pierce kept his eyes on him as Duncan raised the glass to his lips and took a long swallow. The tart liquid filled his mouth and felt refreshing as he swallowed it down. He took another, smaller sip, before setting the half-drained glass on the table.

  “Good. I'll bring you a refill when I come back.”

  “Thank you, Pierce. I appreciate you making an extra trip for me. I guess next time I go outside, I need to put some sunblock on.”

  Pierce made a noncommittal sound in his throat. “Maybe.”

  He left the room before Duncan could ask what that meant, and Duncan started to feel a little bit more tired than he had before, but not so much that he felt like he was going to fall asleep. A few seconds later, he heard the front door shut. Duncan pressed the play button on the movie and allowed himself to get lost in the scene of a handful of teenagers on a pirate ship play out before him. But then, the one thing he tried his hardest to prevent happened, and before he knew it, he drifted off to sleep.

  He rushed down the dark alley toward the exit, where a streetlight beckoned him, waiting to show him the way to safety. He didn’t dare look behind him, his feet soaking wet as they splashed through the puddles of standing water. The footsteps behind him seemed to be gaining on him, and the shadows on the walls appeared to double in size, but he refused to give up. He couldn’t, not if he wanted to get out of that alley.

  A harsh breath in, a harsh breath out. All he had to do was keep breathing and keep running. No looking behind him, and absolutely no stopping. He’d be safe…just as long as he kept going.

  Duncan woke with a start, and it took a few seconds for his sight to adjust to the pitch-black room. He lay completely still as he caught his bearings, and when he did, he realized he’d fallen asleep. The nap wasn’t what he wanted, since he had plans to go exploring, and it was hard to tell what time it was or how much had passed while he was out. Damn that pain pill for being more potent than he thought it would be. Now he was debating whether to go, since he wasn’t sure how soon Pierce would be home.

  Sitting up, he contemplated what to do for a few seconds, before reaching under the pillow and grabbing the butter knife he’d stashed. The longer he sat there debating, the less time he had to explore, and there was no time like the present. Duncan decided not to test the weight on his ankle and used the same method as he’d done the other day. Since he’d already looked in the other rooms, he ignored them and made a beeline to the door at the end of the hall, on the other side of the stairs.

  His palms were sweaty with excitement and nerves—though he had no idea what he was nervous about—and he had to tighten his grip around the handle of the knife to keep from dropping it. By the time he made it to the door, his entire body was shaking from limping across the floor, but he was too determined to pop the lock to care about anything else.

  Duncan placed the knife between his teeth as he vigorously wiped his damp palms against his pants then grasped the knife in his hand as he eyed the door. He took a deep breath and allowed muscle memory and instinct to take over as he slowly lowered to his knees, not bothering to question how he was going to stand up later. He grasped the doorknob in one hand and slid the blade of the knife between the door and the frame with the other. Then he started to wiggle it back and forth while twisting the knob. It was probably only a few minutes, but it felt like hours had passed as nerves begin to build inside Duncan. The fear of Pierce coming home and catching him was palpable, but Duncan wasn’t sure what he had to fear. This was his house after all, right? So that meant he could go in any room he wanted. Yet, even though he tried to rationalize that, the fear stayed. He didn’t stop, though, and after a few more wiggles of the knife, the lock popped.

  Duncan dropped the knife and crawled over to the wall, using it and the floor as leverage to hoist himself into an upright position. By the time he was vertical, he had to pause to catch his breath, and then he limped to the middle of the floor to bend over and pick the knife back up. Finally, he could see what was on the other side of the door, and after taking a deep breath, he grasped the knob and pulled it open.

  He wasn’t sure what he expected to see, but disappointment filled him when he saw what was on the other side—a set of stairs that most likely led to the attic. There weren’t nearly as many steps as the staircase that led down to the first floor, but there were enough to make things difficult for Duncan. The stairs were steep, and to climb them would take time—something Duncan didn’t have. At least, not tonight. There would always be tomorrow. In the meantime, he would hold on to the knife, just in case.

  With a deep, disappointed sigh, Duncan closed the door but made sure to test the knob to ensure it’d open for him. After he was satisfied that the door was still unlocked, he limped back to bed bu
t made a quick stop to the bathroom first. By the time he crawled back in bed, he wasn’t one bit surprised to hear the front door open and close, followed by Pierce’s familiar footfalls on the stairs. This time, he didn’t pretend to awaken for Pierce and instead lay there, feigning sleep. After a few moments of feeling Pierce’s gaze on him, Duncan heard him turn around and head back down the stairs. Only then did Duncan let go of the breath he’d been holding.

  Chapter Seventeen

  A week had passed since Duncan revealed he liked the movie Twister. More storms had moved in to soak the grounds and flood the rivers, and Pierce got to hear Duncan complain about not being able to go outside.

  “I can’t control the weather, Duncan,” Pierce sighed when Duncan made yet another complaint about the spattering against the window.

  “I know. I’m just...” He trailed off, rather than finish his sentence.

  “Tired of being cooped up. I know.”

  “I’m sorry for being whiny. It’s just frustrating.”

  Pierce tried to empathize with Duncan, since he could only image how hard it was to stay in the same room day-in and day-out, but he was frustrated as well. Between working so many late nights and being a nurse to Duncan, he was worn out. Hearing Duncan bitch and moan was getting annoying, and his patience was being tested.

  “I need a change of scenery,” Duncan whined some more. “Can we go downstairs?”

  “Downstairs?”

  “Yeah. I saw a couch down there to sit on. It’d be nice to sit somewhere else besides this bed.”

  Pierce rubbed the back of his neck and held back a sigh. He understood Duncan wanting to get out of the room, but taking him downstairs was hard work, since Duncan was heavy and Pierce had to bear most of the weight.

  “I really need to take a nap before work. I’m wiped, Tiger.”

  Duncan’s shoulders slumped, and Pierce could see the disappointment on his face. “I understand.”

  “I haven’t been sleeping too well. The couch is murder on my back.”