I See You by Ker Dukey, D.H. Sidebottom Page A

and can’t find him. “Steve!”
    Memories of a different storm flood in, and Ginger’s wet coat is almost real in my mind. “STEVE!”
    My eyes shift as quickly as my body as I carry my search upstairs. “Steve!” Freaking cat! “Where are you, baby?”
    A clatter sounds as I enter my bedroom, causing me to jolt in terror. My body stiffens but I force myself to relax when I see the branches from the tree between mine and Devon’s house crack the small window.
    I peer out through the rain-contorted glass, my eyes narrow as I hunt for my cat. I rush down the stairs and pull on my sneakers, then, grabbing my coat, I wrap it around me and venture out.
    “STEVE?”
    Where the hell is he? The trees are swaying fiercely with the force of the wind, the rain slashing me. My eyes search, my heart races, and still I see no sign of Steve. My legs can barely carry me with the dread burning through my body. Sweat pours from me, the saltiness teeming over my lips as the rain pushes it down my face.
    Biting my lip, I brace myself and climb the few steps to my front porch, the image of a dead Ginger haunting me and making the shadows play cruel jokes as I imagine each silhouette is my poor, dead cat.
    “Steve!” I choke out in a whisper as terror tightens my throat.
    I knew he would be back; he told me. He told me and I didn’t listen. I’ve been ignorant thinking he can’t find me.
    I run fast, around the house and through the back door, slamming it shut and housing each bolt in place as I snatch up my phone and call 911. It’s an age before anyone answers my call, and as I’m about to slam the phone down and try again, a click notifies me of a connection.
    As soon as the male voice answers me I’m already reeling off a string of slurred words.
    “Ma’am, if you could calm down . . .”
    “Calm down?” I bellow. “He’s back! He’s going to kill me. He’s . . . he’s got Steve . . . Steve is missing . . . he’s going to hurt Steve . . .”
    “Ma’am, who has Steve?”
    “He does! He’s going to kill him. He’s coming for me. Oh God, please help me. Please . . .”
    “Okay, if you could calm down and tell me your name and where you are . . .”
    I blurt out my name and address in between screeches of ‘STEVE’, my pounding heart disabling my words and making me have to repeat my address three times until the officer understands me.
    “I’m afraid the sheriff’s office is snowed under tonight, but I’ll get someone round to you as fast as I can.”
    “He’ll have killed him by then! You have to hurry. He’s coming! He’s coming for me.”
    “Ma’am, please. We’ll be as quick as we can.” Then the long lingering tone notifies me that once again, I’m alone. God damn small freaking villages with only one useless freaking cop. Why the hell did I move here? Then my mind tells me that wherever I am, he’ll find me. And he’ll kill me like he promised he would.
    I scream when the lights go out, plunging me into darkness. The wind and rain hinders my hearing as I shuffle across the floor and into the cupboard under the stairs, frantically listening for footsteps. My heart is pounding so hard that all I can hear aside from the storm is my damn pulse.
    “Calm down and concentrate, Nina!” I scold myself, desperately trying to cool the burn inside me, but the more I try and think, the more my mind shifts to the possibility that he’s here, in my house once again.
    My stomach aches for Steve. As much as he’s a pathetic cat, he’s still my family and I pray that he hasn’t hurt him. Steve is the only living thing that really loves me and I need him, as insane as it sounds. He’s my comfort blanket, my listening ear when I’m stressed. His huge grey eyes look at me as though he’s listening whenever I’m in a mood, either sobbing, or ranting about life.
    I don’t know how long I’m hidden under the stairs before my whole body tenses and my ears finally catch a noise. My throat hurts so much