Not For A Moment

Swinging my legs out of bed, I checked the floor for my slippers, but I couldn’t find them. Strange. I could have sworn I had them before turning in. Maybe they were in the living room.

When I left the bedroom, I heard a strange sound—like someone humming—coming from the sofa. I clicked on the overhead light, but nothing happened. Same thing with the lamp. Across the room, a furtive movement caught my eye. Black on black. Silence.

“You really should get the lock changed.”

The familiar voice froze my muscles. Common sense told me to go back to my room. Find my phone. Call the cops. Instead, I said, “Wh-what are you doing here?”

My gun.

Although I know how to use it, I always hoped I never would. I wished I had grabbed the weapon instead of leaving it in the safe.

“What do you mean? I gave you time to think. Get your act together. Now, I’m home. Where I’m supposed to be, sweetheart.”

He’s home…

A clap of thunder and then lightning flooded the room, causing an eerie glow over Leo. A gun—my gun—was in his hand.

Fear punched me in the gut. I was trapped in a room with the lunatic. I’d had a bad feeling all evening. The sensation grew legs…a body…and became Leo. Everyone warned me, but I just wouldn’t listen.

“I’ve missed you, Rachel. Tell me that you’ve missed me,” he said coaxingly.

What was I supposed to do? Feed him lies?