The Silent Neighbour ✓

Chapter Nine

Nova Johnson

A loud bang against my door causes me to shoot right into a sitting position, I look around and see Chinese takeout flooding the coffee table. I groan, a migraine digs its way into my head. I throw the cover from over my legs and slide of the couch, I wipe the drool that seems to have stained on my lips and walk towards the door.

Grabbing my phone that I left on the kitchen counter from last night, I check the time to see it is five in the morning. Who is knocking on my door so early in the morning? The birds aren't even tweeting!

I pull it open and look to see no one there, I look around the hallway...what-then I look down to see a box wrapped with Christmas wrapping. I hesitate on touching it but what harm could it do, I pick it up and it seems rather light. I close the door behind me and settle the box onto my kitchen counter as I rip the wrapping open.

Now a black box comes into view, I remove the lid and it was as if someone shot me right in the heart. I stumble on my feet and crash against the brand-new wine glasses, I prick my hands into the shards of glass and push myself away from the box.

I know I'm having a panic attack right now; I know I am...

Why-who-I could not even think straight.

Who? Who would have the time to do this? To put so much effort.

The box-inside the box was a deflated ball and two pig hands covered in blood, I sat in the corner of my room for two hours staring at the box on my kitchen counter.

My knees were against my chest, I hear my door creak open and my head snaps. I thought I closed it. Alexander comes into view, "I don't-"

He pauses halfway, staring at me then the glass shattered across the floor. He follows my gaze to the black box, and steps in uninvited to see it.

His black combat boots crush onto the glass into smithereens, and he looks inside.

Something shifts into his eyes as he looked inside, as if something flashed back into his mind.

He releases a sigh and looks back at me, "are you okay?" He asks, not a single ounce of emotions in his voice.

My gaze to the box is distracted by him, he crouches down in front of me and nudges my legs. I did it without thinking, I dove into his arms and wrapped mine around his waist.

He did not hug me back, but he did not move me.

"I'm scared." It was the drunkenness in me from last night but-sober thoughts.

I sob into his chest for a good fifteen minutes, and he did not move a muscle nor let me go. I thought he'd push me away and yell at me for even touching him, but he hasn't. Alexander smelt amazing, even closer he smelt like Oudh and cologne. And for some odd reason, it was relaxing, relaxing and needed.

He gently pulls my face away from his chest.

"Do you know who could have done this?" He finally speaks, I look up into his eyes and nod my head. "Who?" He questions, his tone dark just like the colour of his eyes right now.

"Leo...f-f-from my university...he-he's been-doing this since I moved here..." I stutter, his jaw tenses and his thumb wipes away my tears.

"What else?"

"My car window-and he chased me the time I bumped into you-"

He helps me up on my feet and takes my hands into his.

My hand looked so small in his.

The glass from the wine glasses were pierced into my skin, Alexander slowly takes it out and throws it onto the ground. Alexander stood tall compared to me, my head reached just below his chest. "Ow!" I gasp.