Written by Mercedes Keyes
Interracial drama series
[Overall Drama Rated – R]
Episode Six ““ Rated PG
To read further ““ http://amberswann.com/
Sylvia Payne
Chapter 19
With lightness in her heart, Sylvia sat at her computer and for once in the last few weeks, she knew where she was going with her writing and her pitch to various agents. Smiling, she finished off the last of her query letter, selected print, and started that going as she reached for her tablet with her historical jottings. Laid before her were two of Mercy James’ novels. She’d read them many years ago, and admired her writing style. Mercy James was a historical writer, whereas her chosen genre was contemporary, however, an idea had come to mind. Shawn now knew this woman personally, and he’d shared with her the fact that she and her husband were starting a publishing house of their own. Maybe, just maybe, if she were to focus on a historical of her own”¦
She had started one years ago, writing the outline, but never worked on it to completion. This just might be her ticket”¦now was the time see. Excited and optimistic about the story, and because she hadn’t read the outline or thought about it for so long, she forgot how really good this novel could be. As for the queries that she’d written, she would take them to the post office later. For now, she needed to see if she could get into the creation of this potential historical fiction romance. Surrounded by all of her needed essentials, she did some scribbling and sat back a moment to really think about how she would open up the first scene. With a growing smile after writing out a few possibilities, the setting finally began to unfold in her mind.
For hours she sat, with her adrenaline pumping, elated because it was coming together just as she imagined. She poured into the tale, stopping only for coffee, the bathroom, or a quick nibble of food to sustain her. The words seemed to flow endlessly. She giggled out here and there as she began to see the main male character starting to take on the characteristics of Shawn McPherson. What finally brought it to a halt, after going full flow for most of the morning, was the need for some historical accuracies. Having scoured the internet for various tidbits, she decided that it was time to take a little drive to the Tomah library. Though she appreciated the convenience of the internet, there was still some information that you just needed the old-fashioned hard copy for. Thus, her next three days were spent in intense writing and searching through the old books she’d borrowed, checking and confirming her time periods, wardrobe, events, and terminology of that era. Part of her dreaded picking the particular time period, having no idea how difficult it would be to create a setting so far back in history.
As for her nights”¦if not dreaming of Shawn, they were spent talking to him on the phone when he called””usually around bedtime, knowing that she was in bed, as was he. Nights filled with sultry, intoxicating whisperings between two anticipating lovers. He never failed to take the conversation to what he planned to do with her in bed. Shocking her, stimulating her senses and making her fully aware that she was starved for the touch of a man””mainly, his. Even going so far as to try to engage her in a little phone sex. He consistently received a very firm,
“No, Shawn! That’s kinky!” from a laughing Sylvia.
“No, it’s not. What’s kinky about it? That’s real safe sex, baby.” Tossing herself on her side, a fat wide grin on her face as she gathered the covers close and the phone stuck to her ear, she replied, “Oh, really”¦and here I always thought safe sex took place in a bank.” She joked and heard him burst with laughter, coming back with, “Yeah, but first, I’ll have to make a deposit”¦and then”¦a withdrawal.”
“Shawn!” Sylvia gasped out.
“Hey, you started it,” he defended low and husky.
“I did not, how did I start it?”
“Turning me on”¦that’s how. And now there’s no turning me off,” he furthered.
Scratching her head, fluffing her hair, she exclaimed, “Yeah, right”¦and I can just hear your argument when you return: “come on, Sylvia”¦we’ve already had phone sex’! Not! No way”¦I ain’t havin’ it.” The sound of his deep chuckle sent tingles down her spine as he replied,
“Come on, Sylvia”¦you know you want to feel my tongue coming through your ear piece and into your ear.” She suddenly pulled it away to look at it, and then threw herself back laughing. Grimacing, she cried, “Yuck! What a picture that presents! Your tongue comes through this ear piece, and I’m outta here!”
“Ah, come on, surely you’re not afraid of a little tongue?”
“Shawn!” her voice squealed in a slightly excited pitch.
“I canth thalk, Thylvie, I got my thongue thtuck!” he came back.
Sylvia threw her head back with such a guffaw, it brought tears to her eyes as he pretended to be stuck, calling her name, “Thylvie”¦Thylvie”¦he’ m’.”
Gasping for a breath, wiping away her tears, she blurted, “You’re so silly! That will teach you to attempt phone sex!”
“Ah, what can I say, a woman with no sense of adventure. Afraid of a little tongue.”
“It can’t be that little.”
“Well, it depends”¦are we still talking about my tongue?”
“No, I think we’re now talking about your ego.”
“Well, Sylvia, wherever I go, he go.”
“Who is he?”
“Otis! You remember Otis, don’t you?”
“Oh, Shawn, we’re not going back to talking about your shortcomings, are we?”
“Lady, my comings ain’t never been short; and if I were to get a hold of you, neither would yours,” he said it so confidently, so low and so sexy, she felt herself pooling with heat, swelling with a throb that made her clench her thighs.
“Ooooh”¦” the groan slipped, unable to stop it.
“Uh-oh”¦was that a little groan I heard? Emmm, I bet it was. Let me help you with that, Sylvia?” he asked huskily.
“I think you’ve helped me enough”¦goodbye, Shawn!” After hanging up, she lay there a few moments to give her body time to cool back down. Another moment went by, only to find her flipping the covers away, leaping out of bed, stripping down and heading for a nice cool shower.
Thus, her days “¦ her nights.
Sylvia gave a stretch, her lower back and butt needed a rest from sitting in front of the monitor. She looked across the street, through the light flurries. She hadn’t been back to the house since the day she did all of the unpacking; he would be home in a few days. She saved her work, closed out of her program then slid her chair back from the desk and stood, stretching once more, giving a satisfying “She-Tarzanna” screech with it, laughing at her own lighthearted antics behind the unlady-like noise. In the kitchen, she slipped her thick-socked feet into her boots, grabbed her jacket from the hook, took his keys from the key plaque and headed out the door slipping her arms into the light jacket.
Wiggling the key to pull it out of the door, Sylvia stepped within closing the door behind her, reaching, she flicked on the lights. She turned to a somewhat stale smell in the air. With a sigh, she walked through toward the kitchen. As soon as she flicked on the light, a small dark object shot across the counter at the speed of light.
