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Tory turned her attention to where Rex watched. She squinted. All she could make out was
the bed of her truck. He s out there, she whispered. Fear slipped across her skin in a cold rush, the
same fear she felt in her dreams, the same she felt when she found out what Jake had done. She
dropped to the floor, terrified. Crawling toward the kitchen, she stared at the little, red light blinking
on her cell phone. Every muscle in her body tensed with fear and fatigue. She reached the tiled floor,
slumped on one side and fought to keep her eyes open.
Have to ca& She reached for the charger cord and closed her eyes, the weariness too
strong.
* * * *
Tory awoke on the kitchen floor. The old mansion was silent. Rex was silent. She grasped
the cabinet knobs and pulled herself up. The sheet fell away. Standing naked, she braced herself,
clutching the counter. Her legs shook. She stared down at her cell phone. 12:01. Missed
accounting, she muttered.
30
In the Moon s Light
I think I need to see a doctor. She pulled herself along the counter to the fridge, opened it,
and lugged out a quart of orange juice. Tory sank to her knees and unscrewed the cap, thirsty.
Drinking back the tart liquid, she wondered if the dog howling had been part of another nightmare.
Breakfast on the kitchen floor consisted of bread and jam, and half the orange juice. Still shaky, she
managed to walk up the stairs to the bathroom. She sat in the tub while the shower pounded down
on her, feeling drained.
After she managed to get up the energy to get dressed, she sat on the edge of the bed and
combed out her long hair in slow strokes. Her dream kept flashing through her mind, the dog, Zale,
his lips against her mouth, against her neck. She set the comb down and touched her skin, just above
her jugular. The same lingering soreness made her flinch. Is this real?
Tory made her way down the stairs and unlocked the door that led to the porch. She hurried
to the garden gate and let Rex out. He bolted across the slats and bounded around the corner of the
house.
Following cautiously, Tory peered around the corner at her truck. Rex ran circles about the
vehicle, sniffing the earth, his tail down. He stopped on the driver s side, jumped up, his huge paws
slapping against the door, and peered inside the window.
Tory glanced at the windshield where, sure enough, roses waited for her. Shit, she
whispered. Goosebumps rose on her skin. She turned her head, expecting someone to be lurking
nearby, and her gaze settled on the old guesthouse. She patted her leg, and the dog came bounding
toward her. Come on, boy.
The sun had warmed the air. Shadows clung to the high willows that grounded the lines of
the property. The guesthouse appeared ancient, run down. She wondered how it stood at all, given
its state. Tory reached the door and turned the little brass handle. It squeaked and caught, but didn t
open. She groaned. This is ridiculous. There s no one in here. She checked her watch. Half an
hour til marketing.
She took Rex by his collar and put him back in the garden. Securing the gate, and still
uneasy, she strode to her truck, removed the roses and tossed them with the others inside. No note,
no hint at who they might be from. She sped out of the old Gravari mansion and headed on down
the road, anxious to get near civilization.
* * * *
Marketing class normally interested her, but today, she sat in the back, leaned her chin on
her arms, and during the video, she battled to keep her eyes open. The words blurred together. The
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Anastasia Rabiyah
image faded, and Tory slipped into dreams. The place she emerged in appeared to be a gray world, a
long hall with the only light filtering in through the open doors that dotted its length. Someone was
coming. She heard his footsteps echoing behind her. Tory glanced over her shoulder. His shadow
loomed where the hall turned.
Zale? she murmured, hopeful. Is that you?
The man stopped at the end of the hall, his face blurred, but his shape recognizable. Jake
was a big man, tall and muscular. She d been attracted to that, the fact that he looked dangerous. In
their relationship, he d never treated her wrong. He was distant and quiet at times, but loving. The
scar on his forehead stood out in a red line as he approached. She stared at it, a gash sliced across his
face by one of his victims. Jake raped and killed five women& five was all they could prove.
She spun on her heels and started to run, realizing her feet were bare. Tory sprinted past hall
after empty hall, wondering if this was the math building, or art. They looked the same in reality and
in her nightmares. She lost her footing as she turned to run up the stairs. Behind her, he gained, his
footfalls a dangerous, pounding beat.
You ll never get away from me!
She crawled up the steps, bumping her knees on their sharp edges. Tory scrambled and
clawed, but couldn t get up fast enough. His meaty hand clenched around her upper arm, and he
pulled her backward.
You re mine, Tory! He turned her around, and she stared up into his face. Blood spattered
his cheeks and his eyes were wide with frenzied rage. Mine! Forever!
She screamed and woke.
Everyone in the class stared at her. The lights came on, and Mr. McNeary strode across the
row. Ms. Greene, are you all right? His kind gaze swept over her as he appraised her state. You
look ill.
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