Hidden Sanity

Chapter 18 - Hide

Joe and Alice had been together for a week. It's almost acceptable as dating. These days, Joe has Alice's attention. They are even calling each other often.

On the Sunday evening, Alice was back in her town for rest. Her parents asked her to look for her sister since they will be out again, but this time, only for the night. They have a reunion party to attend to and his father got drunk in the celebration. No one will drive the car so they decided to stay there for the night and leave in the morning instead. It was all okay for Alice.

Her aunt came to visit in their house, Mary, her sister, wanted to come with their aunt and requested to watch a film with her downtown. Alice didn't want to spoil her sister so she allowed her to come with her aunt. It's her aunt anyway. She's completely in favor of that. They went out of their house at 6:15.

The next time that Alice checked the clock, it was 10:30. And her younger sister's still not home. She called her auntie's phone but she can't contact her. Her phone is out of coverage area. Suddenly, she got nervous. Joe was telling her an interesting story on the phone when she cut him off as she walked to the window to gaze out on the dark sheet in front of their house.

"Hey, Joe."

"Yeah?"

"Mary's not home yet."

"You said she's watching the last full show with her aunt?"

"I know. Auntie is not answering her phone either. Out of coverage area." Alice fought the fear that was beginning to build in her belly. Alice padded barefoot into the dark hallway. "Joe, what if something... something terrible happened?"

"I think I'm right," he said in a teasing voice that she might have found, in any other circumstances, teasing in a different way. "You are paranoid."

"Please don't say that. You have no idea what kind of danger I'm in and my family!"

"You're right," he said instantly regretful. "I don't understand. I can't possibly."

She walked up the dark hallway toward the kitchen that was lit by a lamp over the stove. She didn't speak. Perhaps, she already forgot to.

"Alice?" Joe said. "You alright?"

She pressed her hand to her heart, which was suddenly racing a mile every minute. "Shit. Yes... Yeah... Uh... I'm fine."

"You sure you're OK?" Joe's deep voice was warm with concern.

"I'm fine." she said, suddenly feeling strangely distracted. Detached. She wondered if he knew how sexy he sounded on the phone. "I've gotta go."

"I'm sure she's fine, Alice."

"I know. Talk to you next time."

"Alright."

Alice hung up the phone and walked into the kitchen, flipping on the lights. She walked back down the hall and she checked the door to be sure the lights were switched on outside. She pulled back the drapes on the sidelights of the door and gazed out. Just her Range Rover. She felt so afraid for it just wasn't safe these days. That sounded so strange. Was Joe right? Was she paranoid?

She paced the hardwood floor in her bare feet, her gaze straying to the driveway below. She thought she saw someone walk by, close to the house. Had he stopped to look up at the house? Could he see her?

Idiot. Of course, he could see her, she was standing in the middle of a fully lit room and he was standing in the dark. She ran to the wall switch and flipped off the lights. She stood there for a minute in the darkness, not moving. She could feel her heart in her throat, yet at the same time, she could feel it pounding in her chest. She walked slowly to the sliding glass doors that led onto the second-story balcony. She reached out with one hand to be sure the doors were locked. They were. Her gaze shifted to the driveway below. He was gone. If there was a he...