Chapter Five

Oct 28, 10:30 pm

"He went chasing after the guy, and hasn't come back," I repeated anxiously to the officer for what seemed like the zillionth time. He and his partner were not being helpful at all. By this time I could probably have gone to the store, bought a flashlight, gotten back here, and searched the woods myself. They hadn't even walked back there yet. Karl could be hurt out there. "Look, can't we just go out and look for him?" I suggested, getting ready to go and do that alone if they weren't going to help me.

"You said that the man in the window looked like your friend's boyfriend?" Officer Stone asked yet again.

"Yes, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't really him. He's out with my friend tonight. I think he probably just looked similar. Tall, dark hair, kind of pale skin. I only saw him for like a split second."

"And the boyfriend's name?"

"Frank Seo, but it wasn't him," I repeated, through gritted teeth. "Look, if you're not going to help me I--"

"Just calm down, Miss Nash," he spoke patronizingly. "Are you sure that your friends aren't just playing a trick on you? It is almost Halloween…"

Yeah right. Like they'd just stand back and watch, laughing hysterically while I called the police and sat out here panicking? Sounds like Marco and Karl to me. I didn't even justify his question with an answer, but glared at him instead, sparing an annoyed glance at his partner.

"Let's head back there and see if we can find anything," Officer Menotti suggested to him as she flipped on her flashlight and aimed it back toward the woods. FINALLY. I started to follow, but Stone stopped me.

"Perhaps you should just stay here, Miss Nash."

I would have argued except that right about that time we all heard the sounds of snapping twigs and rustling leaves as someone came slowly walking toward us from within the woods.

"Karl?" I called out, hurrying toward the sound.

"Yeah, it's me," I heard his voice answer quietly. A moment later he stumbled out of the woods, his hand covering half his face.

"You okay?" I ask, quickly moving to his side to support him.

"Yeah…just…" he lowered his hand and I winced as I saw the deep scratches on his face and the bruise developing near his temple. "I um…caught up to him." He raised the hand again, pressing it over his wound.

Officer Menotti shined her flashlight past him and into the woods.

"He's long gone by now," Karl informed her regretfully. "I think maybe I was unconscious for a bit cuz one minute he was there…the next thing I knew I was on the ground and he was gone."

Menotti nodded and took his arm, leading him toward the squad car. "Let's get you patched up."

"Did you get a good look at him?" Officer Stone inquired as we followed them to the driveway.

Karl shook his head. "Not really. He's tall…about your height; a little taller, maybe. I don't know. I mostly saw him from the back, and when I caught up to him…it just happened so fast. Sorry," He looked at me and gave me an apologetic smile.

"It's okay," Menotti assured him before I got a chance. She retrieved the first aid kit from the trunk and retrieved the antiseptic and some bandages. I leaned against him and stayed silent as she began cleaning his wound, all the while lecturing him on the importance of not putting oneself at risk by chasing after unknown offenders.

"It could have been worse, son," Stone added when Menotti had her say. "You were lucky. The perp could have had a knife or a gun."

I shuddered involuntarily as they spoke the words I'd thought. Feeling it, Karl's arm slid around my shoulders and he hugged me against him. I rested my head against his shoulder. "I swear I won't ever do it again," he assured the officers and me. His voice wasn't as serious as I'd have liked, but I didn't feel like arguing with him at a time like this.

"Good," Menotti seemed content with his response. "Now, it looks like you've got quite a bump here," she commented, wincing as she examined his head where he'd been struck. "You said you thought you might have been unconscious?"

"Yeah, I think so. Don't think it was very long, but…long enough that he was gone before I woke up. I'm okay though. Not seeing double or anything," he said lightly.

"Still, you probably have a concussion. Doesn't look too serious, but you shouldn't drive, and you should have someone wake you every couple hours tonight. Were you…staying here?" she asked carefully, glancing at me appraisingly.

Karl looked at me and raised his eyebrows in question. I wanted to say yes, but…remembering what had happened earlier, I wasn't sure I was entirely comfortable with the idea of spending the night alone with him. I'm not sure if he could see that in my expression as I tried to figure out how to decline, or if he just realized that it was probably a bad idea, too, but he answered before I did. "No, I should probably go home tonight."

"There's someone there who will wake you?" Stone verified.

"Yeah. I'll be fine," Karl assured all of us.

"Okay, well, why don't we give you a lift?"

Karl frowned a moment, looking back at me. "Sorry about all this…"

I shook my head, and smiled. "This was so not your fault." I hugged him.

"Are you going to be okay here alone?" he asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Marco's coming over later to stay with me." Karl nodded, but he still looked troubled. "I'll lock the doors and everything until he comes."

"If you'd like, we can have a patrol car stay in the area until your friend gets here," Stone offered.

