Stranger Online

Jenny and Megan lounged near the pool, sipping Jack and Coke through a straw. A soft summer rain left steam rising from the concrete walk. Even the wooden deck felt hot to the touch. Sunglasses were mandatory. The weatherman predicted one hundred degrees by late afternoon, with humidity to match. The pungent scent of honeysuckle hung in the air. It was August in the south.

The telephone inside the pool house disrupted the quiet. Jenny rose slowly, in no hurry to hear her mother’s complaints. Her mother seemed to think she should have a summer job. Jenny didn’t. This fall, she would begin her final semester at Tulane, marking the end of lazy summer days. After graduation, she would begin her career as Project Manager for Big Job Tool, her father’s company. Reluctantly, Jenny answered the phone on the fourth ring.

Through the open door, Megan watched her friend’s face become animated and alive. A broad smile appeared, bringing with it a flush of red as bright as the shirt she wore. The flush spread from her neck to the tips of both ears. Jenny was aglow with love. It must be HIM, she thought.

Fifteen minutes later, Jenny hung up the phone and danced her way to where Megan waited. She collapsed onto the lounge chair, all the while grinning and blushing. She spoke in a whisper, “We’re going to meet.”

Megan hoped her ears deceived her, “You’re going to what?”

“We’re going to meet!”

“No!”

“Yes!”

“But you don’t know him? What if he’s a crazed stalker or worse? He could be a killer, or after your family’s money.”

Jenny’s smile faded, “Oh, but I do know him. We emailed for weeks before exchanging phone numbers. We have everything in common.”

“Which could be a ruse?”

“I wish I could explain to you what I feel when I hear his voice.”

“What does he look like? You haven’t even shown me his picture.”

“We purposely skipped that part of the process. I wanted to get to know the person inside, without being influenced by a handsome face. I won’t know what he looks like and he won’t know what I look like until we actually meet.”

“So, how do you know he’s handsome?”

Jenny smiled, “I can hear it in his voice.”

“You will be meeting him in a public place, right?”

Looking her fiend in the eye, Jenny said, “Yes.”

Megan reached out and touched her friend’s arm, “Be careful, Jenny.”

***

Jenny stopped her car at the end of a long driveway. Through the trees she could see the house. It was exactly as David described. He sounded so proud when he confessed to building it himself. It was rose colored brick with white trim, which gave it a clean look. It was larger than some, but certainly no mansion. There wasn’t anything unique about the house. It could have been in any neighborhood in the city, but it was beautiful. Her only critique was the lack of landscaping. David needed a good landscaper and a truck load of sod. Jenny mentally pictured the house with shrubs, a bed of tulips in the spring, chrysanthemums in the fall, and perhaps a few Bradford Pear trees in the front. She loved to garden. She took her foot off the brake and followed the winding lane, stopping beside a shiny red Corvette.

Butterflies began flapping their delicate wings inside her stomach. Jenny took a few deep breaths and leaned back in the seat. She tried in vain to stop her hands from trembling. She knew David would be amazing, yet she was nervous about their actual meeting. They could talk for hours on the telephone, so she knew they would find plenty to talk about, still she worried their initial meeting would be awkward.

Failing in her quest to find calm, Jenny fumbled with the keys, shut off the engine, and opened the car door. A soft breeze blew in off the Gulf, bringing with it the scent of salt air mixed with magnolia blossoms. She could almost hear the waves slapping against the shore, and the high-pitched squeal of the seagulls. She looked toward the closed front door, took a deep breath, and started walking. Her finger was nearly touching the doorbell when she saw the note. Come around back was all it said.

The sidewalk circled the house to Jenny’s left. She passed an area perfect for those flower beds she envisioned. She mentally kicked herself for imagining herself living here, tending the flowers. She was getting a little ahead of herself. She might not even like the guy once she met him.

Around back, she found a brick patio. It looked as if she were expected. A red and white checked cloth covered a wooden picnic table. White paper plates and crystal wine glasses trimmed in gold were placed on opposite sides of the table. A bottle of red wine waited to be poured. The grill was hot, but the steaks were still marinating. A bowl of freshly harvested garden vegetables awaited preparation, but the chef was nowhere around.

A brick path disappeared into a wooded area. She imagined it ended near the beach. Jenny knocked on the French doors, waited, and then knocked again. When he didn’t answer, Jenny decided to see where the path ended. Perhaps she would find David. She searched in her purse for a piece of paper and pen, quickly scribbled a note, and then took off down the path.

Once inside the trees, the path changed from brick to stone, and wound its way over a footbridge. The pond was surrounded by wild ferns. Jessamine vines wound themselves around the wooden railing, covering the rough wood with pale yellow flowers. Jenny stopped to watch an assortment of Koi swimming in the man-made pond. The sudden croak of a frog as he hopped into the water startled Jenny. She laughed out loud, and turned to continue her walk.

