“And how will I regret not taking your help?” I interjected, my face scrunched in annoyance. “Erin, what’s your problem with me? I don’t understand; you have been strange.”
She just scoffed, rolling her eyes annoyingly. “I only gave you a piece of advice, nothing more,” she said, her eyes still rolling. She then came closer and whispered in my ear, “I know the tension going on between the two of you, and I know how to calm it, only if you accept my help.”
I pulled away from her, my brow furrowing. How did she know that? Then it occurred to me she had been spying on us ever since… What could she possibly gain by doing that? “Erin, I don’t need your advice. Just do what you’re paid to do,” I said sternly, nodding in the direction of my bathroom. I didn’t want to be rude, but I couldn’t help it.
Her shoulder rose in a careless shrug, a menacing glint in her eyes. “No problem.” She stood and left to prepare my bath.
While I sat, my mind unraveled, paranoia kicking in. The sound of running water echoed from the bathroom, making me wonder if I had made a terrible mistake. My mind raced with every creak of the floorboard. I simply couldn’t trust a chameleon.
I tried getting off the bed, ignoring the throbbing pain in my feet. Standing, I struggled to walk. I took baby steps, slowly reaching the bathroom.
I snapped the door open, my eyes widened in horror as I froze in the doorway. My eyebrows shot up, and my forehead creased in a mixture of shock and disgust. I found Erin pouring a mysterious substance into my bathwater.
“Erin, what are you doing?” The sound of my voice made her jerk in fright, her eyes narrowing in shock.
She quickly hid the vial beside her, her shocked expression fading. “What was that?” I asked, slowly walking toward her. My feet hurt, making me wince in pain.
Groaning, I continued walking, my face scrunched as I bore through the pain. “Have you turned deaf?” I spat in anger, my voice trembling.
She scrutinized me derisively. Without a word, she walked past me, ignoring my question.
My lips parted, agape; my eyes blinked incredulously. Is she nuts? She is a damn psycho!
I screamed in my head, my mind trying to process what just happened. What was she trying to do to me? She was clearly up to something…
My legs felt weak from standing too long, so I leaned against the wall to stop myself from falling.
I couldn’t bring myself to confront her; it would only end up futile. I just had to stay far away from her. I didn’t know her true intentions, and they were clearly malicious.
For safety’s sake, I flushed the soapy water out of the tub and refilled it, flushing it out again. I couldn’t afford to get hurt; the cut on my feet was already unbearable.
I stared at the bathtub for quite some time, recalling all of Erin’s strange behavior. It caused me concern as it was clear I was her target. Her stunt just now only proved she was behind the broken vase in the living room last night. She caused my injury.
I took a deep breath and slid into the tub to clear my head, hoping the water would wash away my worries as I immersed myself deeper.
Throughout the day, I decided to keep my distance, avoiding her at all costs. I managed to climb down the stairs to make myself breakfast. Every step I took sent a sharp pain shooting from my heels. I knew walking with the injury would make me bleed, but I had no choice.
It was better than letting a psycho take care of me.
As I sat at the kitchen table, sipping my coffee and trying to eat my breakfast, I couldn’t shake off the feeling of being watched. I glanced around the room, but Erin was nowhere to be seen.
I sighed in relief, thinking maybe I was just being paranoid. But then, I saw her standing by the door, her eyes fixed on me with an unnerving intensity. I felt a chill run down my spine. How did she manage to sneak up on me like that? I tried to ignore her, but I could sense her gaze on me, boring into my skin.
Suddenly, she turned and walked away, leaving me feeling uneasy and on edge. I knew I had to get out of there, away from her sinister presence. I finished my breakfast quickly and made my way to the door, determined to find help and expose Erin’s true intentions.
But what were her true intentions? I couldn’t quite figure it all out.
Grimacing, I pushed through the pain in my feet, grabbing my jacket, purse, and car keys. I needed to get as far away from her as possible. I planned on coming back in the evening when I wouldn’t be alone with her.
As I walked toward the exit, a sharp pain surged through me. I hissed, still pressing my feet against the ground, determined to walk even while it hurt. Groping, I used the wall for support, slowly shortening the distance to the door.
Finally, I reached the exit, attempting to push the door, but it suddenly opened, throwing me off balance. I stumbled forward, my hands flailing desperately as I fell. But before I could collide with the ground, a pair of strong arms held my shoulders, saving me from the inevitable.
“Sarah, where are you going?” A familiar voice sounded. I lifted my face to meet a pair of dark brown eyes, a sense of relief washing over me as I exhaled deeply.
“Thank God,” I muttered, catching my breath; my racing heart soothing instantly.
“Sarah,” he called, his face etched with concern as he repeated the question, “Where were you going?”
“I… I…” I couldn’t respond, my legs weakening as they had been stressed for far too long. I fell into his embrace, relaxing on his chest. I listened to the sound of his heartbeat to calm my nerves.
Confused, he slowly patted my back, tilting his head to look at my face. “Sarah, are you okay?” he asked, his worry palpable.
I nodded, my eyes closed as I took in the scent of his cologne. I couldn’t help it; it seemed to help calm me down a bit. “Carry me, please. I can’t walk any longer; I’m in pain,” I said, as the pain became unbearable by the second.
He responded to my plea, lifting me up off my feet. Gently, he placed me on the sofa and cradled my feet so they wouldn’t touch the ground.
A deep frown settled on his face when he saw the state of my feet. Blood was dripping from the bandage, staining the marble floor. “Sarah, what the hell happened?” he asked, lying me down on the sofa.
I knew I would bleed; the strain from walking must have affected my injuries. It was better than sitting and waiting for the unknown to happen-probably the worst…
A slight fear gripped me, and I stuttered as I tried to explain.
“Mr. Clinton, I wanted to leave the house… because… Erin… she… she… is… c…” I wanted to say the word “crazy” before I was interrupted.
“Sarah, there you are! I have been looking for you,” Erin suddenly appeared beside us, her fake smile fading as she feigned shock when she saw the blood. “Oh my God! What happened to her, Mr. Clinton? Why is she bleeding?”
Mr. Clinton turned to me, his brow furrowing in confusion. “I don’t know; I found her at the door.”
“Sarah, you never listen! I warned you not to walk around because of your injuries, but she still went ahead to go for a… run,” she admonished, her expression serious.