STALKER

Chapter 78 - 1st August, 2022

Weirdo took a few more steps into the room and my stomach heaved in response. Putting my hand out, I begged him to stop.

"Please. Please, put it back where you got it." I was trapped in the corner of the kitchen. I couldn't get away without pushing past him, which meant getting closer to the box. I had taken great care getting the pistol out of the house and now it was back. It's vile presence stronger or was I just weaker?  "Nothing good will come from having that thing back out."

I could see Weirdo trying to calm himself, he wanted a simple explanation. One that I couldn't give him. He spoke in a quieter voice. "The toolbox was on one of the shelves like you said. But I felt something the minute I walked into the garage. It drew me in. I've had that feeling in the past, I know what it means.  It's just never been this strong before."  He looked confused.  It made me want to vomit to watch him cradle the cardboard box in his arms like a baby.  I'm sure he was thinking how can this thing be here?     

"I found it behind other boxes on the top shelf. It looked like you were hiding it. Were you?"

I nodded. He obviously didn't feel what I felt, he wouldn't be holding the box so close if he did. I wasn't sure what was going on but it felt like I was on the edge of a cliff about to topple over.  I didn't want to discuss any of this with him.  I wanted to rewind time and stop him from going into the garage and finding that damned thing.

"You know what's inside...right?" Weirdo asked impatiently.

I nodded. I was frozen, struggling between feeling physically ill and shocked, shocked at being caught...caught doing what?  I didn't know but I felt as guilty as hell.

"Speak Timothy...for fucks sake. What's in the box?" The silence between us grew more intense.  

His next words stopped my heart.  "This belongs to me."

I suddenly knew what he was going to say and I would have rather had my ears ripped off my head than hear it. "This is one of my footprints, like the ring and the bottle." And there it was.  My worst nightmare.

My eyes widened with horror, the first tears crept to the edges and clung to my eyelashes. It took all my strength not to start blubbering.  Every chance I had had to divert our paths so we didn't get to this point, now seemed obvious. Every clue so blatantly clear, I didn't know how I missed every single one of them. I understood the hate Granddad felt the minute he saw Weirdo. Why he tried to keep us apart?  I understood Nana Ovia's fears.  

"Footprint? Your past life footprint? "  My words came out in a whisper. The worst case scenario was falling into place in my head, like some Machiavellian plot line in a tragedy. "The bottle?" I didn't want to know but I had to ask.

"The second item in the box. You only read the ring. We hadn't gotten around to the bottle." I closed my eyes. Another missed chance that could have saved us from this.  

"I need to read it now. I have to make sure." I motioned for him to back away and I skirted the room avoiding him as if he had a contagious disease. "If you want to come with me you can but leave that thing here. Or put it back where you got it. I don't want it in the house." I pointed to the box.  I could see he didn't want to let go of it.  It seemed to have the opposite effect on him. Weirdo wanted to protect it...from me.

I went straight to the small box that had been sitting on the dresser since I read the jade ring.  Pulling out the second little parcel I ripped it open.   It was what I thought, dreaded.  Inside the white wrapping sat an empty clear squarish bottle of Pour Un Homme De Caron.  The old label faded but still legible.  The scent that Weirdo had worn triggering in me memories of Jules.