In the grand apartment complex more than forty stories high, a strange looking girl with red hair was spotted snooping around in the hallways of the twentieth floor. The janitorial staff reported the scene to the building superintendent. The police were called and a report was filed.
Delia and Rylie curled up on the sofa watching their first scary story together in over three years. Delia had been there for a whole week now. Time had passed by and Delia was getting stronger. Still sore, she could not wait until her stitches were removed later in the week. Popcorn was on the arm of the leather sofa.
The doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," Rylie said. Delia rolled her eyes and scooted away from Rylie so Rylie could get up and answer the door.
She was watching Halloween 4, her favorite. Rylie had rented it for her from Redbox. She was heavily into it.
After about six or so handfuls of popcorn, Delia's heart sank.
"Oh my God, what is this ominous feeling I'm getting?" she said to herself.
Delia pulled herself up from the sofa to check the front door of Rylie's apartment. Checking her cell phone, it had been twenty minutes.
"Not again," Delia cried.
She walked quickly to the front door and there it stood, wide open. She almost died on the spot. Delia rushed to the kitchen and grabbed a knife from the drawer and went running out of the apartment. She left the door wide open and everything.
"Riley! Riley! Where are you?!"
She went down every hallway on her floor, ranting and raving yet trying not to draw too much unnecessary attention to herself.
She did not find Rylie. Delia ran back to the apartment and the moment she rounded a corner she collided into someone and was nearly knocked completely off of her feet.
She regained her footing, fought to keep stable, and looked at whom she ran into.
"Rylie!" Delia dropped her knife and embraced him. "Oh my God. Oh my God." She cried.
She sobbed and she sobbed.
"I got so worried, I'm sorry."
Rylie held Delia close to her.
"Baby baby it's alright. I thought I called out to you where you could hear me. I went next door because a neighbor had something important to talk to me about. It seems a red headed girl resembling Fran has been seen snooping around. The guy wanted me to see the picture he snapped of her. Everyone knows she's running from the law. The events from the Barion made front page on every newspaper in town, not to mention Channel 2 as well. I'm sorry baby. I didn't know you didn't hear me. I left the door open because I thought I would be right back. Are you ok?" He asked Delia.
Delia continued to silently sob.
"No, I'm not."
Rylie held Delia and rocked her back and forth. "Oh my baby. I love you so much," he whispered in her ear, a single tear running down his own cheek. Would things ever return to normal for them?
"What am I supposed to do while you're gone? I don't want that nutcase coming after me again. Next time she might have a gun," Delia said as she watched Rylie grab his backpack.
"Sweetheart I've already called the police and reported it. We can't stop our lives over this. I have to keep up with my classes and you have to focus on your recovery. I have to hurry up and graduate. My funds run out in a year, and that's just enough time for me to graduate and take that job opening I mentioned to you earlier. We don't have time to dawdle."
"Yeah, and after you called and reported it Rylie, all the detective did was drop by and visit, drank some of our coffee, then told us to be careful. Oh, and took a look at the picture your next door neighbor snapped of Fran. Big deal. I'm the one that got stabbed. I have a problem being here now that I know she may have been snooping around."
"Just what are you saying Delia?" Rylie countered.
"I think you know what I'm saying Rylie."
Rylie stood there for a second.
"Fine! If you want to leave, leave. Don't expect me to stop you."
Rylie raced out of the living room after opening the front door of his apartment and stepped through. On the other side, he slammed the door shut as hard as he could, Delia's ears rang as the sound ricocheted off the walls of the apartment. Nutcase! Delia thought and went to pack her suitcase.