“Oh, nice”¦mice! And on the counter at that! Nasty little buggers. I wonder if know that you have mice Mr. McPherson,” she said out loud, approaching the counter to get confirmation of what she saw. “Droppings”¦delightful, little nasty droppings”¦you must be one of the nastiest creatures on the earth”¦to eat and crap all in the same spot”¦ugh!” And so she began banging through his cabinets looking for disinfectant cleaners, finding only a half spray bottle of Fantastic, some dishwashing liquid and an almost empty bottle of some Amway cleanser. “Amway? You gotta be kidding me! His mama must sell the stuff.” She grinned. Turning, she closed the cabinets, knowing that she would have to go to the store and get him some decent cleansers to freshen up the house and disinfect behind his squatters, making a mental note to grab some traps as well.
Chapter 20
With the small basket filled and her arms as well, she made her way to the counter. It was already dark out and Maggie was about to close. She liked this time to shop; it usually gave them time to chitchat a little as Maggie rang up her purchases after she locked the door. Her peripheral vision absently caught a lone figure standing by the pop machine not far from the end of the counter. She was talking to Maggie about something as Sylvia sat down the items in her arms. Maggie gave the woman a brief reply then turned to Sylvia with a smile.
“How you doin’ tonight?”
Sylvia smiled. “About to do some serious cleaning and setting a few traps.”
“Oh, yeah, this time a year, they come in from all around to get in out of the cold,” Maggie commented, starting to ring up her items.
“Don’t do no good to set traps for “em”¦there’s always more to come. I just leave “em be. They leave me alone, I leave them alone,” said the woman leaning at the soda machine. Sylvia gave Maggie a you gotta be kidding look. Maggie rolled her eyes stating, “I guess there are some folk that can just about live with anything or anyone.” This subtle insult went right over the woman’s head as she agreed saying, “That’s me. I just about can live with anything”¦or anybody”¦of course, there’s some bodies better than others to live with.” She laughed out.
Sylvia and Maggie declined to encourage any more on that subject, but the woman needed no encouragement as her next words caught Sylvia by surprise. “Hey, I bet you know the truth of that””don’tcha?”
Sylvia looked up stunned, because she knew that the “hey” was directed at her. First offense, which left her with no other way to reply other than, “Excuse me?” This coming out with a tilt of her head, only missing her hand on hip.
“You heard me. I guess now you gonna pretend it ain’t so?”
“What isn’t so?” Now the hand went to her hip, as the opposite one dropped for a stance prepping for battle. Both stood suddenly sizing the other up, instant dislike was like a clanging bell in the dead of the night. Sherry, the woman by the soda machine, stood a bit shorter than Sylvia and could be considered very pretty with a beautiful figure, if her manner, dress and overall skuzziness didn’t paint her otherwise. Wearing a well-worn black leather jacket that had seen better days, her blonde hair needed washing and combing, especially in the back. Her clothes looked like she’d worn them two or three days, tossed them, couldn’t find anything to wear a week later and found those again to wear. Her eyes were an absolutely beautiful blue, long lashes and all, with full lips beneath a small cute nose. But her decorum and etiquette was what a dictionary would definitely define as the product of white trash. It didn’t help her much that she was a chain smoker. She pulled her cigarettes out of her rear pocket to tap upside down on her hand, then turning them up to peel away the string and plastic cellophane that sealed them closed.
“No smoking in here, Sherry,” Maggie warned tactfully.
“I know, I know”¦I’ll just crack the door open so it all goes out,” she informed Maggie.
“Along with my heat. I guess you gonna have to wait until you leave, which won’t be long since I’m about to close.”
“I know what time you close, Maggie. Man, what’s gotten into you all o’sudden?”
Sylvia shook her off, turning to pay for the groceries Maggie bagged, dismissing Sherry, who wasn’t ready yet to be dismissed.
“Hey”¦so is it true?” she offended the second time.
“Excuse me, but I have a name and hey is not it,” Sylvia returned, looking back at Sherry, her eyes narrowed with warning.
“Don’t know it, so can’t use it, now can I? So, hey is gonna have to do. But””oh wait”¦lemme think”¦Sylvia, right? Oh”¦now I remember, I do recall now havin’ heard it somewhere. Imagine that”¦both o’us name start with a ‘S’. Seems we got somethin’ in common. That and the fact that Shawn must be wantin’ us both, his name got that same o’S’, “magine that? He is livin’ with you now, ain’t he? That’s what I hear.”
Heat so intense washed over Sylvia that she felt burned. She had called him Shawn! Not Everett, but the name that only family used, or so he’d lead her to believe. Feeling intense betrayal and shame build, Sylvia fought it with little success as the fact that she’d let him kiss her, only to find that he must have done the same with this girl/woman. As if she stood on a hot plate suddenly turned on, anger was burning so, she felt herself shake with it. Absolute humiliation froze a shell over her that had taken Shawn months to melt and break through. It took her a moment to respond, when she did, her dislike was plain to see.
“I don’t know what you’ve heard, but Shawn has not, does not”¦nor will ever be found to live with me. As for him wanting us both, that sounds like a problem for you and him to work out! I’ll thank you to leave me out of your concocted trios.”
“Hey”¦fine by me! Never done a trio with no nigger no way, don’t plan on”””
“Sherry! Not in my store!” Maggie yelled, rigidly angry, slamming the palm of her hand on the counter. “I will not have that crap here! And you will not bring it here! Seeing as how all you bought was the cigarettes and the soda, you can now leave!“
An icy heat stole over Sylvia. Such a small word. Yet it held the power to paralyze her into shock as if she’d been punched in the stomach. She felt the stinging of prickly pins all over her body and face, laced with humiliation.
“Sorry, sorry”¦” Sherry conceded with her palms raised in a gesture of surrender. “Don’t mean to offend”¦how’s a body suppose to know what to call’em? Seein’ as how they’re always changing what they are? First they coloreds, then they black and proud, then they negroes, and now they Africans from America. I’m just stickin’ with what I know they called,” she explained with sly cleverness, holding the door open about to exit.
“Goodbye, Sherry,” Maggie repeated firmly. Sherry did a mocking bow before both women and departed.
“That little bitch! I am so sorry, Sylvia”¦so sorry. Please believe me, I had no idea she was going to do that.”
“Forget it, Maggie. You’re not responsible for what other people say and do,” Sylvia answered stiffly. She knew that Maggie was not party to that, but she was white. At that moment”¦she felt defensive. A wall suddenly shot up from the floor to surround her. For the first time since she moved to this small town, she felt like a minority”¦like she didn’t belong. How could such a small word wreck her peace? But it had”¦in just a matter of a few seconds. She couldn’t help but wonder if the word had shocked her because she’d forgotten she was black. She’d forgotten that she was different from the majority of the people in this town. She’d allowed herself to slip into a false sense of security and now it was shattered”¦in a matter of seconds. Maggie could feel and see the immediate damage of what the word just did”¦she herself felt humiliated and hurt because she really liked Sylvia. Her face was red with embarrassment at what just happened in her store. She felt equally victimized”¦because what happened went against everything she felt and believed.
