Shy

Back to Beyond Simple Stories

Have you ever heard it said a good deed never goes unpunished? With me it was not the doing of a good deed, but simply the attempt. 

I had gone to the supermarket one Saturday morning. This was my regular routine as I needed to purchase groceries for the coming week. I was twenty-two, single, in no hurry to settle down, and was simply trying to find my way in the world. But events were about to happen that would change my life forever. 

As I went into the store, I noticed the sky darkening as a storm moved in from the west. I hurried down the aisles as I wanted to make it back to my car before the downpour. Leaving the checkout, I could see the clouds had moved closer and it was going to only be a matter of minutes before the whole area was drenched with rain. 

I slammed the trunk of my car after placing the groceries in it and turned to rush my cart back to the pickup area. That’s when I saw her. Actually, I didn’t see her as it was more like I noticed a person putting the last bag of groceries into their car. Knowing the sky was going to burst wide open any moment, I thought I’d offer a helping hand. I figured there was no need for both of us to get soaked. 

“I’ll take that for you,” I offered as I approached her. She jerked her head toward me and came close to shouting as she sneered, “No!! Get away from me!” 

I was momentarily stunned but kept moving as I was still more worried about the impending storm than I was about some woman who was apparently afraid of her own shadow. Shoving my cart behind the others in the return area, I turned to find her directly behind me. For a moment I thought she was going to shove her cart directly into me, but she stopped just short of hitting me. She stared at me with a look full of venom and the only thing I could think of doing was giving a shrug and a weak grin. 

Through clinched teeth she muttered, “Pervert!” I didn’t know where this was coming from, but I knew I had done nothing to deserve it. For the first time I really took note of this person who I had tried to do a good deed for to be only verbally attacked for my effort. She appeared to be a little over five feet tall, in her early twenties, with shoulder length black hair. It was tangled and looked as if a brush had not touched it in several days. Her face and skin were quite pale and with the coal black hair she almost had a Gothic look to her, though that would not adequately describe her. She had thin lips and dark brown eyes with her nose curved ever so slightly upwards. Her jeans were faded, and her tank top had a worn picture of a lioness chasing a gazelle with the word “PRÆY” under it. By now, I was wishing I’d never tried to be a gentleman. 

I stepped out of her way and meekly said, “Look, I was just trying to be nice.” She shoved her cart into the others with more force than necessary and spun around on her heels to face me. “You just want to have sex with me!!” she yelled. 

I was stunned. I’m sure my mouth dropped open with surprise. At the time, I was not in a relationship, though I had been in the past, and it didn’t take a long look to know I would not be interested in what stood before me. I remember just slowly shaking my head until a large raindrop hit me between the eyes. This brought me back to my senses and I simply turned and rushed to my car. 

All the way home to my apartment I tried to figure out what had just happened. None of it made any sense and I felt a chill. I couldn’t figure out if it was from what had occurred or from the cold rain that had soaked my shirt. Either way, I didn’t pay much attention to the red VW Beetle that matched my speed and turned whenever I did. It wasn’t until I pulled into my driveway at my house that I glanced in my rearview mirror and saw a red car creep by. I couldn’t see who was driving, and after a moment’s pause, I dismissed it and carried my groceries into my home. 

I didn’t sleep well that night. The events at the mall shook me more than they should have. Somewhere in the middle of the night I awoke with a start as I could feel those cold poisonous eyes staring straight through me. A cold chill spread down my spine making me shudder until I reached over and turned the lamp on that was beside the bed. There was nothing there and I figured it was my imagination getting the best of me. Turning out the light I tried to sleep but it was fretful at best. 

The next morning, I stayed in bed trying to recoup some of my lost sleep. It was Sunday and I had no plans until the afternoon when football came on TV. We were having a tailgate party at my next-door neighbor’s house for the four o’clock kickoff. I was dozing, in twilight, my TV turned down low, when my doorbell rang. 

Softly cursing, I crawled out of bed and grabbed a housecoat. When I got to the front door, I looked through the peephole but could only see the back of someone’s head. So, with the safety chain still hooked in place, I cracked open the door and she spun around to face me. 

“I want to know something,” she said matter-of-factually before I realized who it was. Her cold steely eyes almost made me shudder as I stammered, “What?!? Who are you? How’d you find me?”

She coolly replied, “You’re not hard to find.” 

This was when I remembered the red VW Beetle following me home from the store. I glanced over her shoulder and saw it parked on the side of the road. It appeared to me I was dealing with a stalker.

“I think you need to leave,” I said as I started closing the door.

“Can I come in?” she persisted.

“Hell, no!” I almost shouted.

She pushed the door with her hand to keep it from shutting and barked back at me, “Look! I’m willing to forgive you for hitting on me yesterday. The least you can do is invite me in.” 

I was flabbergasted. Where was this woman coming from to even imagine such a thing? Reacting and not thinking, I unhooked the chain and flung open the door. “Where do you come off coming to my house and accusing me of doing something that never happened?” I yelled. She replied, “Thank you” and pushed past me and walked into my living room. 

“Get out!!” I ordered as I regretted not bringing my pistol out of the bedroom with me. She ignored me and said, “Nice place. It needs a woman’s touch but it’ll do.”

“Look!! You either leave or I’m gonna call the cops!” I said as sternly as I could. She gave a throaty laugh and asked, “What’s your name?”

“That’s it! I’m calling 911!” I declared as I reached for my phone.

“Go ahead. I don’t care,” she said as she shrugged and sat down on my couch. “Nice couch.”

Holding my cell phone, and poised to dial, I gave her one last chance to leave. “I’m serious. Either get out or I’ll have you arrested for trespassing.”

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll try,” she snickered. “But, what are you gonna do when I tell them how you tried to molest me?”

“That didn’t happen!” I protested.

“That’s not what I say,” she asserted as she settled back and rubbed the couch’s material with her hand. “This is a nice couch.” 

My mind was racing as I tried to sort out what was happening. Not only was this girl crazy but she was smart. “They won’t believe you ‘cause it’s not true,” I feebly said in my defense.

“Oh, you and I both know they’ll believe a petite-innocent-looking little thing like me before they’d believe a big old hulky man like you,” she said with a smirk. 

I took a moment to try and think this through. She might be right. Then I asked, “How are you going to explain you being here at my home?”

She leaned forward, touched her tongue to her upper lip, and with a wicked glint in her eyes replied, “I came here to kill you.” 

The cold chill returned. Was she for real? Stalling for time and trying to work my way back to the bedroom to fetch my gun I asked, “Okay. So, what is it you want?”

“What’s your name?” she asked again as she settled once more into the couch.

“You tell me yours,” I replied. 

She laughed. It was eerie. There was nothing funny about any of this and she sounded like a hyena with severe nasal congestion who was gasping for air. She hacked a cough and sputtered, “Mine is Robyn.”

“Is that it, just Robyn?” I asked, still stalling for time.

“It’s Robyn Bell,” she replied. “And yours?” 

For a moment I had thoughts of giving her a false name but decided against it. This situation was weird enough without me having to remember a lie. “I’m Mike,” I answered.

