Please crazy man, do what you’ve got to do for this crazy woman.

A stronger, dominating thought entered her mind. 

They’re coming to get you. 

She agreed. She couldn’t go back to work now. Yes, they would be coming to get her. She needed to vanish. Her spiritual guides would help her.

She hoped.

<°)))><

It was mid-afternoon and Ruby wanted time alone. Her boss had sent her and Zoe home early. Her first day back at work was great but she was a mixed bag of emotions. Zoe wanted Ruby to come and do some shopping and catch up with a group of friends to see a movie. Ruby used tiredness as the excuse. Besides, she was still sleeping with the light on and wasn’t sure how she’d go when the lights went out in the theatre.

Zoe gave the raised lip and ‘yeah sure’ nod.

Ruby smiled and gave her a pat on the butt. “Off ya go.”

Ruby closed the door, leaned against it, and looked around the room. The fridge hummed. A door closed. Someone home late from work. She picked up a meaty garlicky smell. Took a deep breath, but wasn’t sure if she was hungry. The cup of tea and cheese crackers and dip she shared with Zoe seemed to have filled the void.

She went and sat down on the oversized lounge seat. She loved the seat. She tucked up her legs and got comfy. Her eyelids were heavy.

She was back at the doctor’s clinic, looking at the blood pressure cuff on her upper arm, when she sensed movement. The doctor was about to remove the cuff. Her hand moved towards Ruby’s arm. It was green and scaly. Ruby screamed, jumped up, and ran into the corridor. The assistant was there in her blue scrubs, but now she was wearing a hood. Ruby looked into the hood. She screamed again as reptilian yellow eyes stared back at her.

32 – Knock, knock, bang, bang

RUBY WOKE UP TREMBLING AND SWEATING. The lounge seat comforted her.

She heard a loud noise—someone banging on a door at the level below. Unit three, perhaps. The banging got louder and was accompanied by yelling, swearing. Not good for the young kids living in unit two.

Ruby walked over to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water. She went back to the lounge seat, and placed the water on the small side table. She felt vulnerable, and the yelling man wasn’t helping the situation. She willed him to be quiet, but he wasn’t. She stood up and walked over and opened her door quietly. The man’s voice echoed through the stairwell as she stepped out of her unit and walked over to the stairs. 

“Open the door. I know you’re in there.” The banging on the door boomed through the stairwell. 

Why am I doing this? 

Ruby leaned over the handrail and looked down towards the commotion. The man tilted his head to the side. Ruby jumped back, gasping for breath. She ran to her unit and closed the door, engaged the deadlock, and leaned against the door, panting.

It’s him!

Get your breathing under control, Ruby. 

Listen.

Her heart thumped.

Silence. No banging or yelling. Has he gone? She looked through the peephole. He was coming off the last step, heading towards her door.

Yes, it’s him.

He looked at a piece of paper in his hand. His demeanour changed.

Ruby backed away from the door.

Tap, tap.

“Hello. Sorry about all the noise; went to the wrong unit,” the man said, pausing. “Thought it was three but really it was eight. Bit of faded ink I think. Anyway, I threw the address away as I was told to. Maybe I should have read it better.” He paused again. “But I have something for you. Something you were expecting. Could you please open the door?”

Something for me? Don’t think so. 

Her phone was on the kitchen bench. She used the emergency call app.

“What service, please,” the operator asked.

“Police,” Ruby said. She must have sounded rushed or panicked or frightened, because the operator urged her to calm down.

“Yes, I will stay calm. There’s a violent man in the stairwell trying to break into people’s—”

Bang. Bang.

No longer gentle taps.

“I have your details on the screen. Are you in unit eight?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“The police are on their way.”

“Thank you.”

Where was her bag? She raced into the bedroom for her bag, rummaging through to find that business card.

Bang. Bang. Thud.

Now he was trying to kick the door. Ruby felt a little more secure, knowing the police were coming.

“Go away. The police are coming.” Should she be telling him this? She was confused.

“I only want to deliver something. Please open the door.”

She peered through the peephole.

This man was off his face. His face was even more distorted than faces usually were when viewed through peepholes. 

Please someone help me.

She clutched her arms.

“Please go away. The police are coming.”