As I walked down the hallway of the police department, I sighed. My life seemed so lonely. It felt like the only one who really understood me was my husband David.

Before I met David, I talked to no one, and no one talked to me. After my sister’s death, that is.

 --- CHAPTER TWO----

BANG.

I could hear a scream echo through the house, as my eyes shot open. I leaped out of bed, causing David to groan and open his eyes.

“What’s wrong now?” David asked me, rubbing his eyes.

“Didn’t you hear that?” I asked, pulling my pants over my short legs.

“Hear what?!” He complained.

“You didn’t hear that…?” I felt a sudden urge to let tears fall down my cheeks. For the first time in years I felt alone again. I felt like I was going crazy.

“Look, maybe you dreamt it. Please come back to bed.” David had a pleading look in his hazel eyes. A stare that wasn’t easily dismissed.

“David, I need to know what that sound was.” I paused to think, “It sounded like a gun shot.”

“Chris, I would have heard a gun shot. Now get back in bed. You’re going crazy.”

I refused to believe that I was going crazy. In a way, I began to emotionally shut him out. He wasn’t helping me. At this point, the only one who could help me was myself. I needed to know what it was.

“I’ll be back.” I told him. Before he had the chance to protest I left the room. My feet pattered down our wooden steps.

When I got downstairs, I saw nothing. Nothing was different. I saw no one. David was right. I had probably dreamt it.

Everything was confusing me. I sighed, and walked back upstairs.

“What’s wrong?” David asked.

“Nothing. I just dreamt it..” I sighed, and slumped over onto our bed.

“I told you. Now you get some rest.” He said, and snuggled up next to me.

“Love you babe.” He whispered.

“I love you too.” I told him, and lay awake for hours afterwards.

---- CHAPTER THREE ---

The next morning was hell. David was late for work, and I slept in.

The next thing I knew, I was on the phone with my boss, and I ended up using one of my

Paid vacation days. One of the ones I’d been saving up for a few years, getting ready to go on a one-week trip to the Caribbean. Now my vacation with David was a day shorter.

I tried explaining the reason I had stayed up, but he just said, “I don’t want to hear it Chris.” And hung up on me.

I sighed, and swung my legs over the side of our queen-sized waterbed.

I looked around my room. It was clean, for the most part. A few articles of my clothing lay askew on the wooden flooring, but that was about it.

My bedroom was a feng shui styled paradise, with bamboo in every corner and the incense burning in a marble 4-foot elephant was releasing the smell of musk.

I slowly inhaled the smell and began to rest my head back. Apparently I went to fast and at the wrong angle, because my head soon collided with our headboard.

“U-G-H spells…” I took in a deep breath, “UGH!!!!!!” I shouted as loud as I could. I sat up and buried my head in my hands. My eyes began to slowly water.

‘I can’t cry.. I can’t..no..’ I thought.

 The next thing I knew my phone was ringing.

I picked up.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Chris, you aight?” I heard Joe, my neighbor ask.

“Yeah, why?” I said, wiping a tear from my cheek that had slipped out while I wasn’t paying attention enough to hold it in.

“I heard you scream and..”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just having a rough day..” I cut him off and sighed.

“Aw man, wanna go out for coffee and tell me about it? I mean some times it helps to talk about it.”

“I guess.. Sure, why not.” I smiled, and sniffled.

“Ah, I heard that. You’re crying. I’ll be there in a few to pick you up.”

“Thanks.” I sighed, and we hung up.

Just a few moments later, Joe pulled into my driveway. Barely giving me enough time to brush my hair, and get dressed.

“Hey,” I said, as I opened the front door.

To my utter surprise, Joe stood there with flowers in one of his hands and a tin of cookies in the other.

“I thought you could use a cheering up.” He smiled and handed the flowers to me.

“Wow..” I smiled.

I took the flowers inside and put them into a vase.

Joe set the cookies on my counter.

“So, shall we?” He asked, and smiled at me.