Jenny stepped off the bridge. She paused, tilted her head one way, and then the other, listening. She heard music playing, the toe tapping, happy variety. David, she thought. The sound seemed to be coming from the east. Jenny changed directions, following a narrow dirt path through a thick copse of trees. She walked a few hundred yards before she saw the bus. It was a very old, rusted-out school bus, but what was it doing out here? The door opened, and the music stopped.

Jenny took a step forward. Excruciating pain shot up her right leg. She looked down. The rusted metal teeth of an animal trap surrounded her ankle. Before she could free herself, a strong hand clamped over her face, another circled her waist, capturing both arms with a strong grip. She struggled to escape. Since her left leg was her only weapon, she kicked backward as hard as she could. Her heel made contact with her attacker’s shin. He stumbled, but didn’t fall. He let go of her face for an instant. She shook her head back and forth, kicking again, to no avail. His hand came back. This time he covered her face with a soft cloth. Jenny tried not to breathe, but her lungs inhaled anyway. She felt dizzy, lethargic. Her leg was too heavy to kick anymore. Her last thought was of Megan’s warning to be careful. She chastised herself for not listening. It was then the sunshine disappeared.

When Jenny regained consciousness, it was late evening. She was inside the bus, propped against a window in the second row of seats. Her ankle was still caught in the trap. Her first thought was to free her leg and get out of there. Movement caused an excruciating headache. She ignored the pain, but her wrists were tied, which prevented her from removing the trap. She leaned back in the seat, closed her eyes and inhaled the stench of mold and decay. She was lost, defenseless, at the mercy of her captor. She had no weapon. There was no escape. She closed her eyes in defeat.

An idea opened her eyes. The metal seat supports were rusty. She sat up and gave the seat one hard kick, and then another, and another, until the rusted leg came loose from the floor. She bent down and untangled the chain. She tried to open the trap, but it was too strong. She would need help. Her eyes quickly scanned the wooded area. She was alone.

Jenny retraced her steps as quickly as she could, while dragging her right leg behind her. It would soon be dark. She knew she had to hurry or she wouldn’t be able to find her way back to the car. About halfway to the footbridge, she saw a shadow separate itself from a tree. Jenny tried to run, but a hand snaked out and grabbed her arm in a vice-like grip, twisting until she fell to her knees.

Instead of being afraid, Jenny was angry, “Let go of me! I can’t believe I fell for your ruse. You’re nothing more than a lying pervert.”

Her brave front crumbled when she saw the glint of a knife blade. Jenny watched as David lifted his arm, raising the knife above his head in preparation for the kill. His movements were slow, deliberate, and deadly calm. She wondered what had caused this man to become a killer. He was handsome in a Mel Gibson kind of way. It was the eyes that gave him away. They oozed evil.

As Jenny prepared to die, another face appeared behind David. This man’s eyes registered fear, not fear for himself, fear for Jenny. He grabbed David’s knife arm and twisted it behind his back, pushing upward until the knife popped out of the man’s hands. Before she could breath, the man had David on his stomach in the dirt. Jenny fainted.

When Jenny woke up, a nurse was dressing her ankle, “Where am I?”

The nurse looked up, “You’re at St. Benedict’s Hospital in Ashmore.” The nurse finished taping Jenny’s ankle and straightened, “Your young man is outside. I’ll show him in.”

“My young man?”

“David.”

“Wait!” Jenny called, but the nurse was already closing the door. Jenny was halfway to the door when it opened. A man walked in. It wasn’t David, it was the man she would now refer to as her hero.

“Jenny? What are you doing?” He took her arm and led her back to the bed. “Let me introduce myself. I’m David Wellington.”

Jenny was still a little skeptical, “If you’re David who was the other guy?”

“I don’t know. The police are questioning him now. I wanted to make sure you were alright, so I rode with you in the ambulance.”

“You should have been home when I arrived,” Jenny accused.

“Yes, I should have. I was about to put the steaks on the grill when I was attacked from behind. I never saw who hit me. When I came to, I was on the beach. I hurried back to the house, saw your car, and called the police. I started searching for you. I was afraid I would be too late. Thank God I found you in time.”

Jenny placed her hand over his, “I should thank you for saving my life. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. The doc says you can go home as soon as you feel up to it.” David looked into Jenny’s eyes, “I would like for you to come back to the house. I’ll feed you a meal and we can get to know each other.”

Jenny pulled her hand away, “I’m sorry, David. I thought I was ready for a relationship, but I’m not. I have one more year at Tulane, and a career to think about.”

The door burst open and Megan rushed in, “Jenny! Thank goodness you’re alright. Come on, I’m taking you home.” She glared at David, “And no more emailing strangers online.”

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