Reeves

I looked back at Reeves. He was unpacking groceries into the fridge and I couldn't see his face, but from where I sat, his cheeks appeared lifted. Why was I bothered to lie for him in the first place? He was finding humor at my embarrassment. Maybe I should just tell Anton he's gay.
"I'll leave the door open tonight," I finally said with determination. Reeves whirled at the sudden change of my tone. "You can see as much as you want and then of course, go on a detailed revelation of what you saw?"
Anton's eyes bulged, his face bleached. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he kept mute.
"Such a priceless moment," Reeves said, intrigued. "If I'd known I'd have captured it on camera. For the first time he is speechless. Imagine, fifteen years I've known him."
Anton shook his head, multiple veins bulging from his neck and forehead. He got up slowly and dropped his bowl in the sink and then opened the main door and left.
"He hates me," I sighed sadly, burying my face in my hands.
"Doesn't everybody?" Reeves eyes narrowed. "So I guess it's not you, but then actually it is you or rather your line of work."
I filled my cheeks with air and then blew it out noisily. He was testing my patience.
"Can I ask you something?" I asked, my voice suddenly apprehensive.
He pulled out the eggs and cracked them into a bowl. "Do that."
My face heated with anger as I looked up from my hands. "Were you always a jerk or is that a bug you picked up the second you saw me?"
"Oh." He seemed surprised whether by the fact that I'd answered him or by the fact I'd called him a jerk, I will never know. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize."
Once he'd packed away all his groceries, and fed me french toast and coffee, he led me to his bedroom, my face twisted into an expression somewhere between skepticism and horror.
He gauged my expression for a second.
"Relax." He shook his head impatiently. "As you might have seen last night, I'm not particularly interested in having your tits flashed up my face."
I watched his reaction warily, expecting more of some of the icy glare from last night. It surprised me when he remained resolutely emotionless.
"Then why did you escort me from —"
"Wanted to make sure you weren't alone with Anton."
"You mean to say... you... you weren't... going to... um..."
"To have sex with you?" he shook his head. His face in a permanent grimace.
"That wasn't an invitation by the way."
He scowled me. "You think I'd ever be willing to share your bed?" He made the idea sound so ridiculous. "Preposterous! I don't even want a lap dance."
I was afraid he could see the skepticism in my eyes, so I looked away, out the dark window, trying to control the panic before it gave me away.
He grumbled something inaudible.
I continued to stare out the window. There were tall green trees that made out the forest edge at the back of the house. I saw a small trail and I grinned. Always happy to reconnect with nature. I turned back to look at Reeves, he was looking at me, scowling. My smile faded.
"Can I take a walk in the forest?"
He grunted but didn't answer. It appeared he hadn't even heard me.
"Reeves?"
He snapped to attention and looked at me with a bored, irritated expression.
I sighed. "Have you been listening to a word I've said?"
"I said as long as you stick to the damn trail and turn back as soon as the it ends, did I not?"
"No actually, you just grunted. Was I supposed to take that as a sign of approval?"
"Would you leave already?" he asked impatiently. "I'm actually looking forward to the silence."
"Okay..." I tried not to sound too enthused but then I hesitated.
"What is it?" he asked me. He didn't seem interested, but sounded bored.
"I was wondering if you wanted to take a walk with me?"
He frowned deeply, seeming puzzled by my question. "Why would I want that?"
Ouch. That hurt. I winced from his dismissive tone. "I just figured..."
He shrugged. I looked at him as I reached the door, waiting to see if he'd change his mind. He seemed stubborn in his decision.
I felt a brief twinge of sadness as I walked out into the slightly wet air. I set off into the woods, the ground was thick with tall grass that swayed in the light breeze and steam rose slowly from it. It rose up eerily and drifted mist-like towards the nameless trees. I whistled as I jogged through the wet ferns. The sky was a cocktail-blue shade with white stretchy clouds, casting slanted beams of light across the meadow, it wasn't quite warm enough to be enjoyable but I knew that this was as good as it ever got in Port Edward.
