Too Close to Home by Alison Stone

Author:Alison Stone
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Published: 2012-08-07T04:00:00+00:00

After the stress of the day, Kathryn took a long bath, luxuriating in the thick bubbles, trying to clear her mind, if only for the night. Growing up, she and her sister had fought over the single bathroom in the house. Tonight, it was all hers. Her mother had gone to spend a few days with her sister in Buffalo. And Betsy had taken off with some girlfriends for a few days to check out the fall foliage. She claimed it was the only vacation she’d take all year.

Alone. Peace and quiet.

She finally dragged herself from the warm-water cocoon and wrapped herself in a fleece robe. She wandered down to the kitchen to make some tea. As she waited for the water to heat on the stove, her attention drifted to the yard.

How many times had she done this? Stood transfixed at the sink, staring out into the night, as if it had a magnetic pull on her. Her father’s shed. The sight made her feel empty, alone and downright angry. Why had her father done this to them? Why hadn’t her mother torn the shed down years ago?

She turned her back to the window but couldn’t help stealing a peek over her shoulder. Trying to soothe her nerves, she rubbed her arms. She reached up and pulled down the yellowed blind, adjusting it a few times until it stayed in place. There. Privacy.

She thought of the note. Want to be an orphan? Renewed fear tainted with disgust pressed into her heart. She figured some cruel employee had used the knowledge of her father’s death as a ploy to vent his frustration against her and her plans to sell the plant. She scooted to the left, away from the window—despite the blind—as tingly pinpricks hummed in her fingers, threatening to consume her.

Her mind mulled over recent events. Johnny’s death. Flat tires. The attack in the warehouse.

Now the note threatening to make me an orphan.

Lost in thought, she wrapped a strand of hair around her finger. She wondered how all the pieces connected. If they did. The only thing she knew for sure was the fair town of Midport had done nothing to redeem itself to her.

The shrill whistle of the kettle made her jump out of her skin. Her hand flew to her chest and an awkward laugh escaped her lips. You’re freaking yourself out. She crossed to the stove and picked up the kettle and made her tea. After extinguishing the light in the kitchen, she checked the locks on both doors—for the hundredth time—and climbed the stairs. She put the mug on her nightstand and crawled into bed.

Kathryn wiggled her toes under her white comforter. The soft down was tucked under her chin. One of the luxuries of living in Western New York included the cool autumn evenings, perfect for hunkering down under the coziness of heavy bed linens. Or hiding under them.

Eventually, the continuous loop of worries in her mind derailed. She relaxed. She plumped up her pillow, adjusting it under her head.

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