“God, I feel awful! This is why in the larger cities, they don’t allow loitering. I try to make my store welcome to anyone around town to linger about because it is a small town. But no more. No more. God, I’m so sorry”¦that little tramp, she’s not worth the dirt you kick off your shoes.”
“Forget it, Maggie. You need to close up and I need to get home. Got things to do.” She faked a smile, despite her racing mind. Trying to dull a pain in her chest so sharp, she struggled to numb it, ignore it. It wasn’t working. She felt moisture gathering in her throat, bubbling up in her mouth, which she swallowed back as she grabbed the plastic bags by the loop handles off the store counter and headed for the door as Maggie followed her there. Stopping for her to open it, Maggie put her hand on her shoulder.
“Honey, I don’t know what’s going on with that one, but I don’t for a minute hold value on a thing she says. Don’t you. She ain’t nothin’ but trash, always been, always will be.”
“Yeah, maybe, but as they say, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” she returned, unable to mask the pain washing over her. Surely Maggie knew, as most of the people in this town, that Shawn was pursuing her. Nothing around this place could be kept a secret for any time period more than a week. Right away, Sylvia’s pride kicked in to stiffen her spine and square her shoulders.
“Oh, well, good luck to them. Long as they leave me out of it, what do I care?” she lied.
Maggie shook her head. “Listen here, girl. I don’t know that man all that well, but I sure don’t for a moment think he would give a flying hoot about the likes of her, when someone like you is right next to him.”
“We’re just neighbors, Maggie”¦just Neighbors. Gotta go now! You have a nice night,” Sylvia replied, not wanting to hear anything more for Shawn’s side. She was done with him. Stepping down the steps from the store, she walked to the corner and around it to go to her car, and was brought up short by three figures standing there against the building next to where her car was parked. Smoke was hovering around them, since all three had cigarettes lit.
“Hey”¦I thought you’d never finish in that store. Now since you out here, we can finish our discussion uninterrupted. So”¦where he been? I ain’t seen him around lately,” Sherry asked as Sylvia took in the two men with Sherry. Immediate fear shot and ricocheted through her to see Sherry and two white males there, following on the tail of boldly being called a nigger by her. Here she was, a lone black woman out at night.
One of the men looked to be in his late twenties, short dark hair, wide, round face. Looking as though he ought to be overweight, but he wasn’t. He reminded one of a grown-up version of Charlie Brown, wearing faded, dirty denim jeans, jacket, and shirt. It was a very cool night, yet he acted unaffected by the cold. The other was tall and whipcord lean; long, blonde hair pulled into a ponytail away from a thin face and thin mustache. He wore light-colored faded denim as well, and a Harley Davidson leather jacket. His eyes, cold ice blue, stared at her. Sylvia felt a frosty frisson shoot straight up her spine. She couldn’t help staring back at him, and realizing that she was, she suddenly tore her eyes away as adrenaline””chased by fear””coursed through her body.
“Yooohooo, helloooo, I think I ask you a question? Hey! Oh, you don’t like that, do you? You wanna be called by your name”¦Sylvia, don’cha?”
“Don’t see why not, that’s such a pretty name, Sylvia. Can I call you Sylvia?” the blonde asked, shifting his shoulder against the building.
Sylvia gave them all one last look then proceeded on to her car. As she walked around to the driver’s side, she announced, “I’m not Mr. Styles’ keeper. I suppose he’s around, since he wants you”¦ one would think you’d already know where he is. Good evening,” she finished, opening her car door, feigning a bravery she didn’t really feel. The blonde man suddenly came away from the building to walk to the front of her car. Sylvia’s heart leapt into her throat.
Just then, the Camp Daniels police squad car turned the corner. The blonde altered his direction; instead of stopping in front of Sylvia’s car, he kept walking as if that had been his intent. The squad car stopped beside Sylvia. The window rolled down just as Sherry and the other man started following the blonde. “Ms. Payne? Everything okay here?” the officer asked, staring at the departing trio.
With the lump lodged in her throat, Sylvia could barely swallow it to speak. She started nodding yes then finally answered, voice trembling, her eyes on the three. “Yes, I’m fine. Just stopped to pick up a few things from the store, that’s all,” she informed him.
“Well, let’s get going. I’ll follow you home,” he announced.
She felt tears well up in her eyes. Nodding vigorously, she got right into her car, slammed the door and started it right up.
Now in her doorway, she waved at the officer with a smile for escorting her home. Inside, she closed the door and locked it. Setting her bags down, she hung up her coat then picked up the bags to empty the contents; a bunch of cleansers she didn’t need and mousetraps.
Leaving them on the counter, she walked to her bedroom trying to ignore her nervous, jumpy stomach. The butterflies were fluttering madly, and her mind was awash with images of a man that was no better than what she first estimated him to be. Now this”¦she wasn’t sure how to deal with possible racial harassment, if that is what was about to start. She was a woman alone”¦she couldn’t afford this. All because of Shawn Everett McPherson coming into her life. Regardless of what Maggie said, Sherry knew his real name.
Shawn. She knew it. How would she know his name like that if he hadn’t told her what it was? For the next couple of hours, her mind waged war with the things he’d said and done to her, against what took place today. Though she refused to give in to them, a lone tear slid down her cheek every so often, as she fought back the rest when one would slip through against her will. Here it was starting already.
Drama.
The very thing in her life she was trying to avoid. It was one thing to write about it, but another thing entirely to be caught up in the center of it yourself. Again and again she beat herself up over the matter, wondering, had she learned anything at all in her late thirty-something years of life? She stood in her front picture window, looking across the road at his house. The lights were on because she’d left them on when she took off for the store. She stood watching as if she could conjure an image of him walking across his window. Of course it never happened, but she wished he were there. Just as she was glad that he was not. It was now 10:30pm, she turned from the window, the phone rang. Her heart started pounding. She knew who it was and slowly approached the phone to read the caller ID. It said California Call. That was all”¦it was indeed him. She stood as it rang the fourth time, then her answering machine picked it up.
