Dangerous to the Touch

  “You had no right.”

  I dropped my head in shame, “I didn’t mean to Jake…”

  But, he wasn’t listening. Jake had stormed off towards his car, slamming the driver side door as he got in. I watched as he turned the engine on, spinning tires and flying out of the gate and towards the highway. I was left standing alone in the middle of the marble driveway…by the house that so much had happened in, all within the last hour. I sighed. There was nothing I could do and I refused to allow myself to feel the pain of rejection that festered in the pit of my stomach.

  There would be no sleep for me tonight. I found my keys not far from where I was standing and walked the short distance to grab them. Sighing, I came to the realization that I still needed my purse and wallet. I did not want to go back into the eerie house but knew I would. Curse Jake and his sensitive feelings. He knew what I was but chose to not believe. Like it had been my fault anyways. I stared at the door for what felt like forever. Taking a deep breath I plunged forward and walked back into the museum-like house.

  The hallway was almost the same, with only one overturned lamp and crooked plant. I tried to retrace my steps to the waiting area but there were a couple turns in the large house that I missed. Backtracking, I passed an office and couldn’t help but look inside. Books, papers, and folders were in neat piles on several shelves and book cases. I could see a grand dark wood desk with a Mac sitting on it. Beside the computer was a thumb drive. I stared at it, wrestling with my decision. The police would scour this place as evidence…but what if they missed it? What if they didn’t share their new information? I was in the middle of whatever this was supposed to be. Making my mind up, I grabbed the thumb drive and dashed out of the office, feeling unnerved. Somehow I managed to find the waiting room again and grabbed my purse and contents off the floor as fast as I could. Something about this house felt off and I didn’t want to stick around to find out why, but there was no denying the tension. I raced back out of the house and didn’t stop until I reached my old and familiar, beat up impala. Feeling a surge of relief to make it to my car, I jumped in and started it; heading out the gate without a second glance back.

  Ten minutes down the road, my nerves finally began to relax and a familiar calm settle over me. I had made it, and I wouldn’t be caught like a fool in another situation like that again. I looked at the list laying in my passenger seat and focused on the second name. Evan Lucas. I drove to my motel that I called home…with one goal in mind.

  “Ok Evan, looks like I need to pay you a visit. But first, I’m gonna have to find you.”

  For the first time in a while, I dared to feel excitement. There were people out there, people like me…and I was going to find them. I collapsed into bed and fell asleep almost instantly with a newfound purpose on my mind and tonight, the nightmares finally stayed away.

  Find out what Lindsey’s up to in the next story:

  New Town, New Thief

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