anything without me? You are so useless!” John’s voice boomed in my ears. She shock of seeing him standing in front of me rocked me to the core.
“John, how did you… but you’re…” I stammered and stuttered sitting bolt upright and sliding backward across the sofa.
“Dead? You thought I was dead? I will never be dead, Shannon. I will be here to haunt you for the rest of your days…” John sneered.
“Leave me alone!” I screamed. Then I felt a warm hand touch my cheek startling me.
“Shannon? Are you okay?” Tanner spoke softly as he pushed the hair out of my eyes and behind my ear.
“Tanner?” I said confused looking around the room and behind me. “Where is he?”
“Who?” Tanner asked.
“John. He was here. He threatened me…” I was still breathless from the encounter.
“Shannon, it was just a nightmare, pretty lady. That’s all. It’s okay,” Tanner slid closer to me and pulled my face into his chest.
Tears were streaming down my face again. Would I ever get over the torment that John had put me through? Would I ever be whole?
I slowly pulled back from Tanner’s embrace and looked up at him.
“I’m sorry. I thought it was real. It sure seemed real…” I said softly as I stared down at my hands.
“It’s okay. That’s what friends are for, right?” Tanner smiled. Every smile was like a big welcome mat laid at my feet. His energy was everything I had ever wanted in a man, yet he was the last thing I thought I needed right then.
“Right. I guess you are my only friend in this town right now,” I said sighing.
“Hey, I am a pretty good friend. Plus, you have my mom too,” Tanner said sitting back a little on the sofa with one knee propped up in front of me and his arm resting along the back of the sofa.
“True. I really do appreciate you catching me when I fall…” I said smiling.
“Shannon, I am always happy to be your soft place to fall,” he said with a slight smile. My insides felt like they were turning to mush. How did he do that to me? I turned to butter, melting all over the place, when he spoke to me. It was like being back in high school when I had a crush on Tommy Stanton.
“Well, I am a bit of a klutz,” I joked.
“There you go again… avoiding the intimate moment…”
“I don’t get intimate with friends,” I said back sarcastically.
“Friends are the very people you should be intimate with… And I am not talking about sex, Shannon. I am talking about being open with people who care about you. It’s really okay. Don’t let him take that from you,” Tanner said. Just hearing the word “sex” come out of his mouth made me temporarily deaf to everything else he said.
Before I could respond, there was a clap of thunder outside that caused me to jump out of my seat. It was followed quickly by a lightning bolt that seemed to hit something nearby.
“I’d better check the weather,” Tanner said pulling his smart phone from his pocket. The look of concern growing on his face, he stood up and reached for my hand.
“Shannon, don’t panic, but we need to take shelter now,” he said calmly as he pulled me toward the foyer. He opened the door to the basement under the home, and led me down into the dark space.
“Tanner, what’s going on? I’m scared…” I said feeling as though I was suddenly a 10 year old little girl scared of the monster in my closet.
“It’s going to be okay… this house has rode out many a storm, pretty lady…” he said as we made our way down to the bottom of the stairs. The basement smelled old and musty. The walls were made of stone and the floor was dirt. There was a blanket folded up and sitting on an outcropping in the rock.
Tanner had a flashlight app on his smart phone and turned it on so we could see.
“Okay, here’s the deal. There is a tornado heading this way. We are safer down
“John, how did you… but you’re…” I stammered and stuttered sitting bolt upright and sliding backward across the sofa.
“Dead? You thought I was dead? I will never be dead, Shannon. I will be here to haunt you for the rest of your days…” John sneered.
“Leave me alone!” I screamed. Then I felt a warm hand touch my cheek startling me.
“Shannon? Are you okay?” Tanner spoke softly as he pushed the hair out of my eyes and behind my ear.
“Tanner?” I said confused looking around the room and behind me. “Where is he?”
“Who?” Tanner asked.
“John. He was here. He threatened me…” I was still breathless from the encounter.
“Shannon, it was just a nightmare, pretty lady. That’s all. It’s okay,” Tanner slid closer to me and pulled my face into his chest.
Tears were streaming down my face again. Would I ever get over the torment that John had put me through? Would I ever be whole?
I slowly pulled back from Tanner’s embrace and looked up at him.
“I’m sorry. I thought it was real. It sure seemed real…” I said softly as I stared down at my hands.
“It’s okay. That’s what friends are for, right?” Tanner smiled. Every smile was like a big welcome mat laid at my feet. His energy was everything I had ever wanted in a man, yet he was the last thing I thought I needed right then.
“Right. I guess you are my only friend in this town right now,” I said sighing.
“Hey, I am a pretty good friend. Plus, you have my mom too,” Tanner said sitting back a little on the sofa with one knee propped up in front of me and his arm resting along the back of the sofa.
“True. I really do appreciate you catching me when I fall…” I said smiling.
“Shannon, I am always happy to be your soft place to fall,” he said with a slight smile. My insides felt like they were turning to mush. How did he do that to me? I turned to butter, melting all over the place, when he spoke to me. It was like being back in high school when I had a crush on Tommy Stanton.
“Well, I am a bit of a klutz,” I joked.
“There you go again… avoiding the intimate moment…”
“I don’t get intimate with friends,” I said back sarcastically.
“Friends are the very people you should be intimate with… And I am not talking about sex, Shannon. I am talking about being open with people who care about you. It’s really okay. Don’t let him take that from you,” Tanner said. Just hearing the word “sex” come out of his mouth made me temporarily deaf to everything else he said.
Before I could respond, there was a clap of thunder outside that caused me to jump out of my seat. It was followed quickly by a lightning bolt that seemed to hit something nearby.
“I’d better check the weather,” Tanner said pulling his smart phone from his pocket. The look of concern growing on his face, he stood up and reached for my hand.
“Shannon, don’t panic, but we need to take shelter now,” he said calmly as he pulled me toward the foyer. He opened the door to the basement under the home, and led me down into the dark space.
“Tanner, what’s going on? I’m scared…” I said feeling as though I was suddenly a 10 year old little girl scared of the monster in my closet.
“It’s going to be okay… this house has rode out many a storm, pretty lady…” he said as we made our way down to the bottom of the stairs. The basement smelled old and musty. The walls were made of stone and the floor was dirt. There was a blanket folded up and sitting on an outcropping in the rock.
Tanner had a flashlight app on his smart phone and turned it on so we could see.
“Okay, here’s the deal. There is a tornado heading this way. We are safer down
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