She smiled and offered, “Actually, you’re Michael James.” 

At first, I was shocked that she knew my whole name, but then I reasoned why not? After all, she had already proven herself a stalker and she was good at it. So, I simply said, “I go by Mike.” 

“Well, Mike, I guess I’m not gonna be able to kill you today,” she said nonchalantly as she rose from the couch. I immediately opened the door for her to leave and said, “Well, that’s a relief!”

She walked to the door and paused. “Hmm, you’re a man with a sense of humor. I like that.”

“I’m not laughing,” I smirked.

“Oh, but you will,” she smiled as she wet her lips. “This afternoon when you’re with your buddies watching the game you’ll tell them about me and you, and the guys will have a big laugh at my expense.” 

She knew too much about me, and it was disconcerting to say the least. I tried to reassure her, “I wouldn’t do that.” Glancing back at my living room she asserted, “Mike, I don’t have any friends.” I wasn’t surprised, but I tried to sound sincere, “That’s a shame. Everybody needs somebody.” I immediately regretted saying that. 

She took a long hard look at my face and then coldly said, “Mike, don’t ever lie to me. I will kill you.” I gave a weak smile and she turned and walked to her VW. After opening the car door she turned and yelled, “I’ll see you tomorrow.” I yelled back, “There’s no need!” and quickly shut the door and locked it. 

I stood there for a minute trying to digest what had happened. This was unreal and it became even spookier when I heard The Twilight Zone theme song playing. Then it dawned on me I had left the TV on in the bedroom. I changed the channel and suddenly I felt dirty. No, it wasn’t dirty. I felt nasty. Twenties minutes later after a hot shower I still felt grimy. Some things even water won’t wash away. 

That afternoon at Stan and Leslie’s house, my next-door neighbors, I was unusually quiet. So much so, that Leslie cornered me when I came out of their bathroom at half time. She grabbed my arm, smiled and asked, “What’s wrong with you today?” I just shrugged my shoulders and said something about not feeling up to par. She said what I needed was a good woman in my life and then reminded me that her sister in Baltimore was still unattached. I laughed and thanked her for her concern. We joined the others for the second half. I still kept my thoughts to myself. Of course, our team lost. I figured it fit right in with the rest of my weekend. 

After another fretful night of sleep, I arose, got dressed and headed off to work. As soon as I walked away from my car, up drove a red Beetle. The tinted window rolled down and there was Robyn smiling at me. I threw my hands up in frustration and blurted out, “It’s not good enough for you to ruin my whole weekend, but now you’re gonna screw up my life at work!!” 

She kept smiling and said, “It’s like you said, ‘I’m just trying to be nice.’ I brought you a couple of sandwiches for lunch.” With that she handed me a paper bag with the sandwiches inside. I took the bag, shook my head and said, “No! I don’t want them! I’m eating out for lunch.”

“Oh, go ahead and take them,” she offered again.

“No!!” I shouted. “And, I don’t ever want to see you again!! Do you understand?”

Her smile disappeared as she replied, “Oh, I understand all right. You’re afraid and you have a right to be that way.”

“I am not afraid of someone like you!” I angrily replied. “I don’t like you!! I don’t want to be around you! Don’t ever come around me again!!”

She glanced down at the bag I was holding and then back at me. “I poisoned the sandwiches.” I dropped the bag. She smiled, rolled up her window and squealed her tires as she took off out of the parking lot. I was shaking as I entered my office. Concentrating on work, I tried to get my mind off of this woman who had invaded my life. It was useless. My day was ruined. 

The rest of the week was okay as Robyn left me alone. I was beginning to put our encounter behind me when she made her presence again. It was Friday evening after the news, when someone turned the door knob to my front door. I went to the bedroom and grabbed my gun. Tiptoeing to the door I snuck a peek through the peep hole. It was her.

She yelled, “Open the door! I know you’re in there!!” 

Still clutching my pistol, I opened the door until the chain caught. She looked down and saw the gun I was holding.

“My, my, aren’t we the brave one?” she smirked. “Go away!” I said through clenched teeth. She cocked her head to the left and offered, “Mike, you really need to be more careful. When you look through a peep hole your shadow causes the light to change. I knew you were there. I could’ve easily put a bullet through the hole and right through your eyeball.” 

I should’ve shut the door, but I didn’t. “So, poisoning’s not good enough. You want to shoot me, too.”

“Oh, Mike, the poison wouldn’t have killed you,” she laughed. “It’d made you sick. You’d probably wished you could die, but it wouldn’t kill you.”

Once again, I should’ve kept my mouth shut and closed the door, but I didn’t. “Why would you do something like that?”

For the first time I actually saw her face show some emotion. She bit her lower lip and replied, “So, you would need for me to take care of you.”

“Do what?!?”

She struggled to find the words but finally blurted out, “Look! I don’t have anyone. I’m not like you with all your coworkers and friends. I find it hard to be around people.”

I let my guard down and offered, “You can change that.”

“No, I can’t,” she quickly replied. “I’ve tried and I can’t. I’m shy and I don’t have anyone.”

“Why me?”

“Oh, you were nice to me. I’m not used to that,” she answered. “Oh, what’s the use?”

“Look, what about your family?”

She shook her head and smirked, “Yeah, what about them? My brother and I grew up in an orphanage. Who knows who our parents are, and who cares? They didn’t want us.”

“And your brother?”

“He works up-state,” she replied. “I hardly ever see him.”

“Well, I hate that for you, Robyn,” I said as I tried to empathize with her.

“Yeah, me, too,” she said as she choked back her tears. “It’s hard. I just get so damn lonely.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know,” I said as I unhooked the door chain.

“Look, I didn’t mean to cause you any harm,” she asserted. “I’ll leave you alone from now on.”

“Thank you,” I replied.

She started to walk away but turned and asked, “Do you mind if I use your bathroom before I leave? Then, I’ll go.” 

I swung the door open and let her in. When I closed it, and turned around to face her, she was grinning like the cat that swallowed the canary. “Oh, Mike, you’re such a gullible idiot.” I could feel the blood drain from my face. “So, that was all a lie,” I muttered. 

“Oh, the words were true,” she laughed. “The emotions were just a performance.”

“I see,” was all I could think of saying.

“I thought the tears were a nice touch, didn’t you?” she laughed again as she flopped down on my couch.

I was still holding my gun and, I must admit, the thought of shooting her did cross my mind. 

“So, your words about leaving me alone were true?” I asked.

“Oh, well, we’ll see,” she said matter-of-factually. “The rest was absolutely true.”

“I don’t believe any of it,” I weakly stated.

“Suit yourself,” she said. “I guess it’s hard to trust people when you come from a broken home.”

How did she know my parents were divorced? She continued, “And it’s hard to reach out to your sister with her being in India as a missionary. That’s halfway around the world. Mike, face the facts, you’re as lonely as me.”

“How do you know all this about me?” I asked as it was amazing how much she knew after such a little time. 

