Staying Human

Twenty Six

I held my breath as I read Charlie’s message over and over again as I felt nervous, the words ‘coming to get you’ for some reason stood out. The events that had occurred over the past twenty fours were now starting to take its toll on me especially the last hour I had just spent with Max listening to his batty theories.

I cannot believe what he said about Mae; she was my friend? Wasn’t she?

He is being paranoid.

I waited for the dog to respond, but it never.

At least that was a plus.

The picture Max had shown to me was still up on the computer. I sat down in front of it; I leaned as close as I could to the screen to check again, it was definitely vampire Mike, without a limp, in the picture but was the man standing at the back Charlie?

I narrowed my eyes as I peered; trying to get a closer look; trying to make the image more focused. I even tried to zoom in the image but it just became blurrier. I leant back hoping this would help but it never and titling my head from side to side did not work either. I moved further back and then further forward but I could not tell who the man was and I could not even say he looked vaguely familiar.

I almost jumped out of my skin as I heard a chuckle come from behind me. I quickly spun around and there he was.

Charlie.

He smiled as he looked at me still half chuckling, “were you just dancing?

I just stared back at him.

“I quite liked it and I want to see that again but with you wearing something a little different next time.” he raised one eyebrow at me then he folded his arms and looked like he was waiting for a response.

I was speechless.

“Cat got your tongue?” he whispered at me as he began to walk over to me.

I shook my head at him.

He peered down at me as he reached me, “Rachael what is it?” his smile slowly turned into a grimace when he looked, over my shoulder, at the computer screen.

“What’s that? What are you looking at?” he said as he pointed at the screen.

“It is my friend Mae’s website; I was just browsing it.”

I left out the part as to why and the part that it was Max that had showed it to me. Something in the back of mind told me not to mention Max at all.

Charlie walked over to it and shook he his head as he looked at the picture, “idiot” he muttered under his breath, “he needs dealing with once and for all.”

“Isn’t that your friend?” I asked him.

“More like a thorn in my side.”

I had to ask him, “is that you standing at the back?”

He laughed at me, “has someone being trying to put doubts into your head about me Rachael? I suddenly get the feeling that you do not trust me anymore and you seem nervous. What has changed?”

I opened my mouth to answer but no words would come out.

“Is this because of Dennis?”

Again I just shook my head. Why did he ask about Dennis? Did he know what had happened and if he did how did he know?

“I feel bad because I should have walked you home; did he hurt you?”

Again I shook my head and I took a step back from him as he reached out his hand to touch my face and, again, how did he know about Dennis?