Child of Sorrow

After relieving her kidneys for the second time that evening she strode back toward the kitchen when her heart arrested. He was here. In her front yard, she could hear the commotion, as if he intended for her to know his presence. She was half way between the two lights. Not exactly where she had hoped to be. Looking quickly from her bedroom to her kitchen, she made the prompt decision of the kitchen light first. Rushing through to the kitchen Mystery quickly turned out that light. Taking a deep breath she wobbled as quickly as she could to reach her bedroom. A gunshot put a hole in the glass in the living room window. Determination kept fear at a bearable bay. Adrenalin pumped through her. She went in front of the sofa for cover, overturning the coffee table and placing it in front of the sofa, Mystery squatted down. Because of the illumination from the bedroom light, she couldn’t see outside. She cocked her gun and fired a blind shot through her window shattering the glass. Nervous sweat ran down her forehead, but she didn’t even notice it. She heard cursing through the now open window. Remembering her phone as fear began to creep in she quickly called the police then braved a second call to Christopher. To say that he would be outraged would be an understatement. But, she needed him - outrage or not. She needed his protective strong arms right now. For what seemed like an eternity there was no sound but the howling wind outside. The wind blew in, billowing the curtains in an angry answer to the approaching storm. The breeze cooling the drops of sweat causing a shudder to run down her spine. What she had done was dangerous and the reality of her “adventure” sank in as the odor from her fired long barreled pearl handled .22 pistol drifted to her nostrils. Her mind drifted back to the day her father gave the gun to her. “This is yours now. My father gave it to me. Now I’m giving it to you. I hope you’ll never need it. But, I want you to have it for protection.” She had used it tonight just for that. But, she felt little protected at the moment. Then a vehicle drove up. Christopher was the first to arrive.

The first thing that shown in Christopher’s head lights was the shattered window, with the curtains flying in the wind. “Mystery!” he shouted in a near panic.

“I’m okay, Christopher,” she yelled back and awkwardly got up from the floor on shaky legs to unlock her door. Ignoring the door he ran in the shattered glass and came in through the broken window. Grabbing her shoulders, he looked her over.

“Are you sure you’re not hurt?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

“Then what in tarnations are you doing?” He said his voice raising in the sickened feeling of almost losing her. He bent down, putting one arm around her shoulders and the other arm under her knees, he picked her up and carried her to the sofa.

“Christopher, put me down.” Their faces were inches apart. Determination and fear was written on both their faces. He slowly laid her down on the soft sofa and sat next to her.

“Speak!” He said through tightly drawn lips.

“Not until you calm down.” Eye to eye - will to will they sat staring at each other. Neither one paying attention to the police car coming up, siren speaking blips into the night air. She gave in. “Alright, I was tired of being harassed. So, I decided to do something about it.”

“Please tell me you didn’t purposely bait yourself.” His eyes arrested at the gun lying on the floor. Mystery shyly looked down with a slight shaky grin and softly touched his arm that he had draped across her round belly. “Don’t look like that,” the maddening edge of his voice leaving.

“Why sir, I couldn’t possibly know what you mean.” Mystery replied in a Scarlette O’Hara voice.

“The wiles of a woman,” he muttered closing his eyes to the ploy in her voice. Then he opened his blue eyes and began his lecture, which in his estimation she sorely needed. “You most certainly do know what I mean. Mystery, you could have gotten yourself killed! It was stupid of you. I called you here not being able to find you at the Winters’ I let the phone ring several times. I was in near panic then.”

Two police officers interrupted their conversation she told them what had happened. That he had fired the first shot, and how she went for cover. Behind the sofa. She showed them where she was standing when the shot was fired. They found the bullet lodged in the wall just a foot from the point she had indicated where she stood. She stood motionless, her breathing became rapid, and her mind went through the scenes like a fiction action movie. Except it wasn’t fiction, it was all real. Almost hyperventilating, Christopher wrapped his strong arms around Mystery, lifted her chin to look into her eyes and touched his lips to hers in a soft kiss. Now she felt the protection that the pistol sorely lacked. She felt warm and safe in his arms.