Page 3 of Locke 2

“Hide,” I whispered.

???

Right before I got up every morning, I thought of him in bed the second I woke up.

He was still living inside my head rent free, existing, keeping the past alive. I tried to mourn him, but the feeling of letting go never came.

How was it that I craved darkness even while I tried to live and embrace my bright new life? How was it that I could bepassionate and content one second, and then at pieces the next, desiring the chaos and danger only he could give me?

I had seen a glimpse of what existed beyond the layer of normalcy everyone happily lived in. I’d gotten close to a monster who hunted and killed others blacker than him.

And he had wanted me.

He had desperately sought me out.

And, foolish me, still believed he still was.

I held on, and I didn’t know why, because he’d stopped chasing me a long time ago.

???

I heard about it almost straight away.

It made national news. The headlines burned into my brain. Nothing could have prepared me for it. The day was like any other.

I’d woken up early in the morning to take Dahlia out. She’d been sleeping in more lately, and that wasn’t a good sign. Getting her chihuahua ass out of bed only worked when I pulled out the “pupperoni” treats, and suddenly she was springing out, the steroids working hard in her system as she raced around, white tail wagging.

“Bet you’re dangling that treat over her, huh?” Hal called out.

I grinned. “You bet.”

We rented a small cottage style home in a small town. Half the appliances were broken, and the kitchen was ancient. All things we overlooked because the rent was cheaper than most in Georgewel due to the…state of repair.

It was a pretty town with views of mountains and endless bush. There was a constant flock of tourists and working people and now, only recently, families had discovered this little gem and were flocking to it in droves. I thanked that latter fact for landing my favourite job as of yet.

I took Dahlia out to the front yard, giggling as she went straight to business. I cleaned up the mess as she raced around me, licking her lips.

Hal opened the screen door, and it almost fell off its hinges. He made a face at it, and I laughed. He looked back at me. “When did this fall apart?”

“A while,” I said.

Hal’s green eyes widened like a bug-eyed cartoon. “What the scooby doo, Kari?”

“You want to tell Harry about it?” I asked. Harry was the perfect landlord because he never gave a shit about anything. Honestly, even with the state of things, he could have rented this place out for way more, but we enjoyed our landlord’s ignorance.

“Fuck no.” He scoffed, mirroring my sentiments. He looked down at Dahlia. “She’s got a spring in her step today.”

I crouched down and offered her my hand. She shook it, and then gobbled up the stick of pupperoni. “You know what that means?”

“What?” he returned, curiously.

I grinned up at him. “It means it’s going to be a good day.”

Even though her diagnosis was relatively new, Dahlia’s days were numbered. Some days she was over excited like now, other days she was flat and tired. I hated the cancer coursing through her system, but she never let it stop her. I gave her pats and kisses, promising her a hike when I got back from work. She leapt into my arms, and I carried her into the cottage, passing Hal who towered over me.

“How long are you working today?”

“It’s going to be their first full day,” I replied, setting Dahlia into her bed.

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