12/29/2022
I watched them from my window, I knew about their lives, and I knew what they didn’t know. I could see the things I wasn’t supposed to see.
But I had been doing this for so long now, I was getting sick and tired of watching them. Carrying their stupid grocery bags and ridiculous smiles up the stairs. Watching them tripping and laughing about it and then kissing.
Why in the hell would you need to kiss on the way up the stairs?
Together, I hated them, I hated her, I missed him. I was sick to my bowels watching from afar. Last year I purchased the tall red house across from and adjacent to his apartment. Four of my windows looked into three of his and my fourth window had a clear view his courtyard and the back door.
I had been around his place dozens of times when they were home. Waiting on the street until the left, I would walk through the gate into the courtyard. Typically looking through the mail was useless unless she was away and had written him a ridiculous postcard. Reading them would make me constipated for the rest of the day, so I stopped doing that. I tried setting up outdoor cameras but the landlord with no teeth stopped me on multiple occasions. Of course, he never gave me away though. I have my way with people like this. They listen to me, I may be small, and I may disappear into the crowd, but people are afraid of me.
After I had been caught in the courtyard three or four times by toothless, I decided to take a break. I didn’t want to test my luck too much. But I wanted to be closer. I needed to get inside. I would have to up my game, and I needed a goal. I didn’t want them to know I had been there. First, I needed a key. I had two options, steal one from toothless or make a mold. A mold would be the easiest.
I spent few days collecting supplies to make a mold of the keyhole. I let the putty cure and harden carefully cutting the ridges. It only took me the afternoon and the next morning. I had their general schedule organized in excel, but it could be erratic at times. After about two weeks of watching I decided I would make a move. I choose Tuesday, having seen them go out on this night many times. I knew they would be out for least two hours. If she was wearing a dress or heels or both, I had about three and a half hours. I waited fifteen minutes after they left in case they turned around and forgot something. I was burning precious time waiting in those fifteen minutes, but they were idiots, forgetful and unfocused. I wouldn’t be surprised if she forgot her purse or keys, or her earrings, God forbid. I waited, after exactly fifteen minutes, and I went down my stairs, out the door and around the block.
I had packed slippers and gloves in my satchel. I just wanted to look around, to see how they were living. I wouldn’t touch anything I couldn’t return to its exact location. I would wear slippers so as not to track in debris. No perfume or products that would leave a scent. She was dumb but an alien scent was hard to ignore. I would be extremely careful. Memorizing the layout, preparing for the next visit, when I would set up the camera and sound equipment. There wasn’t enough time during the initial. There was so much to see and smell. I wanted to know what they were drinking and eating. . I wanted to know what kind of panties that whore was wearing. I wanted to see everything. As I entered, I felt a rush of adrenaline. I usually didn’t get those sudden feelings of being alive because of my medication, but this was too much. It overrode my meds and made me proud of how far I had come. I was inside. And they would have no idea. At one hour and forty minutes I took my leave. I put my shoes back on and closed the door behind me. I walked quietly around the corner and back to the house I purchased, just behind his.
I went inside and slept soundly that night, all was well with the world.
This week I would prepare the equipment. She was out of town so I knew I wouldn’t have many chances for full penetration, like last week. The dry erase Calander had given me this vital information. I took the time to myself and the cameras ready. I would have three sets of eyes to start with, two in the bedroom and one in the living area. I identified optimal placement on my first visit. The two in the bedroom would attach to the ceiling light fixture and one in the living area would attach inside the Wi-Fi router. My sound equipment was giving me trouble, so I decided to make it a separate visit all together.
It was late august. It was hot, I saw her wearing short shorts last week exposing her long tanned legs. I never had a long tan anything. Maybe that is why he wouldn’t take me back. We had broken up two years ago, they had started seeing each other about two months after we broke up. I had not even moved out and he was having her over. I slept with his best friend, that’s why we broke up, he said. But you can’t just leave people, especially after you’ve been together for ten years. I know he still loves me, and he is just screwing her. I know if he had the chance, he would take me back. I needed to find her weak spot. It shouldn’t be difficult with all the information they so easily allowed me access to.
I didn’t want to kill her I just wanted to hurt her, maybe just give her a taste of cold sores on her toothbrush, or a little acid to her face cream, nothing debilitating, but her perfect skin could use some texture. Nair in her shampoo, easy, easy. Again though, I would need my resolute patience and cat-like agility to make the mission a success. Easy, this was too easy; they were making it too easy. Would he still want to screw with her if she had cold sores, burns on her face and no hair? No, of course not, he would kick her out and come running back to me.
To be continued...
Scarlet Carter is a pen name for a local Pittsburgh author who wishes to remain anonymous as the details of her work are sometimes based on true events. Scarlet also writes fiction and is currently working on her first novel.