"No thanks," I said at the same time that Karl responded, "That'd be a good idea." We exchanged glances, and from the expression on his face, I could see that he wasn't going to listen to any argument on the matter. So I turned back to Officer Stone and nodded, smiling a little.

"If you have any further problems, or think of anything that might help us catch this guy, please don't hesitate to call." Menotti handed me one of her cards.

"Thanks."

I stayed on the doorstep and watched until the squad car was out of sight, then went in and true to my word I locked and chained the door.

It wasn't for a couple more minutes that I remembered that even with the door locked, the house was far from secure. My bedroom window. What if that guy came back? What if he got in the house? I chewed my lip nervously and turned on the television, wanting to distract myself from thinking about the possibility. The guy was long gone. It was just some random freak chance that he just happened to pick my window. It had to be.

I should have had Karl stay with me.

I picked up my cell and called Marco's number again.

"Hi, this is Marco's cell," his voice greeted me a minute later. Damn it, he always had his cell phone on. But if it were on, surely he'd have answered. Why would he turn it off? My face heated up as a few answers to that came to mind. He was, after all, out (or more likely in) with Frank.

"Marco, please call me when you get this…" It was on the tip of my tongue to add that I was really freaked out and needed him, but I hate showing weakness. Not that he'd think any less of me, I knew, but still. I hung up and sat on the couch with the phone clutched to my chest, willing it to ring already.

I waited until almost midnight before calling Marco again, hoping he'd turned his cell back on. After a few rings I got the infuriating, "Hi, this is Marco's cell!"

Damn it!

I hung up again and pulled the afghan tighter around myself, drawing my knees up to my chest and resting my forehead against my kneecaps. Maybe I should call someone else. Except that I was too embarrassed. Alex would laugh her ass off at me. Maybe Craig? He'd become a pretty good friend since he started coming to group, but I'd still feel pretty dumb calling him over something like this.

I tried to watch television, but it really wasn't helping. In fact, I just got more nervous that if I did actually pay attention to it, that someone would be able to sneak up on me a bit easier.

I switched the television off. I wanted to be able to hear if someone were coming. In fact…I went to the window and opened it just a crack. I'd hear if someone got too close to it again. I pulled the afghan from the back of the couch to wrap around myself as I sat alone in the dark house, listening for anything that was out of place.

I shouldn't be so freaked, I told myself as I clutched my cell to my chest. It wasn't like I wasn't home alone practically all the time.

But it wasn't all the time that I had strange guys peering in the window at me, or all the time that I had a shattered window…

Stop it! I scolded myself, feeling so stupid for letting myself get freaked out.

Where was Marco?

I dialed his number one more time.

Was it my imagination…or did I hear…?

I got up and cautiously went to the window and peered out, goosebumps rising on my flesh.

"Hi, this is Marco's cell." I hung up and dialed one more time. And there it was again. It was very faint, but I could hear Marco's cell ringing. Oh God. "Hi--" I hung up and headed for the back door, dialing again as I opened it and went out into the back yard. There it was again. The ringing. It wasn't my imagination.

"Marco?" I called out, my voice shaking a little. When I got no answer, I hung up and dialed again, listening for which direction to go to find the phone.

I heard a little rustling in the leaves at the edge of the woods and started toward the sound, my gut filled with dread. What if Marco had decided to come over and he'd run into the guy that attacked Karl? Or…

The guy had looked like Frank.

What if it really had been Frank and he'd…done something horrible?

"Marco!" I called again, rushing toward the wooded area where the ringing sound had come from. "Please be okay…" I murmured under my breath, seeking any movement as I headed blindly into the brush. I really should have gone back for a flashlight or something, but I was too scared for Marco. I dialed his number again.

The phone sounded a lot closer this time, but I wasn't going in quite the right direction. I turned and moved quickly toward the sound, ignoring the stinging of the branches that whipped me in the arms and face as I plowed past them.

"Hi, this is--" I hung up and redialed. Not far. It sounded like I was practically on top of--

My foot caught on something and I sprawled to the ground in a heap. I quickly scrambled up and looked back for whatever I'd tripped on. When I saw, my legs gave way again and I dropped to my knees, my stomach starting to heave and I had to turn away from the horrible sight. No.

No no no.

I closed my eyes, but the image would forever be ingrained in my head.

Marco sprawled lifelessly on the ground with a noose around his neck.

A/N: Dun dun dun…Okay, probably now is a terrible time to ask, but hey. Love it? Hate it? Don't know? Ideas for how I can improve? I'm totally neurotic and getting absolutely no feedback for the first 5 chapters is making me even more so. Help! I do write mainly for myself, so I'll continue regardless, but I really do appreciate hearing what people think. --Chaos