The house is dark , still, solitary, just as Ruth had left it that morning. Just as she left it every morning. No sign of life, a good sign maybe? An indication of safety, stability? Or perhaps another stark reminder of this life she has chosen. She doesn't always feel this sorry for herself, just an occasional hobby that rears its ugly head every now and again., particularly after a day like today. The only thing being that in recent times, almost every day was becoming a day like today.
Her wrist aches as she turns the key in the door, her face is still burning. Damn painkillers hadn't done anything. She knew nothing good could come from any doctor named Kyle. As she opens the door, she steps over 2 or 3 envelopes scattered on her floor, they all look like bills, typical really. She will deal with them tomorrow, right now she's too tired and sore to even pick them up. All she can really think about is having a bath and going to bed, to put this day behind her. The sooner the day ended , the better as far as she is concerned.
As she braces herself for the trek up the stairs which all of a sudden was baring a startling resemblance to Mount Everest, she pauses .A light. There's a light on , the kitchen she thinks. She's almost positive it wasn't on when she left this morning, but then again she had taken a lot of painkillers, not that that they were working. No, she knows she didn't leave it on. Was there someone else here? She hadn't noticed anything out of place at the front door, nothing to indicate that someone had gotten in. She had put extra locks on all the doors after Angela had somehow gotten in. She reaches into her bag, and takes out the pepper spray, as she walks slowly toward the kitchen. This is all she needs after a day like today. Though what she's going to do if there is someone in there she doesn't know. She has basic self defence training of course, but even on a good day in the full of her health, she wasn't exactly the karate kid.
The kitchen door is opened partially, she can just about peer in, and view the kitchen without being seen. It's empty though. Except for the cat, who is perched over her bowl , eating , completely oblivious to her presence. Now she knows she left food out this morning, but the cat had eaten it before she left. The back door and the rest of the kitchen appears undisturbed. Everything looks in its place. Except for the kitchen table, which was now housing a small , subtle bunch of white lilies, small, but elegant. Her face twitches slightly into a smile for only the second time today. She has a fairly good idea of who they're from. There aren't many people who can break into a house without attracting any attention. There aren't many people who know what her favourite flower is. She remembers mentioning it to him once.
For the first time today, the throbbing in her face begins to subside. The painkillers at last taking effect.
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He stands outside alone, the shadows of the trees is only cover, as he watches her go inside. She looks alright, tired, but alright. The scars on her face nowhere near as bad as he had been envisaging all day, though she probably wouldn't agree with him on that one. He didn't want her to return to a dark empty house, particularly after a day like today. The thought of waiting inside until she got back had briefly crossed his mind, as had the idea of going to the hospital, but this seemed better. A more fitting compromise perhaps. Something he could do from afar. Just to remind her that she wasn't alone.
There were things he could have said to her, but this wasn't the time for them. He didn't want them to appear to be out of any kind of sympathy, or guilt for what had happened today. Things that needed to be said on his own terms, at his chosen time, not on a day like today.