She rose from the couch and came over to me. Looking up at me, she took the back of her hand and stroked my cheek.

“I don’t reveal my trade secrets.” With that she opened the front door and walked out on the porch. 

Once again, she had the upper hand, and it bothered me to no end. I couldn’t figure her out and it was getting to me. “We’re not alike,” I blurted out. “I’ve got friends, and you don’t!” It sounded childish but it was all I could think of saying. She stopped abruptly and turned to face me. “Do you, Mike? Do you, really?” 

I watched her drive away and then closed my door. She had got under my skin, and I felt as vulnerable as a fawn that has lost its mother. For the first time in my life, I was becoming paranoid. I was scared and I didn’t know what to do. 

Thankfully, I didn’t see her over the weekend and into the next week. Even so, I wasn’t at ease as I knew she could show up at any time. And, of course, she did. 

I made my usual Saturday morning trip to the market and when I returned home her VW was parked at the street. At first, I sat in my car and thought of what I should do. I had thoughts of driving away, but this was my home, not hers, and I had every right to feel secure in my own home. The problem was I didn’t feel that way. So, I grabbed my two bags and marched over to the VW. I was prepared to yell and scream at her when I realized she wasn’t in the car. 

I was bewildered, and turned to go into my house when she flung open my front door and came out waving at me. She was wearing an apron over a stylish pull-over black skirt with a V-neckline. I was momentarily stunned as her hair was washed and brushed and she actually had some makeup on. She sure looked different when dressed up. Then, I remembered she was in my house and my senses returned to me. How did she get in? What was she up to this time? 

All I could do was give a long sigh as I approached the porch. She gave a big smile and said, “I’ve fixed lunch for us.”

“I remember the last lunch you made for me,” I smirked.

“Oh, don’t be silly,” she laughed. “I wouldn’t do that again, at least, not for a while.” 

As I walked past her to the kitchen I detected the faint scent of perfume. It was a mild and pleasant fragrance. After I sat my bags down I turned to her, “Okay, how’d you break into my house?”

She started putting the groceries away and said, “There’s nothing broken. Please take a seat at the table. I’ve made spaghetti for us.” 

I admit I had grown tired of trying to fight against her. Besides, I was hungry, and the spaghetti smelled good. So, I flopped down in a seat. She brought us each a plate of noodles and then returned with the sauce and garlic bread. I watched her closely as she poured the sauce on my plate and then stirred it some. “Do you want some cheese?” she asked. I agreed and she moved close to grind it over the sauce. “Say when” she smiled. Her being that close and looking the best I’d ever seen her did make me relax more than I wanted. 

She took her seat across from me and raised a fork. “I’m famished,” she said. “I’m not religious so I’m gonna go ahead, if you don’t mind.” I sat there watching her twirl the noodles onto her fork and asked, “So, you’re not afraid you’ll be sent to the bad place if you don’t thank God for this meal?” Of course, I was trying to be sarcastic. I figured it was my turn since she was the one making the effort to be decent. 

She stopped and looked up at me. “No, I’m not,” she replied. “Why should I be?” Then with a gleam in her eye she said, “The Devil’s afraid of me.”

“I see. And what about God?”

“What about him?” she asked.

“Well, you do a lot of things that most people would be scared to do,” I suggested. “Don’t you worry about what He might think?”

“Nope.” 

We sat in silence for a moment staring at each other. She finally broke the spell and asked, “Aren’t you gonna eat?”

I looked at my plate and answered, “I’m thinking about it.” She gave her throaty laugh and said, “You think I poisoned it, don’t you?”

“It has crossed my mind,” I replied.

“Oh, here, let me eat some of yours,” she smirked as she reached across the table and took a spoonful off my plate. Without taking her eyes off of me she put it in her mouth, chewed the spaghetti and then swallowed it. “Is that good enough for you?”

“It appears to be,” I replied as I returned her stare.

She blinked. “Well, look on the bright side, it’s either not poisoned or we’ll die together.”

“That’s the bright side?” I shook my head and took a bite. It was delicious. She was a good cook, or at least, she knew how to make spaghetti. 

We concentrated on eating for a while, but I finally had to make a point. “Robyn, you sure are a bold person to be as shy as you say you are.”

“I am shy,” she asserted. “I don’t like people.”

“But, yet, you keep coming around here,” I offered. “Why do you like me so much?”

She put down her fork and crossed her arms, “I’ve never said I like you.”

“Then why keep coming around here?”

“Because you like me,” she said.

“Whoa,” I laughed. “Have many times have I told you to leave and never come back? I’ve never given you any reason to think anything but that I don’t ever want to see you again!”

A grin spread across her lips, and she said, “You’re just like my brother, Teddy. He likes me, too.” 

I don’t know why I kept trying. There was no reasoning with her. The only reasonable explanation was that she was crazy, a pure lunatic. And, it was my fortune that she chose me to stalk because I tried to do a good deed for her. So, I just changed the subject. “You said your brother lives up-state. His name’s Teddy?”

“Yeah, I don’t see him very much anymore,” she offered. “He’s busy working.”

“Do you have a job?” I asked.

“Oh, I get by,” she replied. “It doesn’t take much money to live on.”

“Well, it takes quite a bit for me,” I offered. “This place wasn’t cheap.”

“It’s nice,” was all she said. 

We ate the rest of the meal in silence with just the occasional glance at each other. When I finished I arose to clean the table and she objected. “No, I’ll take care of that. You just go in there and relax on the couch.” I started to object but decided it was nice to have someone take care of things for a change. It was nice even if that person was crazy. 

It felt good to sink into the cushions after a good hot meal. She yelled from the kitchen, “Do you want something to drink? A beer, maybe?”

“No thanks, I’m fine,” I replied.

“I don’t like beer,” she yelled back.

“You don’t like a lot of things, do you?” I hollered back. 

I was almost ready to doze off when I looked up and saw her standing over me. In the dim light of the living room she looked beautiful and alluring. Before I could move she settled on top of me with her knees embedded in the couch to hold her up while she straddled over my legs. She eased herself down and kissed me. Her lips were soft and enjoyable but I kept my teeth clinched to keep her from forcing her tongue in my mouth. I wasn’t sure about all this. 

She raised herself erect and looked down at me. “I don’t have any panties on,” she teased. “You can check for yourself if you’d like.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” I replied.

“I could pee all over you right now and not get a drop on me,” she laughed. I failed to see the humor, so all I said was, “I guess you could.” 

With both hands she gently massaged my nipples as she squirmed to where she was sitting firmly in my lap. She moved closer to me and whispered, “It feels like you’re starting to like this.” It was true and I couldn’t think of anything to say back so I kissed her. This time our tongues freely explored each other until we had to stop for air. 

When she had caught her breath, she pushed off of me and stood up. I bounced up off the couch and wrapped my arms around her. She eagerly responded to my kisses and for the first time with her I felt in charge of things. My passions took control, and I lifted her into my arms and carried her to my bedroom. 

