Weaver of Darkness

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Liss took a quick shower, doing her best to keep her bandage dry. She got dressed, feeling guiltier by the minute. She shouldn't have come down so hard on Sarah.

Her friend was there because she cared. She shouldn't take her anger at her parents out on her. Sarah didn't know any better than what she'd been told. If the situation was reversed she might have her doubts as well.

She needed to apologize. If Sarah was stuck on babysitting duty, they could at least make the most of it. Maybe some takeout and a movie marathon. Anything to make her feel normal once again. She just needed to let her anger go. It could be a great day if she let it be.

That thought threatened to brighten her mood as she headed down the back stairs that lead to the kitchen. She stopped half way down, listening to the sound of raised voices drifting up the stairwell towards her.

"How could you let some strange guy into the house, Sarah? Are you crazy?"

"He wasn't some strange guy, Jerry. I've seen him before. His car broke down and he needed to use the phone. What was I supposed to do? Let him walk to God-knows-where?"

"Sarah, this is Night Oak. Nothing is God-knows-where in this town. Besides, you do realize there's a killer on the loose, don't you? You don't let some strange guy in the house!"

"I told you, he's not some strange guy. Anyway, you said it yourself, there's a killer on the loose. He wasn't safe outside either."

"He could have been the killer. You put Liss in danger, Sarah; not to mention yourself."

"Fine, whatever. It's done. He's gone now."

"Yeah, but it's only because I showed up. Who knows what would've happened if I hadn't."

"Oh, get off it, Jerry."

Liss heard enough. Some strange guy had been in her house?

A million questions swarmed in her mind as she made her way back upstairs. She headed down the opposite stairs into the living room. Was he really some guy with car trouble, or was he something else? She needed to know. She needed to know if she had to treat everything as a threat from now on.

She paused in the living room for a moment. She knew only one way to address this threat and if Jerry knew she was headed out the door to find the guy, he'd be furious.

She could still hear their raised voices. Neither one was backing down. She slipped out the front door, convinced they were too deep in their argument to hear her.

She stepped out on the porch and glanced around. The air was warm as the day greeted her. She squinted as the sun stung her eyes. She'd been inside for way too long.

She opened the gate at the front of her fence and stepped through. Her eyes searched the street, looking for any cars she didn't recognize. Nothing stood out.

Well, for all she knew, help had already come and gone. Or maybe, he never even had a car to begin with.

Liss wasn't too sure about her plan anymore. She turned around, reaching for the gate. Movement caught her eye as a guy came around the corner. His head was down in thought, but he was hurrying in her direction.

"Relax," she told herself. "People are allowed to walk past our house."

She studied the guy. He looked like he might be in his early twenties, but with the shaggy hair and scruffy look, she couldn't be sure. He wasn't bad looking at all. He was definitely the kind of guy Sarah would let in the house if he needed help. She was a sucker for those hero types from the fantasies she was always writing.