“Hmmm? It’s 8:30 here, and 10:30 there”¦and just where are you, beautiful lady? In the shower? Emmm, I like that idea. Must be. I’ll call again in a half an hour or”¦you can call me”¦yeah right, not. I’ll call you back”¦”
Beep.
Another lone tear slid down. “Don’t bother. Please, just don’t bother.” She reached down, cleared the message so the machine would stop beeping. Turning, she walked away into her bedroom where she closed the door. Truly taking a shower, washing herself from the head down. Her hair didn’t need washing, but doing so took time wetting down the thick mass. Lathering it up, giving her scalp a thorough scrubbing and rinsing. Lathering it up again, rinsing then squeezing it out and now, adding the conditioner. Getting it all through her hair, then”¦to shower her body, shave her underarms and legs”¦well”¦it was definitely going to take longer than half an hour.
An hour and a half later, she was ready for bed. She could hear the beeping of her answering machine from her bedroom. With her bathrobe wrapped around her and her hair blown dry and straight on her shoulders, she walked into the living room and sat by the phone and answering machine. Two more messages. She sat staring at the number two for maybe five minutes before she slowly reached over and pressed play.
“It’s me again”¦Sylvia? Where are you? What’s going on?” He audibly sighed. “I can’t see why you’d be out this late. Well, hmmm”¦I’ll call again in an hour. I hope everything’s alright”¦”
Beep.
Last message:
“Sylvia? God, I hope you’re alright. Ummm, I guess”¦well, I don’t know why you’re not answering. You didn’t mention going anywhere tonight when I said I’d call. I don’t know”¦maybe you did. I guess I’ll call you tomorrow then. I’ll be flying home Sunday, just to let you know. But I guess I’ll talk to you tomorrow”¦goodnight.”
Beep.
Saturday Night:
“What the hell is going on?! Sylvia”¦if you’re there, pick up! Sylvia? Sylvia? This is starting to scare me”¦pick up this phone, Sylvia Payne!”
Beep.
An hour later:
“What the hell is going on? Sylvia, damn you! This is bullshit! I know you’re there! Answer this phone! What did I do now? What the hell did I do? Geez! God’a’mighty, you’re going to drive me crazy!”
Beep.
Twenty-five minutes later:
“Will you at least tell me if you’re picking me up from the airport? Can you at least tell me that? Oooooh, there had better be a damn good reason for this, lady! This is it! You and I are going to have it out, once and for all! You can’t keep pulling this””I’m not gonna stand for it!”
Beep.
Chapter 21
Sylvia sat by the phone with her face in the palms of her hands. This had all suddenly gotten out of control. Just too far out of control. She had known better all along. She should have just kept to herself and left him alone. Now all of a sudden, she had more attention than she could handle. In the middle of the night, Friday night after the store incident”¦she could have sworn she heard someone tampering with her door. She had lain in bed for an hour with her heart pounding, her adrenaline racing from a fiery fear that made her feel hot and feverish as she lay listening”¦but the sound had been so slight, so unclearly discernible, that she hadn’t been sure. Then Saturday morning when she’d gotten up to go check her mail, there had been footprints in the snow on her porch off the kitchen door that she knew were not hers. She’d carefully gone out to check her mail, then rushed right back into her house, heart pounding”¦it hadn’t quite beat the same in the last few days. Just to be on the safe side, she’d called the Camp Daniels police department and reported what she found. They agreed to keep an eye out, but of course, there was nothing they could do as long as no crime had been committed, as she’d known all along. She was scared. Alone. Both angry with Shawn and wishing with all of her heart that he was home across the street from her. Though she had no intention of ever speaking to him again, she trusted him as her neighbor. If, for some reason, she needed help, she knew he would be right there for her.
Having that thought cross her mind, she wondered why didn’t she trust him enough to hear his side of the story. “Because I don’t want to,” she spoke this out loud to herself. “I just don’t want to. I don’t need this”¦and this is my wake up call, what’s happening to me now. I should have known better,” she said finally. She’d been so scared, she’d spent the day in La Crosse with her kids. She kept stalling about coming home, so that when it got dark and she really needed to, she chickened out and spent the night at her daughter’s. Now here it was Sunday afternoon. She’d finally come home, only because she knew that Shawn would be home across the street pretty soon.
Having listened to his messages, she sighed and got up from the chair, going into her kitchen. She’d left a little mess from yesterday and was cleaning that up, and while throwing something away, she realized that her garbage was full. Grabbing the bag sides and pulling it up in the can, she shook it to shift the garbage down and tied it up. Heading for the kitchen door, she quickly stepped outside, down the steps and started heading around back to where the garbage bins sat, and noticed footprints in the snow coming from the far side of her garage. Stunned, she stood a moment in the cool air, just looking at them in surprised disbelief. Slowly she walked further to the back, heading for the bins, following with her eyes the progress of the footprints that also went into her backyard. Stopping at the garbage bins, she raised the lid and dropped her bag inside. Lowering it, she stood a moment more, staring down at the prints as fear started to rear its head again. Treading lightly, she began to follow where they were leading her. With a slamming heart, she stood in panic as they stopped beneath her bedroom window, on the ground were two cigarette butts. Turning quickly away, fighting back more panic and gathering tears, Sylvia ran into her house straight for the phone. Snatching it off of the receiver, she dialed the Camp Daniels Police again.
Two officers stood in her backyard staring down at the footprints, one commenting, “Yep, definitely are footprints.”
Sylvia gave him an incredulous look as if to say well, duh”¦thank you for that confirmed observation! “I’m glad you’ve noticed”¦and can you also note that there are two cigarette butts laying right there? I don’t smoke. But you might also conclude that whoever it was, stayed long enough to finish off two cigarettes,” she assisted with that realization.
“Yes, so it seems,” the other one stated. Looking up from the prints, he looked at her.
“Come on, let’s go in the house, unless there’s something else out here you want us to see?” he asked. Sylvia shook her head and turned away, leading them back to her kitchen door. Once inside, they wrote out a brief report, standing by her kitchen table. Once that was done, the second officer looked her straight in the eyes and said, with much regret, “Ms. Payne, Sylvia”¦I can understand your fear, and it’s with good reason. Unfortunately, under the circumstances, there’s very little that we can do about it right now. I mean, even if it was one of them from the store the other night, we can’t do anything without proof. If you want, you can file something against the woman for publicly slandering you. As for the rest, our hands are tied to do anything until a crime has been committed. You do know that, don’t you?”