I gently placed her on my bed and started taking my shirt off. She stood up and pulled the black dress up and over her head and let it drop to the floor. I took in the sight and she was right. She had no panties on. I unzipped my pants and suggested, “There’s some condoms in the dresser drawer.” She unhooked her bra, removed it, and said, “You won’t need them.” 

I wasn’t sure about that as I knew I was clean but had no clue about her. “Are you sure?” I asked. She kissed me long and hard and replied, “I’m sure.” Then she took me by the hand and pushed me down on my back. She did have a beautifully shaped body. Her breasts were not big, but they fit her smaller frame. Somewhere in the back of my mind a voice was screaming for me to run away, but the rest of me was willing to risk all for the ecstasy that appeared to be coming. Besides, it had been a while since I had broken up with my last girlfriend and I felt overdue. 

She reached down and pulled my briefs off. We both were now fully exposed to each other, and I carefully watched her every move. The last thing I wanted was for her to do something crazy, especially if it involved a hidden knife somewhere. She looked down at my growing erection and smirked, “Humph, I was expecting bigger.”

“You really know how to turn a guy on, don’t you?” I smiled. 

She straddled me and raised her body to where we weren’t touching and said, “Oh, poor little baby, did I crush your fragile ego?” Holding herself up, she bent down and started kissing me. I took her hand and pushed it toward my throbbing groin but she jerked it away. “No, I don’t want to touch you there,” she declared. “And I don’t want you to touch me, either.” While righting herself with one hand she took the other and explored my body except for the one place I desperately wanted explored. Her fingernails scraped and tickled me for what seemed to be forever. Then, she slowly kissed me everywhere while avoiding even coming close to touching my penis. She brought me to the point I thought I was going to explode and then she’d back off before working to take me even higher. 

Finally, she came up and kissed me hard on my lips. Sitting straight up at my knees she declared, “Okay, I’m through.”

“What?!? That’s it?!?” I cried.

“Yep,” she replied. “You just go ahead and jerk off or whatever you do.” She swung her legs over and started to get out of bed when I grabbed her and said, “No way, sister.” I forced her on her back and straddled her. She didn’t resist and even giggled at my antics. Her giggle was nice, not like her laugh. I could tell she was enjoying every moment.

Looking down at her I declared, “Now, it’s my turn.” I kissed her and holding my body in the air as to not touch her I started caressing and stroking her everywhere without coming near where she really wanted me to. She squirmed and moaned and wiggled closer whenever I came anywhere near touching her mound. One time I let my finger come to the edge of her pubic hair and let it briefly brush a single strand. Her reflexes lifted her into the air in a silent plea for me to go further. I pushed her legs down and continued my stroking being careful to avoid touching where she desired most. She shut her eyes and bit her lower lip in an effort to find relief. I teased her as she had teased me, and we both came to the point where any further foreplay would only bring pain. 

So, I rolled over to my side and stroked her cheek. She smiled at me with dreamy eyes and then bit my finger. It wasn’t hard but it was enough to get my attention. When I yelled she pushed me on my back and straddled me once again, holding herself up and still not willing to give in. My eyes begged her to end this and she smiled and bent over and kissed me. She placed her forehead against mine and then lowered herself down on me. I slid into her and she wiggled until I was fully inside. We both gasped at the same time as our prolonged anticipation caused the sensation to flood our senses. Letting out a soft moan, she started rocking as I grabbed her butt cheeks and held her firmly against me. Each thrust was an event to itself leaving me craving for more. She willingly obliged and pounded harder as she moved us closer and closer to the desired results. We were both lost in each other and came together as a sudden climatic bolt of endorphins flashed their unrelenting pleasure as they charged throughout our bodies and into our souls. 

Finally, she shuddered and collapsed onto me fully exhausted and still whimpering with delight. I stroked the back of her hair and relished what had just happened. It wasn’t long before I could hear her gentle snores, so I moved over to the side and closed my own eyes. I slept deep and hard. 

I awoke with a sudden jolt. For a moment I was confused as to where I was and what had happened. Then, I remembered and reached for her, but she wasn’t there. I rubbed my eyes and sat up to find her dressed and crumbled on the floor in a corner of the room. It looked as if she’d been crying, and she was sucking her thumb. 

“What’s wrong?” I said as I stifled a yawn.

She sniffed and pouted, “You raped me!”

“O, come on!!” I yelled as I jumped out of bed. I grabbed my briefs and jerked them on. “How can you say something like that?!?”

“Because it’s true!” she declared. 

I went over to her and gently pulled her to her feet. She pushed me away and shouted, “Don’t touch me!!” I tried to touch her arm, but she reached out and twisted one of my nipples to where I thought it was going to break off.

Screaming with pain I angrily found my pants and started putting them on. “Okay. I should’ve known better, but no, I had to let you seduce me,” I muttered more to myself than to anyone else. 

She stepped toward me and screamed to where I’m sure the whole neighborhood heard her, “You raped me!!”

I stopped and took a long hard look at her. Finally, I said as calmly as I could, “Okay, if you really feel that way then go ahead and call the cops.” She ignored me and reached down and slipped her shoes on. I pulled my cell phone from my pants pocket and handed it toward her. “Go ahead, call them,” I demanded. 

She smiled and then looked me up one side and down the other. “I’ve had better,” she smirked as she turned and walked toward my front door. I marched right behind her and yelled, “So have I! A whole lot better!!” She opened the door and simply gave her weird laugh. I was angry and continued shouting, “Doing myself is even better!!” She twirled around and sneered, “I’m sure you’re the best you’ve ever had.” With that she slammed the door and got into her VW and drove away. 

The rest of the weekend was spent trying to make sense out of what had happened. It was a waste of time as there was neither logic nor reason to her actions. In my life I’ve found most women to have mood swings from hot to cold and then back again, but nothing like I’d been through for the past two weeks. My only hope was that possibly she had finally got what she wanted and would now leave me alone. Deep inside I knew that was too much to ask. 

For a while it appeared she might be through playing games with me. She didn’t come around the next week and I was actually able to have a normal weekend for a change. The second week came and still no Robyn. After four weeks of not seeing her, I was starting to forget about her shenanigans and was willing to chalk the experience up to just part of life. 

But that changed when I came home from work the Friday evening of the fourth week of not seeing her. When I went to unlock my front door it moved open. Someone had broken into my house. Instead of calling the police I pushed it open and could make out the silhouette of someone sitting on my couch. I knew immediately who it was. Flipping on the light I just stood and stared at her. There was nothing left to say. Her sullen face gave no clue as to why she was there. Finally, I nodded my head and said, “Robyn.” 

She stuck out her lower lip and muttered, “I’m pregnant.” I closed the door and flopped down beside her. She looked at me with sad puppy dog eyes. I almost laughed at her, but instead, just shrugged my shoulders and said, “So?”

She jerked her head toward me and cried, “What do you mean ‘So?’ You got me pregnant!”

This time I did laugh. “Not me, sister,” I asserted.

She furrowed her brow and cautiously asked, “What do you mean?”

I gave a fake sigh and explained, “What I mean is it wasn’t me that got you pregnant. You must’ve been screwing someone else.”

