Chapter 3
Rose
Finally back home. I still have shivers from him yelling. I need to talk to my boss about maybe getting off early on Saturdays. So I can shop then or bite the bullet and shop at Piggly Wiggly. It cost a little more but it would be better than seeing him every week. I have tried to put the feeling to the side for the last 2 years but enough is enough . I just need to stop being lazy and cheap. Ok no more thinking about that. I still have too much work to do. Huuu bringing everything in, in one trip was harder than I thought. I should have made two trips. O well it's in now. I look around my disaster of a house. Sigh and roll up my sleeves, time to get everything done. It's finally night and I got everything done. I just finished cooking sloppy joe's. It's enough to eat on for 3 days. I take my food to the deck. I'm so hungry. That's what I get for forgetting to eat all day. I take a big bite. Home made food is the best. I would cook most nights if I had the time. The sun is just starting to set. My whole back yard is a lovely pink huw. I love being out here. I stare out into the yard while I finish my food. I ate both in record time. Then set back and slowly start to rock. It's heaven being out here right before dark. With my screen all around my porch keeps out all the blood suckers. I grab my book that I brought out with me. The little book light works wonders best money i ever spent. The sun has gone down completely now. If I didn't have it I would have to turn the big light on or go inside. All you can hear is the little night creatures starting their day. It's so peaceful.
I plan to read just 3 chapters and that's it. If i don't set a stick limit i would stay up all night reading. And tomorrow will be hell at work. I usually only allow myself one chapter a day, but today is my day off and it's starting to get really good. I get about a chapter and a half in when i feel it. Eyes on me. Their's someone watching me. My arms break out in goose bumps. Sweat starts to drip down my back. I don't get up fast. I can't give a way that i know their there. People may think I'm crazy because i know someone is there even if I can't see them. I trust my self. I close my book scratch and give a little fake yawn. I start picking up all my stuff up. Casually walk into the house and lock the door behind me. I set my stuff down like i would normally do i can still feel them watching me. I go to my room and grab my clothes. I can't feel them in here but I still have a window with open curtains. I'm not taking a chance of them walking around, and tipping them off that I know they're there by closing my window. So i head to the bath room like im going shower. I have no windows in there. I close and lock the door put my close on the sink and tern on the water. I don't get in, I sit on the toilet and pull out my phone. I pull up my surveillance cameras . I look through all of them. I have them everywhere covering my whole house and yard. I didn't see anything at first. I take a deep breath, no rushing and look at everything carefully. Then I spotted it. In between to big trees at the very edge of my camera right in front of where I was sitting. There's someone there and they're still standing there. I can't make out who they are. They're a dark black figure but if you look close enough. You can make out their shadowy figure. I need to figure out what to do. I called the cops.
"This is 911, what is your emergency" the dispatcher says after 2 rings.
"Hi this is rose smith i live at 293 hwy 20 in night hills. There is someone on my property outside my house watching me.
"Ok get inside and lock your doors. I'm sending someone your way now. They will be there in approximately 15 minutes. Do you have eyes on the person?"
"Yes, I can see them in my cameras. I'm locked in the bathroom. There on the edge of my cameras." I say as I look back at my cameras to make sure they're still there. "They're still in the same spot."
"Stay on the phone with me and if they move let me know. can you make out who the person is or if they are a man or woman?"
"No, I'm unable to make out who they are or if it's a man or a woman there in the shadows between two trees in my back yard."
"That's fine. Just stay where you are, I will let the officers know." It feels like forever waiting for the cops. The lady seems to think I'm scared and is trying to keep me calm. I'm not really listening to what she's saying. Most of my focus is on the person.
"They are about 5 minutes out" I hear that but then I see movement. The person takes a step forward. I still can't make out who it is but I can tell they're tall now. Then he steps back again and then again then there out of site.
"they just stepped out of my camera" I pull up my other cameras to see if i can see them.
"You have lost visual?"
"Yes, I can't see them any more and they're not showing up on any of my other cameras."
"Don't leave from where you're at there 3 minutes out" i hear her talking to some ones else i think to the cops on their way here. That I lost them.
"Do you have the footage saved so that the officers can see it when they get there?" she asked me. I almost didn't hear her. I was so focused on trying to find him again on the cameras.
"Yes i can"
"Ok they're pulling up. Don't come outside till they have cleared your property they may still be there"
I see them pulling in. two cops get out. One walks to the back door and a k9 jumps out too. They look around my house for a second then spread out. I watch them for as long as I can. I give her directions to give to them, of where the person was. It takes the cops forever to look around the house and yard; they even went into the woods for a long wall. But when they started walking towards the front door I knew they didn't find the person. The dispatcher tells me I can go to the door, it's the cops and it's all clear. I thank her and hang up. I head to the front to open the door. I don't feel the eyes on me anymore. As I open it I see Ted and Louis. I know them. They have helped a few times when we had to get big animals out of town.
"Hi you two" i say trying to brake the tension
"Rose what have you gotten yourself into now "Louis says look straight at me like this is my fault. He's always been a grump but he's a good guy and does his job well.
"Can we come in and get a statement and also look at the footage?"Ted asked politely he's the nice one of the two. It's funny to watch them. It's the whole nice cop and mean cop thing. They have it down packed.
"Yes come in " I open the door all the way and walk to the front room. I sit on the chair and leave the couch for them. I scroll back through my video till I see him first walk up then hand it to Ted. They take my phone and start watching. They say nothing, till they watch it two times. Then Ted hands it back.
"They look like a man to me" Louis says " has any one been hanging around you? Seeming out of place?" the man from the alley pops into my head. But I brushed that thought away just as fast as it came. Then Matt came to mind.
"I don't know if this is anything but the only person that comes to mind is Matt from the dollar store. He acts overly friendly and i get a bad feeling for him"
"Has he done anything that made you feel uncomfortable or seen him watching you"
"Not really other than acting like he knows me very well." I say knowing they won't take a feeling I have seriously.
"Ok we will look into him. Can you make a copy of the video and bring it to us down at the station?" Louis says. I'm surprised he's going to look into him just because i said he gives me a bad feeling. I recover from my shock and tell him.
"Yes, I will bring it after work tomorrow."
"Ok we will have an officer patrol around here tonight. keep your doors and windows locked and don't go out at night." Ted says as they stand up. I walk them to the door.
"Thank you both" I say as they step outside on the porch.
" You are welcome, sorry we could not find him" Ted says with dejection in his voice like he really is sorry they couldn't find him.
"If you see anything else make sure to call us right away" Louis says, sounding mad at me.
"Yes yes i will call yall if I see anything at all." I say, shaking my head.
"Well you have a good night. And lock up." Ted says as he walks to the car the k9 is already back in the car looking at them like what took yall so long. they could have brought him. But I know he's working right now. So no pay time for him. They get in the car and just watch me. I snort and shut the door and lock it. I turn off all the lights and head to my bed. I stop in the bath room to turn off the water that I forgot on. grabbing my close to change. I will take an actual shower tomorrow morning before work. Right now I just want to sleep. I change then grab my hand gun from the safe. I make sure it has bullets and that the safety is on. I put it under my pillow and lay down. I toss and turn. I get up and close my curtains. I can't seem to sleep with them open even though I have never closed them before. It takes hours until I can finally drift off to sleep.