The Clearing Fog

Giann cast his web on her immediately.  A new face. He had the physique of a bodybuilder, the brain of a spider.  She wouldn't know his motive. She thought he was just being nice. At first. Until others told their stories. 

It wasn't that he filled her sparse apartment with furnishings.  It was that he was frequently near her door.  She thought it odd then.  She is frightened now.

She wondered if he had a surveillance camera on her because he always knew where she was.  In the hall, on the elevator, going to the garage to her car.  He paced her everywhere.  He wasn't the only one. But he was jealous of what he thought his competitor was. Another single neighbor in the building who had eyes for her.  She rebuffed him, too.

Giann even asked her about it. That day in the garage. She had her black boots on and was meeting a friend for lunch.  Her first friend here.  But her friend suddenly moved.  Her friend still won't talk about it. She got out in time.

Giann spotted her and moved in. Close.  Fast.

"Craig likes you."

"Now how on earth would you know?"

"I know."

"More like he is stalking me.  Creepy"

She walked to her car and looked inside.  It felt safe enough.

He watched her leave the garage.

Later that day, when she was home inside her apartment, she looked for her level to straight some new paintings she had completed the week before.  It was no where to be found.  She even noticed a few twenties missing from her purse.  She charges everything.

The cash in the safe was intact.  She began to lock the file cabinet.  Shut down her computer. Worried.

A few weeks passed. It was just after one a.m. She heard her front door open.  Bolting out of bed, she could hardly contain her heart. The door closed as quickly as it opened.  Almost soundless.  She ran to the peephole.  Didn't dare open the door.  Her whole body was shaking.  She wished she had a gun but knew she couldn't, wouldn't use it. She went back into the fog.

The following morning, Giovanni was in the hall.

"Getting rid of the hutch, or the table.  I'd sure like it."

She didn't know that he was selling her discards.  Never even mentioned it to her. So much for truth.  But she wasn't going to put up with this bullsh** for long.  That is how she was.  She would take so much.  Often, waiting too long.  Karma was with her.  She found herself.  Her voice.  Her esteem.

"We're watching you," she said as he passed her in the hall.

His eyes pierced hers.  He laughed, more out of embarrassment.  She laughed because he was on notice.  Just where she wanted him. She'd been down this road before and lived to tell about it.  She wouldn't back down. She had come too far.  Now.

The police were notified, though clearly disinterested.  They usually are with crimes to females.  Says a lot about their mentality.  Not all of them.  But enough.

She wrote a note to the property manager about the safety in the building. A carefully written note. Put everything on record. There was no response.

Beth had a plan.

                                                           to be continued...