She pouted, “You’re the only one…I mean, the only one for a while now.”

I stifled a fake yawn and declared, “Then it must be a miraculous conception cause I got snipped two years ago. I’m sorry but I’m shooting blanks.” 

This stunned her as she wasn’t expecting such a reaction. The look on her face was priceless. She crossed her arms and studied my face. Then with a cautious look she said, “You’re lying.”

I leaned back against the couch and said, “Yep, I am. And you’re not pregnant either!” She slid up to the edge of the couch and coldly declared, “I told you to never lie to me.”

I sat up and returned her stare, “Then, you stop lying to me!” 

She bounced up and clenched her fist. “I don’t lie!!” I stood up to face her and said, “Oh, yeah? Telling me you’re pregnant is a lie! You telling me a month ago you would go away and leave me alone was a lie! How many more are you gonna tell, Robyn?”

She was angry now and shouted, “Don’t play games with me, Mike!!”

I was on a roll and couldn’t keep my mouth shut. “What’s wrong, Robyn, dear? You can’t control me anymore? I’ve seen your tricks and they bore me! You bore me!! You can’t stand it, can you?”

Her anger was replaced with bitterness as she sneered through clenched teeth, “You’ll regret this.”

I threw my arms wide opened and yelled, “Go ahead!! Take your best shot! Do whatever you want to do! It’s not gonna faze me anymore. I’m in control of my life now and not you!” 

She turned and stormed out of my house without saying anything else. I followed her out and watched her speed away. Without thinking I jumped in my car and took off after her. I figured it was time I followed her and found out all I could about her. Knowledge is power and, in dealing with her, I wanted all the power I could get. 

It wasn’t long before I had her in sight. She had to see I was following her as she made all types of crazy turns that went nowhere. Before long we came to the freeway and she tried to outrun me but her VW was no match for my Lexus LX 570. I easily caught her and pulled up close to her tail. She glared at me in her rearview mirror. I wanted her to see me. I wanted her to know I could play hardball, too. 

After a couple miles she swerved off the freeway and I followed. We drove like this for almost two hours as she tried her best to lose me and I was just as determined to keep her in sight. Finally, I looked at my gas gauge and starting cursing. I hadn’t filled the tank this week as I didn’t think I would need to. Now, I was running low and was going to have to stop my pursuit. It was almost as if she was gaining control again. 

I watched her pull away as I turned off into a service station. Still cursing, I started refueling when I saw her drive slowly by. She stopped in the middle of the street, rolled down her passenger side window and smiled at me. I flipped her the bird. She squealed her tires and sped away. I had lost again. 

It took nearly an hour for me to get back to my house. Even though she had eluded me, I still felt good about standing up to her and actually pushing some of her buttons for a change. The good feeling vanished when I rounded the corner and saw the flashing blue lights of the police cruisers parked in my yard. 

I pulled up to my driveway and two cops approached me as I rolled down my window.

“What’s wrong officers?” I asked as my mind raced to try and figure out what Robyn had done now.

Ignoring my question, one of the men asked, “Are you Michael James, the owner of this house?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Please step out of the car,” he demanded.

I opened the door and stood up and the same officer ordered, “Turn around and put your hands on top of the car.”

“What’s this about?” I asked again.

Ignoring me again he continued, “Do you have any weapons on you or anything illegal?”

I replied, “No” as he pulled my hands around to my back and snapped a pair of handcuffs on me. Then he searched me while the other cop read me my Miranda rights. 

When he had finished, he had me turn around as a man in a suit and tie approached us. He took a look at me and then said, “It weighs out at 11.3 kilos.”

“What does?” I asked.

“The stash you left out when you went chasing after that girl you were beating,” the nearest cop to me explained.

“What stash?!?”

“The 25 pounds of marijuana,” the other cop said.

“What?!? How?!?” was all I could think to say. Then I realized something. “How’d you get in my house?!?”

So, the first officer went on to explain to me how 911 had received a call from a woman giving this address and who was crying and yelling that she was being beaten to death. They came rushing to her aid and when they got here, they actually heard someone yelling inside the home. This gave them enough cause to break into the house where they found my phone off the hook and a woman screaming on the other end. When they got her to calm down, she told them she had fled from me and was being chased by me. They asked for her name and where she was, but she then told them I had stopped chasing her and hung up the phone. As they were checking out the rest of the house, they found the block of marijuana sitting under the kitchen table. 

“That was a dumb place to keep it,” smirked the cop.

I protested, “Look! She set me up. None of what she said was true and that’s not mine!”

“You can explain that to the judge,” replied the officer. “In the meantime, you’re being charged with illegal drug trafficking.” 

It was all surreal and the only thing I could do was hang my head. They put me in the back seat of one of the cruisers and I watched as they searched my car. I didn’t want to believe this was happening to me and I cursed myself for letting Robyn outsmart me again. Every time I was around her it got crazier and crazier. She had to thoroughly enjoy watching me squirm and try to get away from her only to have her crush me down again. As I sat there in the back of the police car, I looked up at the street in time to watch a red VW beetle drive slowly by. I yelled every obscene thing I could think of at it. 

The next morning, I made bail, and my boss immediately place me on leave pending the outcome of my trial. It took all of my savings, but I hired the best lawyer I could afford. He said he would do his best, but I was looking at 2-5 years in prison. My next-door neighbors, Stan and Leslie, came over once and offered their support, but after that, they didn’t come over anymore. I’m sure they felt, like everyone else I knew, that I was guilty and should be avoided. Even my parents were of no help. All my mother could do was cry and my father gave me his usual stern speech about life is a matter of choices and now I’d have to pay the price for my chosen course. My sister called from India and said she was praying for me. 

A week before my trial I received a foreclosure notice from my mortgage company. With no income it was a forgone conclusion I was going to lose everything. I was sitting on my couch listening to a portable radio. My cable had been turned off. It wouldn’t be long before the utilities would be disconnected and my car repossessed. The front door pushed opened and there she was. I would’ve got my gun and shot her right where she stood, but it was missing. At the time, I thought the cops had confiscated it. 

She looked around and then said, “Well, you don’t look too happy.” I just kept staring and completely ignored her.

She flopped down on the couch keeping a distance between us. There was a long silence as I had nothing to say to her and it irritated me that she was gloating over my predicament. Finally, she turned toward me and said, “You told me to call the cops.” I refused to comment. There was more silence and then she spoke, “They’re gonna put you away for a long time.” I concentrated on how good it would feel to strangle her. She stood up and walked toward the door, “Yep, a very long time!” I locked my fingers together envisioning her neck between them and me squeezing as hard as I could. Even in that I was robbed of any revenge as no matter how hard I pressed all I could she was her sneering face. She opened the door and turned back toward me, “You know you’re gonna get lonely in prison. I have a few minutes if you wanna…well, you know.” 

I gently nodded my head and stood up. She smiled with anticipation as I walked to her. I looked down at her and then shoved her out the door. The force sent her sprawling on her butt in the middle of my porch. I slammed the door shut and locked it. The whole neighborhood could hear her yelling and cursing as she ran to her car. I sat back on the couch and a smile spread across my lips. Then I buried my head in a pillow and cried like a baby. 