She did know that”¦the reason she wanted to report what took place in Maggie’s store. She had known when she dialed the number, that all it would be was a written report. Still the same, she wanted them to know and see this now before the wind or snow covered the evidence of an unwelcome presence. As she stood accepting this, the second officer, who was also the one that followed her home two nights ago, couldn’t help but think of the group by the store, especially the blond man. He was a stranger around town. He wasn’t a local that he could easily identify because he knew just about all of Camp Daniels citizens by face. He wasn’t one of them. New in town or not, there were laws against harassing someone simply because they were new. He just couldn’t do it. He looked at the woman before him nervously chewing on her bottom lip and felt a deep compassion for her fear.
“Sylvia”¦we have to go. Before we do, make sure you keep your phone at your side at all times. I don’t want to scare you, considering what’s going on, I know you already are. Just keep your phone in quick reach. Program into it right now, with us standing here, 911 into the nine. That way, all you have to do is hit it to alert us of an emergency here. We won’t waste a moment getting here. That’s all we can do now.” Sighing, she nodded thankfully; did as she was told with them there, and then escorted them to the door.
* * * * *
The pilot made the announcement that they’d be arriving in Madison in about another thirty minutes, running through his usual flight blurb when coming to its end. Shawn sat deep in thought, not paying it much attention, and of course, of late, his mind was on one thing and one thing only”¦Sylvia. He hadn’t received a phone call back after his several attempts to reach her. Common sense told him she wouldn’t be there at the airport to meet him because she wouldn’t know his arriving flight, so he’d have to rent a car.
He just hoped everything was alright. It had been the last time they talked on the phone. Everything had been light-hearted and happy between them. He couldn’t imagine what in the world had happened to make her disregard his phone calls. Especially when he knew that she enjoyed talking to him, just as he did her. Having come to the realization in his mind after leaving Deidre, that he indeed was in love with Sylvia, he saw no reason to hold back from pursuing her. Oh, but just because he knew that he was in love with her, he wasn’t so foolish as to tell her that. He wasn’t about to hand his heart over to someone who might possible tramp all over it. Before he disclosed that feeling, he would have to be sure that she felt the very same thing for him.
Although he felt she did, one could never tell when dealing with a woman like her. Chuckling to himself; he could see, that for the first time in his life”¦he actually had to work hard and plan a strategy to get a woman. When all of his life, or at least most of it, he’d been stuck with trying to figure out how to let someone down gently, without too much undo hurt. And here he was now, jumping through hoops to get this saucy wench. If truth were to be told, he wouldn’t have her any other way. Even so, at times like now”¦when she was being difficult, for God only knew why”¦it drove him crazy. One thing was certain, she had better have a good reason for this one. Even though he was jumping through hoops to get her, he decided it was time to put his foot down with this one, to show her he was no wet-behind-the-ears punk to be walked all over by a self-assured latent dominatrix…getting even with him for the past affront to her ancestors. This thought instantly conjured up an image of Sylvia in thigh-high black patent leather boots, complete with whip in hand”¦and him, face down, handcuffed to the bed, naked as the day he was born. The mental picture made him chuckle with a shake of his head, rubbing his wrist from the imagined handcuffing, making him shiver.
“Not me, you’re not! I ain’t no whippin’ boy,” he said low.
True to his thought, upon landing and exiting the gate, no Sylvia. So be it. He took off for the shuttle bus after collecting his luggage and rented a car for the drive home. Every little bit of the way, his emotions went from building anger, to anticipation of seeing her again”¦and a good fight. Yes, that was part of the attraction to her. Unlike other women who tried to avoid fighting with him for fear he would break it off, she could give a flying hoot. She would give as good as she got, and nothing built a stronger animal lust in him than a fiery woman”¦and Sylvia Payne was just that.
* * * * *
She was too nervous, for too many reasons to sit and write. Shawn was on his way home, and this thing with someone at her window”¦
She pushed her chair back from the desk, standing from it she left, going into her kitchen. Maybe she should eat a little something. She stood looking into her refrigerator for five minutes and decided that wasn’t it. She hadn’t showered since yesterday morning, and decided to go shower and freshen up. First, she checked and locked her doors. Leaving the kitchen, she happened to glance down and noticed scuff marks on her white vinyl-tiled floor. Dropping into a squat before them, she traced one with the tips of her fingers in thought, concluding it must be from the police officers. Making a face, she scratched at it with her nail, thinking, I gotta scrub that up soon as I get out”¦thank you very much. Saying out loud, “Darn flatfoots.” She stood and proceeded on to her bedroom, shedding her clothing en route, suddenly stopping in the middle holding her blouse to her chest, thinking about the window. She quickly walked over to it, closing the blinds and the curtains, making sure it too was solidly locked.
Leering lecherously through her cracked open basement door, cold ice blue eyes followed her, observing her progress through the house to her bedroom. Patiently, like a spider perched in the shadow at the edge of its web awaiting the perfect moment to pounce on its prey, he stealthily crept out of his hiding place as she moved on into the bathroom for her shower.
Turning as the spray made tiny pitter pats and rivulets, massaging her body, Sylvia reached for the soap and began lathering down. Across the top of her arms, underneath, down each side, and across her belly. Turning again, she propped a leg up on the side of the tub, reaching down to lather it. From the corner of her eye she caught a fleeting shadow through her shower glass door, freezing her movements as she slowly rose, staring through the misty glass to her bathroom door. Moments later, she exhaled, only then realizing she’d been holding her breath.
“Sylvia, don’t start trippin’! Great, now I’m seeing things.” She shook her head and continued on with her shower, oblivious of her silent observer who stood hidden behind her bathroom door, peering with lustful anticipation through the opening between the hung side and the door facing, eagerly stroking his stirring arousal. Suddenly he heard her turning off the shower. Salivating like a starving wolf presented with an easy kill, he watched her slide back the shower glass door with narrowed weasel-like ice blue eyes, and gulped at the first sight of one long, brown shapely wet leg. With baited breath, he licked his lips in expectation then watched her step from the shower in all of her brown, naked, shimmering glory, tearing his eyes from her voluptuous breasts, down over her flat belly to the thick, black thatch triangle covering where he longed to go.
Patting herself dry, Sylvia began the ritual of spreading lotion on her body. Propping a foot on the toilet seat, she began there. Completely massaging the lotion into the skin of her foot, ankle, calf, up over her knee and behind, further up still working it into the circumference of her thigh. Grabbing the bottle to squeeze out more, she massaged it onto the cheeks of her butt, and then treating the next leg with the same. The spectacle aroused her stalker even more. To his perverse delight, she began smearing her belly and breast with the lotion with such exquisite slowness, he knew she enjoyed what she was doing as much as he enjoyed watching her. Covering her body and arms with the same thoroughness he planned to take once he moved in to invade her.
