you!” I tell him. “David, it’s okay. You don’t have to hide! You can both come out, I just want to see you!”
The silent hiss continues, but this time it seems to be a little distorted, almost as if the silence is contorting itself and starting to form a sound. I wait, listening to the change until finally I realize that there’s a word trying to break through, or maybe even a couple of words.
“We’re here.”
I turn and look back along the corridor, but there’s no sign of them.
“Where?” I call out.
I wait, but the silent hiss seems to have gone back to normal. Did I imagine the whole thing?
“David!” I shout. “Hannah! I’m here! If you can show yourselves to me, then do it! I just want to -”
Before I can finish, I hear my phone ringing in the kitchen. Hurrying through, I grab my bag and tip the contents out onto the table. After fumbling through everything for a moment, I finally find the phone and check the screen, only to see to my disappointment that Jason is trying to get hold of me.
“Great,” I mutter, considering not even answering before figuring that I should at least say goodnight.
I take a deep breath.
“Hey,” I say as I answer, “how are you doing?”
“I’m fine,” he replies. “Almost back at your house, actually. I turned around when I saw your purse in the foot-well.”
“My purse?” Looking down at the table, I scan all the items, convinced that my purse should be among them, but finally I realize that it’s missing.
“You hadn’t noticed?” he asks. “It must have fallen out. Don’t worry, I’ll just drop it off.”
“That’s okay,” I tell him, “it can wait until -”
Suddenly I spot lights outside the window, as a car pulls up in the driveway. Seconds later, I hear the car come to a halt, followed by the sound of a door being opened and then closed.
“Knock knock,” Jason says over the phone.
“Right,” I mutter, hurrying to the door, unlocking it, and making my way outside, keen to get to him before he can get too close to the house. After all, I don’t want him coming inside.
“Missing something?” he asks, cutting the call as he holds my purse up.
“Thanks,” I reply, stopping in front of the streaming car headlights. “I guess I was distracted tonight.”
“I could tell,” he says with a faint smile.
“I’d invite you in,” I continue, “but, uh…” I pause as I realize that I don’t really have an excuse.
“It’s fine,” he tells me, taking a step back. “I understand. Anyway, I’ve got work early tomorrow. It was good to see you tonight, though. Maybe we can do it another time. Strictly on a non-date basis, though.”
“Sure,” I reply, keen to keep things vague.
“I know that look,” he replies. “We can -”
Suddenly he seems to spot something over my shoulder, toward the house.
“I’m sorry,” he adds, “I didn’t know you had company.”
“Huh?” Turning, I look at the house. All the lights are still off, but there’s no-one to be seen. After a moment, I turn back to Jason. “Company?”
“I…” He pauses, with an uneasy smile on his face. “It’s cool,” he adds, heading back to the driver’s side door. “Have a good evening, Beth.”
“Wait!” I shout, hurrying after him. “Did you see someone?”
“Well… Yeah, he was right at the window.”
I look back at the house again, but there’s still no sign of anyone.
“Beth, you don’t owe me an explanation,” he continues.
“You definitely saw someone?” I ask, my heart racing as I realize that there’s only one possibility.
“Sure, there was a guy standing in that window there.” He points toward the darkened kitchen window. “All I really saw was a silhouette, but…” He pauses. “There is supposed to be someone home with you, right? Beth, I definitely saw someone, so if you’re meant to be alone, there might -”
“No!” I say quickly, keen to keep him from worrying. “It’s fine! Yeah, my…
The silent hiss continues, but this time it seems to be a little distorted, almost as if the silence is contorting itself and starting to form a sound. I wait, listening to the change until finally I realize that there’s a word trying to break through, or maybe even a couple of words.
“We’re here.”
I turn and look back along the corridor, but there’s no sign of them.
“Where?” I call out.
I wait, but the silent hiss seems to have gone back to normal. Did I imagine the whole thing?
“David!” I shout. “Hannah! I’m here! If you can show yourselves to me, then do it! I just want to -”
Before I can finish, I hear my phone ringing in the kitchen. Hurrying through, I grab my bag and tip the contents out onto the table. After fumbling through everything for a moment, I finally find the phone and check the screen, only to see to my disappointment that Jason is trying to get hold of me.
“Great,” I mutter, considering not even answering before figuring that I should at least say goodnight.
I take a deep breath.
“Hey,” I say as I answer, “how are you doing?”
“I’m fine,” he replies. “Almost back at your house, actually. I turned around when I saw your purse in the foot-well.”
“My purse?” Looking down at the table, I scan all the items, convinced that my purse should be among them, but finally I realize that it’s missing.
“You hadn’t noticed?” he asks. “It must have fallen out. Don’t worry, I’ll just drop it off.”
“That’s okay,” I tell him, “it can wait until -”
Suddenly I spot lights outside the window, as a car pulls up in the driveway. Seconds later, I hear the car come to a halt, followed by the sound of a door being opened and then closed.
“Knock knock,” Jason says over the phone.
“Right,” I mutter, hurrying to the door, unlocking it, and making my way outside, keen to get to him before he can get too close to the house. After all, I don’t want him coming inside.
“Missing something?” he asks, cutting the call as he holds my purse up.
“Thanks,” I reply, stopping in front of the streaming car headlights. “I guess I was distracted tonight.”
“I could tell,” he says with a faint smile.
“I’d invite you in,” I continue, “but, uh…” I pause as I realize that I don’t really have an excuse.
“It’s fine,” he tells me, taking a step back. “I understand. Anyway, I’ve got work early tomorrow. It was good to see you tonight, though. Maybe we can do it another time. Strictly on a non-date basis, though.”
“Sure,” I reply, keen to keep things vague.
“I know that look,” he replies. “We can -”
Suddenly he seems to spot something over my shoulder, toward the house.
“I’m sorry,” he adds, “I didn’t know you had company.”
“Huh?” Turning, I look at the house. All the lights are still off, but there’s no-one to be seen. After a moment, I turn back to Jason. “Company?”
“I…” He pauses, with an uneasy smile on his face. “It’s cool,” he adds, heading back to the driver’s side door. “Have a good evening, Beth.”
“Wait!” I shout, hurrying after him. “Did you see someone?”
“Well… Yeah, he was right at the window.”
I look back at the house again, but there’s still no sign of anyone.
“Beth, you don’t owe me an explanation,” he continues.
“You definitely saw someone?” I ask, my heart racing as I realize that there’s only one possibility.
“Sure, there was a guy standing in that window there.” He points toward the darkened kitchen window. “All I really saw was a silhouette, but…” He pauses. “There is supposed to be someone home with you, right? Beth, I definitely saw someone, so if you’re meant to be alone, there might -”
“No!” I say quickly, keen to keep him from worrying. “It’s fine! Yeah, my…
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