My fingers trembled as I clutched the edge of the closet door, waiting for the right moment. Finally, their voices faded, replaced by the sound of their footsteps moving to another room. “Now,” I whispered to myself, summoning every ounce of courage I had left.
I slipped out of the closet as quietly as I could. Each step toward the back door felt like it took an eternity. I gripped the doorknob, turned it slowly, and pushed the door open just enough to slip through.
The cool night air hit me like a slap, but I didn’t have time to savor it. I took one step toward freedom…
And a hand clamped down on my arm. “Gotcha,” a voice hissed.
My stomach dropped as I spun around. ***
“Shh, quiet. Come with me,” a voice whispered urgently in the darkness.
Then I turned, startled, to see Collin—my strange, unsettling neighbor, standing just a few feet away. “Collin?”
“Move,” he said quietly, gripping my arm. “Now.”
I hesitated, but there was something in his tone that left no room for argument.
I followed him as he led me through a narrow, hidden gap in the fence into his yard. Once inside his house, Collin bolted the door and flipped the lock. His movements were brisk and deliberate.
He handed me a glass of water. “Sit,” he said, gesturing to a chair. I sank into it, my legs barely able to hold me up.
The glass trembled in my hands as I took a sip. My mind was spinning, trying to piece together what had just happened. “You need to stay here for now,” he said, peeping out his window.
“Victoria and your husband are headed to your place.”
“Why… why would they…”
He raised a hand to stop me. “I’ll explain, but first, breathe. You look like you’re about to pass out.”
I took a shaky breath, but it didn’t help much.
“Why are you helping me?”
“Because Victoria is my ex-wife,” he said flatly as if that explained everything. “What?!”
“She made my life hell for years,” Collin continued, his tone bitter but calm. “I stuck around for the sake of our son, but she turned him into… her.”
He paused, his eyes flickering with something close to regret.
“Manipulative. Controlling. A little carbon copy of herself.”
I stared at him.
“What are you saying?”
He looked at me with pity. “That boy… is your David. Victoria is his mother.”
The room spun.
I gripped the edge of the chair, feeling like the ground was falling out from under me. “No. That can’t be true.”
He paused, his eyes narrowing as if remembering something.
“When I saw you start a friendship with Victoria, I got worried. My ex-wife doesn’t make friends just for the sake of it. She’s always playing some angle, and I knew there had to be more to it.”
I blinked, trying to process his words.
“So, you’ve been watching me?”
He nodded without a hint of apology. “Yeah. When Victoria gets involved with someone, the reason’s never good.
I wasn’t sure what she wanted from you. When I saw you sneaking into her house, I knew something was off.”
“You saw me?”
“Of course, I saw you,” he said, his tone sharp but not unkind. “I followed you.
Then I heard them. David came because of his wife, because of you! But how did Victoria find the connection between you and David?”
“David’s photo… I showed it to Victoria.
That’s why she disappeared!”
Collin frowned. “I see. That’s why I couldn’t let you go back to your house alone.
Victoria is dangerous, Clara. She’s manipulative and ruthless. You’re a target for her.”
I stared at him, my pulse pounding in my ears.
His words made too much sense. Victoria had been so warm, so charming, but it was all a game to her. The weight of his words pressed down on me, making it hard to breathe.
“What can I do now? I escaped from David here. But thanks to Victoria, he could find me.” I finally whispered, tears stinging my eyes.
“Don’t worry. I’ve already called the police. They’ll be here soon.
And trust me, David never hurt you again.”
His humor, absurd as it was, somehow broke through my fear. “You’re taking this awfully lightly,” I said, managing a weak smile as I wiped my face. “Experience,” he said, raising an eyebrow.
“When you’ve survived Victoria, you either find a sense of humor or go completely mad. I chose a little of both.”
A laugh escaped me, startling in its loudness. It felt strange, laughing in the middle of chaos.
But Collin’s strange blend of cynicism and kindness was exactly what I needed. As the sound of sirens grew louder, Collin stood and gestured toward the door. “Time to face it, huh?”
I nodded, rising on shaky legs.
“Yeah. Time to face it.”
I squared my shoulders, took a deep breath, and stepped outside. The flashing red and blue lights painted the night sky, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I felt ready to confront my past and leave it behind.
Tell us what you think about this story, and share it with your friends. It might inspire them and brighten their day.