Finishing up as always, Sylvia put her deodorant on under her arms, and then, grabbing her feminine deodorant spray, spread her legs and applied it to her most intimate area.
Turning, she sat at the vanity, reaching for the bottom drawer, sliding it open to see something that was like a slam to her chest. Her delicate articles, her lingerie, had been rifled through. She had a habit of always keeping her drawers neatly arranged, folded and sorted to almost perfection. What she saw now, was absolute evidence that someone had been in her house. Gasping in panic, she quickly moved aside the top panties to reach for the folded ones beneath, letting out a sudden shrill scream with the sound of someone knocking at her door.
Quickly grabbing her underwear, she thrust her legs within, snatching out a bra, she hurriedly put it on. Running into her bedroom to the dresser, she yanked out a drawer to remove a T-shirt, pulling it over her head. Then down to a lower drawer for a pair of sweats, when the knocking sounded again, this time louder, accompanied by, “Sylvia! I know you’re home”¦now open this door!”
With silent speed, she ran to the door as her unknown intruder slid into her closet, frustrated at the sudden interruption of his plans. He’d stepped from the door about to attack her when she was bent over the drawer, but the knock had halted him, making him dart back behind the door. Now he stood in the closet, silent, watchful”¦and waiting.
Rushing to the door, Sylvia hated to admit it, but she was glad he was home. He was finally back! The minute she snatched open the door, it was with the intention of throwing herself into his arms, however, his angry gruff expression halted her.
“Where the hell have you been! I’ve been trying to reach you for two days! Late at night””I might add!” He was pissed and it showed. That immediately put her on the defensive.
“Excuse me! Don’t come up in my house, yelling at me about where I’ve been! Don’t worry about where I’ve been!”
“Well, thank you very much! My trip went well! The flight was fine! And the rental car drives nice! Thank you very much for your concern!” he fumed sarcastically, following Sylvia further into the kitchen. “Since it’s apparent that you’re fine”¦I take it there’s a reason why you’ve all of a sudden changed from the other night when we spoke, to completely ignoring my phone calls and leaving me to rent a car when you were suppose to pick me up!”
“I have other things going on. It didn’t kill you to rent a car. I’m not gonna be running like some fool at your beck and call, Shawn Everett McPherson””Styles! Furthermore, it seems to me”¦you have other options for getting someone to pick you up at the airport, and I don’t know why you didn’t call her.”
“What?! What’s that suppose to mean?”
“Yeah, right! As if you don’t know! I don’t have time for the games. I explained that to you from the very beginning. But foolish me, I got caught up into playing it with you anyway”¦and now”¦I’ve had enough. No more! So I’m glad you had a nice trip. A safe flight. A way home. Now kindly turn around and leave my house, I have things going on”¦ I’d just as soon get back to them. Goodbye!”
“Wait, wait, wait, wait! Hold your horses, lady! You’re not going to get rid of me that easily! I want to know what’s going on here!”
“Sounds like a personal problem to me. Please take care of it across the road, and not in my house”¦as I said”¦goodbye!”
“Yeah, well, the thing is, I’m in the dark here! I’m not going anywhere until you shed some light and tell me what’s going on!”
“Fine, let me shine a torch on it for you, just to make it a little clearer. Oh, and by the way, perhaps you’d like a drink first, let me see”¦ooooh, how’s about a little Sherry?” she threw the name out sarcastically. Shawn stood in a dumb-like state trying to figure out where this was leading to, and finally answered, “No thanks on the sherry. I hate sherry, can’t even stand sherry on my lips.”
“Funny, that’s not what I’ve heard!”
“What””in the hell””are you talking about?” he bit out.
Getting fed up and not wanting to continue the fight with him, Sylvia blurted out, “Sherry! That’s what this is about.”
“Sherry? Who in the hell is Sherry?”
“Oh, oh, oh”¦how convenient selective memory is. Not convenient to remember Sherry now, so you don’t know who she is”¦but, oh, she sure knows who you are, so much so, that she knows your real name. I mean, I can understand her knowing you by Everett, but she knows your personal name”¦wanna tell me how that is? No, no, no, no, never mind”¦like I said”¦don’t bother and neither will I. Just leave, okay, just leave!”
For a moment he didn’t answer, nor did he move, he stood milling the name over in his head and saying it out loud. “Sherry? Sherry? Sherry?”
“Figure it out across the street, please.”
“Will you hush a moment here, I’m trying to think,” he returned.
“Don’t you tell me to hush! Think someplace else, not here”¦now go!”
“Lady”¦you can cry “go’ all you want”¦but I’m telling you, I don’t know anyone by the name of Sherry.”
“You liar! How can you stand here and lie to my face?”
“Liar? I have no reason to lie to you! Furthermore, I don’t appreciate you accusing me of being a liar!”
“Well somebody’s lying, then, and she knows your personal name. How do you explain that?”
“First of all, who in the hell is this she or”¦Sherry? What does she look like?”
Crossing her arms over her breast, at first Sylvia played the mulish treatment. Shawn stood with his arms crossed over his chest mimicking the gesture. “Well? What does she look like?” Sighing, Sylvia finally described her. Afterwards, Shawn ran the description through his memory, then his eyes got wide.
“That little bitch! Oh, now I remember her!”
“Good for you! Goodbye!”
His response was to remove his coat and toss it to one of her kitchen chairs. “You want me to leave? You tell me what happened with this Sherry, first.”
“I don’t have to tell you anything, and you’re starting to piss me off! Now get out of my house, or I will call the police to remove you!” she threatened.
He was stunned, and for a moment he considered saying, the hell with it, but he couldn’t”¦he just couldn’t. Instead he went to the table, pulled out a chair, sat down, then waved a hand toward the phone on the wall. “Okay”¦call’em. Because until you tell me what I want to know, that’s the only way you’re getting me out of here.”
So angry she could scream, Sylvia charged to the phone, picked it up off the hook, holding it”¦she stared at him, he leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. “Damn you, Shawn!” She slammed the phone back onto its base, knowing there was no way she could call the police on him. Confused about everything, she stubbornly crossed her arms across her breasts and leaned against her counter, not saying another word. He sat there quiet as well, watching her, and waiting. When she remained quiet, he sighed, leaning forward and said,
“Okay”¦then let me tell you when and where I met her. It was around the time I first got here. During the couple of weeks you and I weren’t speaking, for whatever reason at the time. A friend of mine came to visit me. We went to the bar in town”””
“Yeah, right! I haven’t seen or noticed anyone visiting you there!” she announced.