At my trial my verdict was pretty much assured from the DA’s opening remarks. He and his team painted me as a petty drug dealer and a menace to society who should be locked away. My defense was weak as my lawyer never really believed me about Robyn and the evidence piled up against me seemed indisputable. I guess there were only two people in the whole world who knew the truth, Robyn, who wasn’t talking, and me, who no one would believe. 

It took only two days and my trial was over. On the day of the verdict, I took a quick look around the courtroom and there she was sitting in the back row. She made eye contact with me and stared a hole straight through me. The bailiff called everyone to order, and I faced the jury. Of course, I was found guilty. The judge dismissed the jury and then asked if I had anything to say before sentencing. I declined and was given twenty-five months active time. As I was being led out, I looked for Robyn, but she was already gone. Her dirty work was done. 

I was sent to a minimum-security facility in the southern part of the state. The ID number they gave me was 382533. Even though I was bitter, angry, and wanting revenge, I was somewhat intrigued as to what prison life would be like. You hear a lot of stories and, now I can say, most of them are true. The worst part for me was having all that time on your hands with nothing to do. I kept to myself, had little to say, and the other guys pretty much left me alone. Eventually, prison became home, and I was able to earn a job working in the kitchen cooking meals for all the inmates. My specialty was making spaghetti. 

About six months into my sentence the warden called me to his office. He commended me for my good work performance and said I was a model prisoner. Then he told me he was recommending I be paroled after one year. I thanked him over and over and told him I wouldn’t let him down. 

On my way back to my cell I felt like I was walking on air. I could be out of that place and starting a new life in just six short months. Then, Chester, the guard who was escorting me, told me I had a visitor. At first, I thought it might be one of my parents. They had yet to come see me and it would be great to share with them the good news that I was going to get out early. That happiness was shattered when Robyn sat down at the opposite end of the table. 

She looked a mess, very much like the first time I saw her at the supermarket. I folded my arms and stared at her. She looked around the room, rubbed her chin and asked, “So, which one of these fellows made you their bitch?”

I unfolded my arms and leaned forward to say, “There’s only one bitch in this room and it’s not a guy.”

She laughed her hyena laugh and snorted, “Wow! A few months in this joint and you’ve become a wise ass!!”

I wasn’t amused. “What do you want, Robyn?” I coldly asked.

She studied me for a moment and then declared, “Well, I thought maybe enough time has gone by that maybe you’d like to apologize.”

Of course, I was flabbergasted. “For what?!?”

She sniffed and then with teary eyes said, “You don’t know what you’ve put me through, Mike. First, you rape me, then you try to run me down and kill me, you push me down, almost breaking my tail bone, and then I find out you’re a drug dealer and I have to watch them haul you away to prison. It hasn’t been easy, Mike!!” 

She made me feel so tired. I yelled, “Guard! Take me back to my cell!” I rose from my seat waiting for my escort. She stood and grinned, “I haven’t given up on you. The warden told me you were in line for an early release.”

“You talked to the warden?” I asked.

“Yeah, I did when I first got here,” she explained. “He’s an old friend of my brother.”

I hung my head and muttered, “Why am I not surprised?”

She continued, “So, don’t worry. I’ll come and pick you up when they let you go.”

I started shaking my head. “No, no, no, don’t even try it.” 

Chester came and stood by my side. She declared, “Yes, don’t worry about it. Oh, and before I forget, I’ve set up some conjugal visiting time for us.” Chester rolled his eyes at me. Then her face and expression changed to an icy glare. “Remember, I’ll be there when you get out.” 

Chester told me to come on and as we walked out of the room, I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. Once again, she had chills crawling up my spine. Now, let me say, I liked Chester. He was a good guy. Many of the guards played favorites and others had to let you know who was in charge every time they saw you. Chester wasn’t that way. He treated everyone the same and he was fair. If you didn’t cross him, you had nothing to worry about from him. But, at that moment, I was a desperate man. After all that woman had put me through and now, she wasn’t finished yet. I knew she was busy plotting some grand scheme that would inflict even more torment upon my life. And besides, the very thought of a conjugal visit and having to make love to her made me sick to my stomach. 

So, as we walked along toward my cell, I decided there was no way I was going to let her back into my life. I stopped walking and said, “I’m sorry, Chester.” He had a perplexed look on his face until my fist smacked him squarely in the jaw and he collapsed to the floor. A sharp pain shot through my wrist as two of my fingers snapped from the force of the blow. It wasn’t long before I was mobbed by a horde of guards who didn’t take kindly to someone attacking one of their own. 

My plan worked. A judge denied any chance for a parole and added six months to my twenty-five months and an additional year of probation. The warden cursed me and had me thrown into the “hole” which was solitary confinement. I spent three weeks there nursing my broken hand and several abrasions from my scuffle with the guards. It gave me time to think. 

I had been desperate and took the only course I knew to avoid what awaited me on the outside. It wasn’t fair to be forced to take such action, but nothing about my life had been fair since the day I met Robyn. But, I realized the day was coming when I would have to face her again. I needed a plan. It took me awhile but I came up with one. I thought it was a pretty good one and I had plenty of time to tweak it. 

In the meantime, I tried to be the baddest guy on the block. I walked with a swagger, spoke with an attitude, and dared anyone to cross me. A few did and we tangled. Before long I had a reputation and most everyone was scared of me. I developed a cult following where a scowl from me would make men tremble and a smile would make them think all was right in the world. Every fight I had ended with me being thrown in the hole again. It became a second home.

Eventually, I grew tired of pretending to be something that I wasn’t. Besides, I had a nasty scar down my left cheek from one encounter with a guy who had sharpened a spoon into a deadly weapon. I figured if I kept on it was only a matter of time before I would be shipped home in a pine box. So, I gave up trying to be a badass and started keeping to myself once again. It was more the true me and I liked myself better. 

The days dragged on into weeks and months and I became a model prisoner once again. All this time I hadn’t heard a peep out of Robyn, but that changed one Saturday afternoon about three months before I was to be released. Chester came to my cell and peered inside. “Look, you’ve got a visitor,” he declared. “And I want you to behave yourself.”

“It’s her, isn’t it?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he replied. “And if you screw this up this time the old man’s gonna put you in a cell with the worst pervert he can find.”

I contemplated what that would mean and replied, “I understand. I’ll behave.” 

As we walked along, I told Chester again I was sorry for the day when I hit him. “Ah, man, forget about it. We all have women that push our buttons,” he said. As we rounded a corner he took me to a private room. “This is not the meeting room,” I wondered out loud. Chester took a cautious step away from me and declared, “I know. This is a conjugal visit.”

I shook my head in disbelief and muttered, “She’s doing it again.”

He nodded and said, “Yeah, she’s got some sort of connection with the old man. That’s another reason you’d better not cause any trouble.” 

I had expected her to show up when I got out or even come to see me again, but this caught me off guard. And, yet, this is exactly what she said she was going to do. I gave a long sigh and said, “It never ends.”

