The Stalker

Caleigh

"Okay... all that planning I did for two weeks must have eaten away the fat..." I sneak a look at the elephant in the room.

I draw in a sharp breath as I meet a pair of downturned eyes which were gazing at me in inscrutable silence. Favio wore a brooding look mastered by ancient philosophers several ages ago.

I couldn't help but ask, "What are you looking at?" I put on a disinterested look for good measure as his cupid's bow quivered.

"You don't look ugly at all," he sounded surprised.

I wanted to tear my hair out, what are men? He had seen me on many occasions without makeup, what kind of dumb comment was that!

"Thanks," I reply glumly, half relieved and half disappointed at the confrontation that didn't spurt up. I grimace and walk towards the entrance of the mansion as I notice my boots lying askew near the door.

"The TV works right?" I ask Alastair as I dust my hands off. I narrow my eyes at Alastair who was on the verge of making another nagging comment.

"Of course it does. Planning to get a good laugh?" I hear a grin in his voice as I bury my hands into the deep pockets of my baggy cargo pants.

"Of course I will laugh." I steal a glance at the figure of the silent man sprawled on the armchair, cradling a cow-like cat on his lap.

This was the fifth time I was seeing the same cat swollen with kittens. I shift my attention to Ally as he switches the TV on. Like this disappearing cat on his lap, the worst will be behind me soon enough.

I watch the stoic figure of Dwayne and a stone-faced Arthur Darwin flash on the news and smile humourlessly, "You brought it on yourself."

I recall the wild goose chase I had while escaping from the prison waiting for me earlier. It was difficult to shake the trail of chasers who were more worried about prestige and the money sinking in the sea than what I wanted. Whatever familial feelings I had was doused out by my dad trying to get me to marry without my consent the second time.

Oh, I had tipped off the press since my family always keeps everything hidden like a severe ailment. Normally, this wouldn't make news but men with fat bellies, widening hairlines and even wider purses make great headlines.

"Oh look there you are!" Alastair exclaims wagging his finger at the LCD screen as his expression contorts into disbelief, "Wow, why that picture?"

"I look good in black," I shrug staring at my older teenage photograph I had shared with the press, "I look like a true thug in there." And I did. I had a goth phase that lasted a year, I was chubby for a change and closely resembled Chewbacca.

"Poor guy, who let you escape." He says referring to the newbie guard. "That's one thing I regret. But me being an incubator is a laughable matter." It's too damn ancient a process considering the modern era of feminism and woman rights, however negligible it was.

"Doesn't this affect you in the slightest?" Favio asks observing me like a biology specimen.

"I get tossed about like spaghetti occasionally by the very likes of you. So yeah, it doesn't affect me." I reply smothering a yawn.

"I'll go out of town early tomorrow. Althea will be here if you need her." Alastair says as I take the remote from him and switch off the tv.

"Yeah, thanks," I mutter absently looking at the watch over the barren fireplace and letting out a mighty yawn, it was evening now; horse riding and planning your own escape takes a toll on you.

Without paying any further attention to either men I retire to the room in the basement. I loved basement rooms you know they evoked these horror film vibes, they excite me.

While I'd been in school I used to listen to them with rapt attention when someone narrated them while the other cousins would go hoo-haa in fright. Gradually I'd become the narrator since I would be the least affected by serial killers and ghosts.

That night the disturbing troubleshooter Favio haunted my dreams as a serial womaniser, gloating about his conquests while I was chained in his personal dungeon. At the crack of dawn I wake up mightily pissed and after drowning in the bath for a while I walk towards the stairs wanting to enjoy the fresh air outside and maybe a ride with Horsie even, but someone was staring at me from the top of the stairs, "We need to talk." Says the sinister male. It looked as if he had materialised out of my dream, shirtless and that tousled raven hair glinting from the faint rays of the rapidly ascending sun outside, those grey eyes giving off a metallic lustre as they seemed to observe me.

I felt like hitting my head against the wall for getting distracted. Again. I'm supposed to be super pissed at him! "How did this end up in this way?" I groan as I stare at Favio who was intentionally blocking the entrance to the surface. The tables have turned, drastically so... the devil might love it but I didn't. I couldn't forgive him for what he'd done to me, a few days back.