In the distance I could hear the mesmerizing sound of a waterfall. The sun drifted to a dim shadow overhead. The trees were green, their leaves fresh and dripping with droplets of water, the mournful cry of a lonely wolf echoed through the vault-still silence of the trees.
I froze. I hadn't realized how far I'd gone and I whirled. I was completely off the trail now. How long had I been here? Minutes? Hours? It seemed like forever. And where was I?
The sense of unease grew stronger the deeper I got into the trees. I filled my lungs with cold air and let it out shakily. A huffing wind rose up then, stirring the strands of black curls around my neck. A sound of something sloshing through the ferns came from all around me. It sounded familiar. It was threatening. It sounded like footsteps. Human footsteps.
I picked up a small branch that must have been uprooted by the harsh winds and raised it above my head.
"W—Who's there?" I cried, trying to sound menacing rather than scared.
There was no reply.
I was terrified. The footsteps continued and there were other noises too, like snorting and... and growling. It was very loud against the eerie of the trees. The cheerful banter of birds and small animals a forgotten memory now. Someone or terrifying of all... something was in the forest with me. Oh God. Oh God. I didn't know who or what was stalking towards me.
"Did I mention I have a gun?" I cried out again, desperately, but yet it sounded like a plea. "I do martial arts as well. I'm armed. Don't come any closer," I meant to sound angry not scared.
There was still no reply.
Oh God! Help me! Please! I'd never held a gun in my life. I lied about the martial arts thing as well. The truth? I was frightened. Overly terrified. My knees were shaking, my hands sweaty. I tried not to be too obvious. I could die today and nobody would ever find my body. I began to reflect back on my life. I didn't want to die. What was I doing here? What would become of Jennie? Who would take care of her? Protect her from Bill?
My eyes scanned the meadow, searching for the looming danger. At that precise moment, a large figure stepped out from the trees to the east, some twenty feet away. Oh shit. It was a tiger. Not just a normal tiger. It was huge. It stood over three feet tall and probably weighed more than a hundred pounds. It would easily overpower me. A tiger in Port Edward? I had no time to mull over the impossibility as it padded silently through the grass a mere ten feet from where I stood. Why had it made so much noise before? Had it been running? Or had it wanted me to be aware of its approach?
"Shoo..." I whispered desperately. "Go tigy, go. Go on now. Shoo..."
It began circling me. Naturally, I turned to watch it. "Please don't eat me," I begged and tried to intimidate it with my branch. It made a low rumbling noise. "I promise I probably taste as bad as I look... please I'll... even... bring you a chicken... or... or something..."
It never broke stride and its eyes zeroed in on me. Was it going to attack now. It seemed to be telling me something. Like a warning.
"Please..." I was crying now. Tears streaming down my face. "Just leave me alone. Shoo..."
It came to an abrupt stop and I froze in fear. The response as automatic. The animal craned its neck to the side and then watched me with its intelligent eyes.
"Please..." I begged it again.
Everything seemed to happen too fast, all at once.
It let out a sound, as loud as it was terrifying, its hind legs went up in anticipation of a leap as it crouched.
I let out a blood splitting scream that seemed to echo across the trees.
And Reeves was suddenly behind me.
The creature never lost its focus on me even as Anton joined us with a dart gun. I didn't move. If I could I would've as it leaped its powerful body and launched itself at me with sharp, gleaming canines.
I screamed again and covered my face, at the same time Reeves screamed, "No!"
I waited and waited and waited but still nothing. My eyes flew open. Reeves was wrestling the animal and Anton was trying to find a clear shot. There was a deep, horrifying snarling that came from the tiger's chest. It was snapping his sharp teeth just inches from Reeves face. It's claws were dug deep into Reeves shoulder blades.
"Do something," I cried at Anton. "You can't let it hurt him. Not him."