“Hey, there’s a lot guys in here that would pay good money to be in your shoes,” he surmised.

“Make me an offer,” I smirked.

He laughed and motioned me to the room. “You’ve got two hours. Enjoy yourself.” 

I thought about that. Why shouldn’t I enjoy myself? She surely did. I made up my mind right there that if she wanted to be around me then she would have to pay a price. It was going to be a hefty one and maybe, just maybe, I could extract a little revenge on the person who ruined my life and left me a bitter man. 

I pushed the door open and there she was. She looked up at me and smiled. I glowered at her and walked in the room. She was wearing the same black dress as she was when we made love over two years earlier. Her hair was a little longer and she had it pulled back into a neat pony tail. She was wearing makeup again and when I moved closer to her I could smell the same perfume she had been wearing before. 

“Hey,” is all she said.

I made a point to look her up and down and then declared, “You look good.”

This caught her by surprise and she stumbled to say “Thank you.” Then taking a good look at me she asked, “How’d you get that scar?”

I sneered, “Some asshole didn’t like the way I looked, so he decided to change it.” 

Moving close to her I grabbed her ponytail and pulled her head back. I placed my lips two inches from hers and breathed, “Let’s stop this chitchat. We’ve only got two hours, and I want to make the most of it.”

She grinned and asked, “You think you can last that long?”

“Grab a hold and find out,” I smirked as I kissed her as hard as I could. She fought to kiss back, and our tongues danced together in a swirl of passion and lust. 

I stripped her naked and jumped out of my clothes to her waiting arms. This was my time. If she wanted to be part of my life then she needed to be prepared to ride the tidal wave of revenge I was going to heap on her. I kissed her long and hard until her lips bled. I sucked on her neck until she had the biggest blackest hickey with blood ready to ooze out. I squeezed her breast as hard as I could until she cried out in pain and begged me to stop. Then, I squeezed them some more. I spanked her butt cheeks until they were cheery red. I held her legs and tickled her feet until she was crying. And when the time finally came, I pounded her so hard and long I thought my balls were going to drop to the floor. 

I was in control. I demanded she do everything I wanted to do. I showed no mercy and tried to take her dignity away from her. This was sweet revenge for all she had done to me, and I found myself loving every minute of it. The only problem was she liked it even better than me. 

When it was over with, I put my clothes on as she lay naked on the bed staring at me. I glanced at her and asked, “You wanna come back for more?”

She grinned at me and said, “You’d like that.”

I paused to reflect for a moment and then declared, “Yeah, I would.”

“I knew the first time I saw you that you’re a masochist,” she said. After buttoning my shirt, I walked over and kissed her goodbye and whispered, “And you love it.” 

She was still giggling like a schoolgirl when Chester came and escorted me back to my cell. On the way there he laughed and observed, “You had a good time, didn’t you?” I didn’t skip a beat and smugly replied, “Ah, it killed two hours.” 

I didn’t know what she had over the warden, but she could get from him pretty much what she wanted. So, she set up with him where she could come for conjugal visits every two weeks. This was fine with me as I wanted to use her every chance I could. I thought of every perverted and depraved thing I could do to her and was ready every week she came. When I ran out of ideas, I solicited the guards and my fellow prisoners for suggestions. They gave me whole new fresh lists of things to try. Some of them were pretty sick, but I tried them all. All they asked in return was for me to share the sordid details of what happened. I obliged and filled their ears with all the nasty and filthy things I did to her and what she did to me in return. Usually, when I finished, the whole block would go silent for about ten minutes as the aroused men took care of their own personal needs. Also, around this time many of the guards took the opportunity for a bathroom break. 

I felt on top of the world, and yet, a little voice inside me kept saying she was enjoying it too much. It kept warning me to be careful, but I was feeling too good to take heed. Everything was going my way. In fact, it got to the point where I was barely able to walk into the room before she was all over me, and when I left, she was begging for more. I didn’t care what my conscience was trying to tell me. The first part of my plan was working. I was winning her trust and the day was fast approaching when I could implement the rest of it and be rid of her forever. 

Finally, the day came when I was to be released. I was nervous as I had to play it just right for everything to work as I had planned. When I exited my cell all the guys on my block shouted and cheered me on. A few of them were actually shedding some tears. They were wishing me well but they were going to miss hearing my debased stories of lust and depravity. Many of them said as much when I walked by their cell. Even the guards were clapping and wishing me well. 

At the checkout they gave me a few dollars and a bag to carry my personal items in. I thanked them and walked outside to freedom for the first time in nearly four years. A red VW beetle was parked across from the gate. I walked to the end of the sidewalk and set my bag down on the curb. Crossing my arms, I stood there smiling as I soaked in all my surroundings. The tinted driver side window rolled down and there she was. I gave her a salute and she opened the door and climbed out. With my arms wide open I excitedly ran over and embraced her. We kissed. Then looking deep into her eyes I tenderly said, “I don’t know if it’s you or the sweet smell of freedom, but something really smells good.”

She giggled and said, “Why, you know it’s me.” I kissed her again. 

“So, where you gonna take me?” I asked as I still held her.

She ran her fingers through my hair and replied, “Oh, I thought we’d see where the road goes.”

I took her hand and nibbled her fingers. “Anywhere but here sounds good.”

She withdrew her fingers from my mouth and declared, “Okay, let’s go.” 

I started to walk around to the passenger side when I stopped and said, “Crap, I’m about to forget my stuff. Would you grab my bag for me?”

She playfully punched me in the arm and ran across the street to get the bag. 

This was it. This was what I was waiting for. As soon as she was fully across the street I jumped into her VW, started it up, put it in gear, and slammed the accelerator to the floor. She ran back trying to catch me as the rubber burned from her screaming tires. In the rearview mirror I saw her throw my bag to the ground and kick it back across the street as she ranted and raved. 

It wasn’t long before I had left her behind. My plan had worked. I thought it was brilliant. She had learned to trust me and had dropped her guard. Now, I could get far away from her, start a new life, and never worry about seeing her again. Never again would I have to put up with that obnoxious hyena laugh…never again would I have her controlling me…never again would she know my every move…never again would I have to touch her. I was almost delirious with joy. It was the happiest day of my entire life. I started shouting. I started singing. I yelled out those famous words Martin Luther King said on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, changed to fit my circumstance: “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, I’m free at last!!” 

I was cruising along enjoying my liberty and feeling very proud of myself when the fuel gauge started beeping. With horror I looked down to see it reading empty. I was out of gas and I hadn’t driven very far. There were no gas stations in sight. The engine started misfiring as it starved for fuel and I started shouting and cursing and punching the steering wheel. Finally, it cut off and I was left to coast as I slowed to a crawl. Glancing in the mirror, I saw a yellow VW beetle fast approaching. There was no doubt as to who it was. I felt my stomach tie into a knot as nausea made me gag. My plan had failed. 