Disregarding her words, Shawn paused and started again. “As I was saying, we went to the bar in town. We had a few drinks and shot some pool. As this is going on, the little bitch you mentioned had been doing everything possible to get my attention, except for stripping or standing on her head. Finally, she had the nerve to pick my fu””freakin’ pocket, thought it was funny and started reading my license out loud. She finally got my attention, however didn’t like it once she had. To put it simply, I told her she ever do that again, I’d have her arrested. Of course, I said more than that. A lot more colorfully, but you get the picture. Haven’t talked to her since, even though she’s tried to get my attention in other ways. She’s a cheap little whore, and I wouldn’t let the family pet do her. Thus”¦how she knows my real name.”
Sylvia looked down away from him. She believed him. He was telling her the truth and she knew it. Regardless, that didn’t change anything. She was stupid for letting this get started in the first place.
“It’s the truth, Sylvia. The honest to god truth. I only got one of what’s hanging between my legs”¦I ain’t about to be using it”””
“There’s no need to be crude, I don’t wanna hear all that,” she said finally. “Look”¦” she started, then stopped, looking up from the floor at him. “This shouldn’t be happening”¦between us,” she said, swallowing.
With an incredulous look on his face, he drew back exclaiming, “What?! What’s that suppose to mean?”
“You’re white! I’m black! Relationships are hard enough! I don’t need the added pressure and stress this combination will bring, so let’s just put on the breaks right now before it goes any further.”
Shawn felt his heart speed up. He stared at her dumbfounded, then very slowly, stood from his seat. Walking to the middle of the kitchen floor, he stared, his mind working with something to say to that. Then something occurred to him. “Did you tell this to your daughter as well? Unless my eyes deceive me, Victor is white. Pale Blonde, sky blue eyes, fair skin”¦the whole nine yards! What’d you tell her?”
“That’s her life! This is mine. Besides, she did that behind my back! She ended up pregnant. It was out of my hands. What was done, is done. Doesn’t mean I’m gonna do it. Now, please, let’s just end this before it goes any further.”
“So, you’re telling me”¦you don’t want me? Is that what you’re saying?” he asked huskily, his voice laced with low fear that she could clearly hear. Slowly he approached her against the counter. Sylvia turned her head aside, not wanting to look at him. “I asked you a question. Because I can tell you right now”¦I want you.”
“It’s just a little case of jungle fever”¦find a hooker, she can fix that for you.”
“Oh, my god! I hate that freakin’ term! Never gave it much thought until now! But I can tell you this””I hate it! Because that’s a bunch of bullshit!” He was right up close to her now. His hands braced against the counter on either side of her, leaning low to look up into her face. “Jungle fever has its cure. What I’m feeling for you, lady, I will die with. No cure for this. I got it for good. “Cause it’s waaaay down deep and only you can reach it.”
“Move, Shawn,” Sylvia panted. His closeness was wrecking her resolve and stirring her in a way she couldn’t handle.
“You look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t want me, too.”
She pushed against his hand to come from between him and the counter, but he held fast, bringing his body in closer to her. “Tell me you don’t want me, too, I said.”
With tears in her eyes, Sylvia looked up at him, in his eyes and said, “I don’t want you! Now get out of my house!”
His eyes widened in shock. He felt as if she’d punched him in the stomach. “You damn liar! You goddamn liar!” He grabbed her to him. His mouth going to hers. Sylvia’s heart gave a lurch as she turned her head away. “No, Shawn, please!” He ignored her, grabbing her jaw and turning it back to him. Then forced his kiss on her as his other arm went around her back, closing her in between him and the counter. With a hunger neither could deny, he ravished her mouth, while rubbing the length of his body against hers. Sylvia pushed against him, trying to break free as tears gathered in her eyes and fell, fighting an overpowering need to give in. She had the cloth of his shirt gripped in her hands at his shoulders, trying to pull him away, but it was no use. She needed this. She needed him. In mere seconds, she found herself pulling him tightly to her. Her whimpers and moans sounding out as his tongue filled her mouth, while his lower half grinded hard against her. The feel of his large hand covering her breast and squeezing, made her knees buckle. Immediately, he swooped low and scooped her up in his arms, carrying her to the bedroom with her one arm around his shoulders and her palm at his cheek, their tongues waged a battle from their passions.
At the bed he carefully lowered her there, keeping their mouths connected until her head lay on the pillow, pulling him down to her. Taking her by surprise, she found his hands gripping her forearms, pulling them away from him as he rose taking his mouth from hers. Panting and throbbing with desire for him, Sylvia’s eyes reflected confusion, questioning his drawing away from her. Shawn stood beside her bed looking down at her, trying to bring his own breathing under control, saying finally as he drew in a deep breath.
“I’ve got my pride, too. I’m tired of forcing you”¦like this”¦to want me. No more. I want you to want me, as I want you”¦and I want you to admit it. I want you to at least meet me half way. This is not a game I’m playing. You see, I’m playing for keeps. Me white. You black. I don’t give a damn. I’m ready and willing to deal with whatever happens. Only thing is, you gotta want it, too. No more forcing. So”¦I’m gonna go now. You want me”¦you know where to find me.” With that, he turned and walked away from her, grabbing his coat off the chair and headed for the door and out.
Sylvia lay in disbelief. Slowly she sat up in her bed, staring straight ahead, stunned. He’d left her, just like that. Just when she’d been willing to give in to what she was feeling. His exit had been slow, as if giving her a chance to stop him. She hadn’t. She felt like her world was spinning and her life was being turned upside down. She leaned forward, with her elbows above her knees, her face cradled in her palms. With a sigh she spoke out loud. “Oh god”¦what’s going on?”
“Tell me about it”¦what a loser. Don’t worry about it”¦”
Sylvia’s ears began ringing as everything in front of her turned to a flashing bright white light. Slowly she rose with a slamming heart, turning on her bed with wide terrified eyes to look behind her.
“”¦I’ll pick up right where he left off, baby”¦an’ I’ll be going all the way.”
“Noooo! Shaaaawn! Oh god!” Sylvia screamed at the top of her lungs, lunging like a shot from beside her bed, racing for the bedroom door. Burning pain sliced at her scalp as her head was snatched back with him gripping a handful of her hair, yanking her away from the door. The brute strength of him was more than she could handle, being taken by surprise as he slung her to the floor, kicking the door closed. Sylvia continued to scream Shawn’s name over and over.
