Alone

Absentmindedly, Scarlett nibbled on her ring finger nail. She always seemed nervous, even alone. The curtains in her living room swung open and closed with practiced force; her hand gripped tight on the edge. She peered outside hoping to find something and quickly became disappointed. The floorboards creaked slightly as she paced back and forth through her living room, dining room, and kitchen. 

“Where the fuck is Gregory?” Scarlett asked herself aloud. The broken silence was all the more piercing when her voice was gone. She looked outside in her small back patio for signs of him and saw only a few insects attracted to the dim solar lights on the edge of the brick. She continued to gnaw her finger and checked the front again. There were no signs of Gregory and she began to panic. 

Sitting on the colorful oval carpet with her long legs spread out by her front door, Scarlett untied the laces to her sneakers and slipped them on each foot, retying the bows. She jumped to stand without using her hands, grabbed her keys and cellphone, and set out into the night. Her shoes made a light pat with each step on her small front lawn, neglected and overgrown. When she reached the sidewalk her steps became louder. The orange hue of the streetlights made it difficult to see if Gregory could be lurking in a bush, waiting to pounce an unsuspecting victim. 

“Goddammit, Gregory!” Scarlett scolded the absent cat. Crickets calmed their call near her footsteps and continued as she passed. She listened for any signs of Gregory as she searched the rectangle of her block. A branch landed in front of her, fallen from the Oak tree she was walking under. It made her jump. Turning on her cellphone flashlight, the branches above her suddenly shadows on themselves, Scarlett searched for reflective eyes. Disappointed, she put her phone back in the front pocket of her light blue jeans. Her flashlight was still on in her pocket but she didn't take notice because of her constant fingernail biting under her front teeth. 

Almost back to her front door, she decided to circle her own apartment edge a few times for good measure. The rusted metal gate squealed loudly at the hinges as she made her way down the alley between her house and the neighbors on her left. Her patio was empty still but she paced around the perimeter just to be sure several times. Scarlett was frustrated with her fat tabby. He would bold out the door when she would dare open it near him and return hours, sometimes days later, as if he never ran out. She wondered where he would go. Gregory would occasionally be sunning himself in a nearby tree or lawn but mostly didn’t leave her property. Struggling to remember the last time she saw him, she fished her key set out of her jeans pocket. Her hand left her lips briefly to find the house key. The deadbolt wasn’t set and she cursed herself for forgetting to lock the top lock. She flipped robotically to the doorknob key, slipping it in the hole and turned. The door swung open without effort as she realized she had left her house unlocked. Her panic doubled while stepping her feet over the threshold. 

Scarlett had left her lights on in her house and hoped that was a deterrent for anyone who could have entered while she was circling the block for Gregory. Quietly, she placed her keys on the hook and walked lightly across her floor. The creaks groaned loud and long under her weight. To anyone in her house uninvited, it would have been curious but not obvious she was there. She thought about calling out to scare an intruder away but her logical side assured her no one was there but her. Now, she really wished Gregory was home. At least her feline companion would ease her troubled mind with a gentle purr, rubbing her legs as she walked. Above her head, a floorboard creaked causing her to stop mid-step to avoid making another sound. Her ears were tuned, waiting for another sign that she might not be alone. Her fingers were in her mouth again, without thought. 

Her floor sounded above her as if someone was in her bedroom, stopping to search. Scarlett began to breath heavy. She pulled out her phone to call the police but the battery had been drained and it shut off while she watched in horror. She tossed the useless device on the couch and listened for more noises. She heard nothing for what seemed like minutes. Her heart raced, her mouth chomped at her nail stubs, and she waited. Her curiosity got the better of her and she made her way up the stairs with determination, grabbing a broom in the kitchen for protection. 

The stairs gave squeals each step Scarlett took before she reached the top of her stairs. Two doors were in front of her. She used the broom to gently push the door to the bathroom open. There were no noises beyond the door hitting the door stop with an abrupt thud. She waited for movement in her bedroom with her broom over her shoulder like she was at bat. After a few minutes of silence, she took a deep breath and kicked the door open with her dominant foot. The door opened with a bang and bounced back shut. She gave up her swinging stance and opened the door normally, but regained her broom over her shoulder once the door was open. 

Scarlett searched the room but saw nothing at first glance. Her instincts had her searching the closet, under the bed, and in her wardrobe for any sign of life. She dropped the broom and slouched her shoulders, happy for the brief relief. Her broom was left in her room as she skipped down the stairs to her phone, plugging it into the cord by her favorite seat in the living room. She stretched her arms up tall, proud of how proactive she had been before deciding to have a bath. After picking out her pajamas from her bedroom, she took the small folded pile to her bathroom sink. Scarlett undressed, tossing each piece of clothing into her open hamper. She checked herself out in the mirror before something caught her eye and froze her. She turned around quickly to see the flash of Gregory jumping out of the bathtub, causing Scarlett to shriek in surprise. 

“Gregory! You fucking asshole!” she screeched at the cat who was seemingly flying through the air and out the door. Scarlett took a few breaths, laughed to herself, and started her bath. She smiled thinking of what a great investment it had been to take Gregory into her home.