She pulled up to the left of me as I came to a stop. Lowering the window, she stared at me with those cold icy eyes. I tried to give a weak grin and humbly observed, “You’ve got a new car.” Meekly hanging my head, I got into the VW with her. She just looked at me and didn’t say a word. Finally, I broke the silence and asked, “Well, where to?” 

She didn’t answer me and started driving. We rode for quite a while without speaking. So, once again, I tried to start a conversation. “How’d you get both cars to the prison?”

She shrugged and replied, “I had help.” I immediately thought of the warden. There was something between them, but I couldn’t put my finger on it, and I wasn’t about to ask as it would no doubt just bring me more pain.

I tried again, “So, where we going?”

“Nevada,” was all she replied.

“Nevada?” I questioned. “Why there?”

She looked at me, grinned and replied, “So we can get married.” 

That old cold chill crept up my spine. She was planning on us getting married and all I wanted was to get away from her. I had to play along. She was in control and I was totally at her mercy. So, after thinking for a minute, I observed, “That’s a long way.”

She nodded her head and agreed, “Yep.” 

After a few more miles I decided to confront the situation. “You’re mad at me, aren’t you?”

She took a deep breath and replied, “I’m disappointed. You lied to me.”

“Wait a minute,” I objected. “I never said I wouldn’t try to get away. I never lied.”

She just shrugged her shoulders and said, “You lied.”

I mulled this over and then asked, “Are you gonna kill me?” 

Here came the hyena laugh again. “I should,” she replied.

I looked out the window and watched the scenery fly by. Without much thinking I said, “I should be the one to kill you.”

This got to her and she pouted, “I’m not the liar here.”

I looked at her and angrily declared, “That’s the least you are. I lost my job…I lost my house…I lost my Lexus…I’ve lost my friends…my family…my pride…my dignity…I’ve lost everything and it’s because of you!! Yep, lying is the least of your qualities. If that was the only thing wrong with you then you’d be almost normal!! Why can’t you just get out of my life and leave me alone?” 

She bit her lower lip and said nothing. It wasn’t long before we crossed the state line, and she immediately pulled into the Welcome Center. She parked near the curb. Turning toward me, she simply said, “Get out.”

“What?!? Here?!?” I shouted. “You can’t leave me out here in the middle of nowhere!!”

I crossed my arms, looked out the window, and refused to move. “I’m not going anywhere!” That’s when I heard a click and felt the cold steel barrel of a pistol against the side of my head. I slowly turned toward her and observed, “That’s my gun.”

She repeated herself, “Get out!”

I threw my hands up and said, “Okay!” 

A cold wind blew as I stood on the sidewalk and watched her drive away. I had just the few dollars the prison had given me and the clothes on my back. She had outsmarted and outmaneuvered me again. I was by myself and all alone. But it wasn’t long before I was joined by a state trooper. 

He pulled up, jumped out, and walked right up to me. Without skipping a beat he demanded, “Let me see some ID.”

I gave him my expired driver’s license. He looked at it and asked, “So, you’re Michael James?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Turn around and put your hands behind your back,” he said. I complied and asked, “What’s wrong, officer?”

As he locked the cuffs he replied, “We got an anonymous tip that you were here.”

“I bet you did,” I smirked.

“You just get out of prison?” he asked.

“Yes,” I cautiously answered.

“Then, you’re on probation, right?”

My heart sank. “Yeah, I guess I am.” 

He led me to his squad car. “You got any papers from your probation officer giving you permission to be out of your state?”

“No, I don’t,” I meekly answered as he placed me in the back of the car.

“Then, I’d guess you’re going back to prison,” he declared as he shut the door. 

It didn’t take them long to extradite me back to my home state. My parole was rescinded, and I was sent up state to the maximum-security facility to serve out the rest of my sentence. 

Life is much different here than it was at the prison down south. Death row is here and there are so many “lifers” stationed here it’s somewhat frightening. You have to watch every step or somebody will plant a knife in your gut. As far as I can tell everyone here is a criminal. The guards just wear a different uniform from the inmates. We get one hour a day for recreation time outside in the yard. It’s no place to try and relax as everyone is trying to get an advantage over everybody else. 

I’ve done my best to stay under everybody’s radar and mind my own business. After a year I’ve started my countdown to my release. Now, there’s less than twenty-four hours to go. 

I hadn’t heard a peep out of Robyn and had the faint hope that I’d seen the last of her. But, that hope was easily dashed this morning when I had a visitor. 

The guard peered into my cell and asked, “James?”

I looked up to see a tall burly guy staring down at me. I replied, “That’s me.”

He gave me the once over and then said, “I’ve got a message for you.”

That’s when I noticed his name tag read “Edward Bell.” I stood up and moved over to the bars. “It’s from her, isn’t it?”

“Yep.”

“You’re her brother, Teddy, right?”

“Right again,” he said. “I work up on the third floor and I don’t get down here too much. But, she wanted me to tell you something.”

“It figures,” I smirked. “She’s got the warden at the other joint and she’s got you here.”

“Yeah, she knows him through me,” he explained. “I used to work there. He’ll do anything for her. I don’t know why. They don’t say and I don’t ask.”

“He’s probably deathly afraid of her,” I surmised.

Teddy laughed and said, “He wouldn’t be the first. But, anyway, she wanted me to let you know that she’ll be out front to pick you up tomorrow when you get out.” 

I stood there for a moment and then grabbed the bars and pleaded, “Help me, man!! I can’t take it anymore!! Please, won’t you help me?”

He grinned. It reminded me of his sister’s. With a smirk he said, “Man, she’s done a job on you.”

“You’re her brother!” I kept pleading. “You can talk to her. You can reason with her. She’ll listen to you! You can get her to leave me alone!!”

“No, I don’t think so,” he replied.

“Come on!” I shouted. “You can do it!! Do it for me, please!!”

He shook his head and said, “No, I can’t.”

“Why not?!?”

He shrugged and replied, “It’s better you than me.” With that he turned and walked away. 

It’s now twelve hours and thirteen minutes until I’m to be released. Twelve hours and thirteen minutes before I come face to face with her again. I’ve thought of everything I know to do to avoid that meeting. 

I don’t want to assault another guard and add even more time to my sentence. It’s not their fault I’m in the mess I’m in. They’re just a pawn like me. I’ve thought of suicide but I don’t want to die. I’ve thought of murder but that would just lead to me dying. I’ve thought about trying to deceive her again and then make my escape at the first convenient time. I have serious doubts as to whether this would work as she’ll be even more suspicious of my actions since I’ve already tried deceiving her once. I’ve thought about faking an illness and being taken to a hospital, but I know she’d just find me. I’ve thought about just refusing to go with her and staying put. But, in reality, I have nowhere else to go. I can’t call my family and ask them to rescue me as they’ve had absolutely nothing to do with me since I was sent to jail. I have no friends left to call for help. I have no one, but her. 

It’s now twelve hours and nine minutes until I’m to be released. 

For God’s sake, someone tell me what to do!!

THE END

Copyright ©2010 by Jerry W. Crews

PS: If you find the ending less than satisfying then please check out Shy (Alternate Ending)