“Shaaaawn”¦Shaaaawn! Eeeeee! Shaaaawn!”
“Shhhhh”¦shhhhh. He can’t hear you, he’s gone. I’ll take care of you now…shhhhh,” his soft warning was backed by the knife he waved before her. “Don’t make me use this on you. What a mess it would make. Let’s not make this messy,” he informed her softly, her hair still in his hand as he kneeled beside her, his mouth at one cheek, kissing as he held the knife at the other. “Now, let’s move this back… to the bed, shall we?”
* * * * *
“Sonofabitch!” Shawn spat, standing at his front door after removing his luggage from the backseat of the rental. He’d forgotten to get his keys from Sylvia. Now he had to look foolish and go back and face her again to get his keys. He wasn’t afraid to face her again. The problem was that he was weak. It had taken everything in him to walk away from her just now. If he went back, he was afraid of what would happen. He was afraid. He stood there a moment, mustering the nerve to go back. Taking a very deep breath, having no other choice, he headed back across the road.
* * * * *
“Please, please, please, please, please don’t do this to me”¦pleeeease!” Sylvia cried, begging as the man snatched her from the floor, maintaining the tight grip on her hair as he directed her back to the bed, angry because she had refused to move when he asked her to.
“After the way he left you? Come oooon, you know you want it. I bet you’re still wet,” he rasped out, breathing hard as he forced her head back and down on the bed, the knife close to her skin. He straddled her waist, placing the knife in his mouth a moment to roughly grab one wrist, pinning it beneath one of his knees then doing the same with the other, pressing painfully on them to hold her in place there. Sylvia tried to buck him off, but he quickly grabbed the knife to still her, using it to caress her along her jaw, down by her ear, along side her neck and over the bony knobs at the top of her chest plate and down into the shirt, where he shifted the knife, using it to cut a rip in the front of her shirt. Sylvia screamed out again, now sobbing out of control, shifting her body beneath him as he cut and ripped her t-shirt to her midriff, she twisted about, turning in vain to dislodge him. “Keep that up, you gonna force me t’poke you one. Trouble with that is, I get started”¦I may not stop. Now you don’t want that, do ya?”
“Emmmmph”¦emmmm-emmmm,” Sylvia cried and whimpered, starting to shake uncontrollably.
“Shhhhh”¦shhhhh,” he quieted her, coming down on top of her to kiss her, his hand inside her shirt, squeezing her breast.
{{{ Knock, knock, knock }}}
“Sylvia! It’s me, I need my keys”¦” He called, letting himself back into her kitchen door.
The man reared up, flipping around in a sitting position, startled by Shawn’s voice, taking the knife away from Sylvia for a split second.
“Shaaaawn! Pleeeease! Help meeee – pleeeease!!!!” The moment she started screaming, she reared her legs up and back, kicked forward with both, using every bit of strength in her, slamming the bottom of her feet against her intruder’s back, sending him off the bed and into the wall. She turned, rolling off the bed, screaming longer and louder, filled with more fright than she’d ever known in her life, scrambling to find her phone, his name a loud shrill alarm begging for help.
“Shaaaawn! Shaaaawn! Shaaaaawn!!!”
Startled into action, Shawn charged for her bedroom with Sylvia’s screams filling the house and his hearing. He slammed the door wide with such an adrenal force of his forearm that it wedged the doorknob into the wall, knocking a hole in it, shocked and enraged to see a man struggling up from the floor, a knife in hand. Everything started happening in a blinding light of slow motion: Sylvia struggling up from the floor sobbing, her shirt ripped and torn open, her hair in extreme disarray. Her face wet and tear-streaked in terror. The man responsible, coming at him with the intent of getting through him. All of this Shawn took in in a matter of seconds, igniting within him an instantaneous rage that bordered on madness.
“Sha-Shaaaawn!” Sylvia was on the verge of collapse. Shaking from the nightmare taking place around her, she couldn’t figure where it was, taking a moment to notice that it was lying on the floor, between her bed and bed table. Crawling, she scrambled to it, everything was spinning around her. Her ears were ringing; between the sharp high pitch sound, there was a roaring noise. The floor beneath her seemed to be tilting and swaying. She grabbed for the phone and with blurred vision, pressed the nine. From the other side of the bed, she could hear heavy and hard impacts like something being whacked, mixed with thuds. The bed was moving with such violent force it added emphasis to the violent sounds around her. It all seemed so surreal. At the same time, she was sobbing into the phone”¦begging for help.
“Pleeease”¦pleeease, Sylvia Payne””help, pleeeease!” she screamed out, dropping the phone, trying to make it to the other side of the bed where Shawn was pummeling her stalker. There was red”¦she could see red everywhere. Though dizzy and weak, she could see that he was going to kill the man – his entire body was locked into every punch that landed into her stalkers face.
“Shawn, stop! Stop”¦please, stop”¦you gonna kill’im”¦ya’gonna kill’im,” she was sobbing. Unmindful of his rage, she stood swaying and fell towards him to push him off the man, trying to stop him from hitting him anymore and fell over in her effort. She grabbed at his shirt, pulling herself up with it. “Shawn, stop!” She gave the last of her energy to scream at him. Breathing hard, Shawn backed off with tears streaming from his blood-smeared face. His hand and arm was bleeding from getting cut with the knife. The sirens were suddenly outside, loud and wailing. The door burst open with officers flooding the house, three of them with their guns drawn.
“Hold it right there! Don’t move!” they warned Shawn, because he was the only one standing. Breathing hard, he leaned back against the door and slid down it to the floor where Sylvia knelt sobbing. “Shawn,” she whimpered. Needing to calm his rage, grappling with the heat of the moment, he reached for her.
The police rushed into the room, viewing the scene before them.
Officer Royce Collier was the first in the room. The same officer who quieted down Shawn’s party due to Sylvia’s call. The same officer who escorted her home. The same who came and advised her to program her phone, stood returning his gun to its holster.
“We’re going to need an ambulance here””now! Hurry!”
Copyright © 2002 Amber Swann Publishing Inc.
Written by Mercedes Keyes, All Rights Reserved
Collaborative assistance from, Lawrence James.
Thank you, I needed the help with this one.
End of Episode Seven”¦
Wish to read more? http://amberswann.com/
Paperback: Click the cover”¦
350 pages of realistic drama
ISBN: 978-1-4505-5162-5
Available in Ebooks click link below
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If none of the above”¦
see you in two weeks for episode two!
M. Keyes
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