Karen

Quick suspense/thriller. Unfinished, looking for feedback.

Thank you for joining the group, Brittany. I
understand this is your first time here, so if
you don’t want to share, we completely
understand. Welcome to the Sisters of Love
group. Brittany sat there, uncomfortable but
determined, fidgeting with the hem of her
sweater. She managed a half-smile, her
voice steady but tinged with nervous energy.
“Well, I’m here now, and I’m ready to
release the trauma. Here’s my story...” “I
hate you, Jason! I hate you! How could you
do this to me again?” I screamed, tears
streaming down my face. “I’ve had enough�"
get out of my house now!” Jason stood
frozen, shame etched across his face. He
grabbed his coat, hesitated as if to say
something, then headed for the door. His
weak apology fell flat in the tension-filled
room. I wasn’t hearing it. Not this time. This
wasn’t the first time he’d betrayed me. The
flirting, the late-night texts to coworkers�"it
was a pattern, one I’d foolishly forgiven too
many times. My patience had run out. Once
he was gone, I collapsed onto my bed, tears
soaking into the pillow as I sobbed myself to
sleep. It was all so exhausting, but deep
down, I knew the cycle would repeat itself.
Fight, leave, return with flowers, make up,
repeat. Sure enough, a knock came hours
later. He’d been gone about four hours. My
anger had mostly subsided, but as I walked
past the mirror, I forced an angry scowl
onto my face. Lay it on thick, I thought. I
opened the door without even looking and
turned away, heading toward the bedroom.
“I’m so sick of this, Jason! Sleep on the
couch tonight!” I snapped, slamming the
bedroom door behind me. No response. Still
talking, I stormed back toward him. “You
must not be sorry if you’re gonna be rude
and not�"” I froze mid-sentence. The figure
standing in my living room wasn’t Jason. It
was a hulking man, his shadow swallowing
the room. His eyes were dark and
unreadable, his face unfamiliar yet somehow
familiar. “What are you doing here?” I
managed, my voice barely above a whisper.
“You’ve got the wrong house.” He said
nothing. His hand reached for the door, but
instead of leaving, he locked it and slid the
bolt into place. Panic gripped me. I gasped
for air, my mind racing. This couldn’t be
happening. I tapped his massive chest
repeatedly, pleading with my eyes.
Suddenly, he stepped back and removed his
hand. I thought I was going to faint.
Something strange was happening. All I
could see was red, and oddly, I smelled a
sweet floral scent. “I’m so sorry, Britt. I
didn’t mean to scare you,” he said softly. I
stared at him, bewildered. His voice was
gentle, almost apologetic. He held out a
dozen roses, their fragrance overpowering
the tension in the room. “I... I don’t
understand,” I stammered, my hands
trembling. “Do you know me?” “Yes, Britt,”
he replied, his face softening. “I would
never hurt you, especially not the way Jason
does. He doesn’t deserve you.” My mind
reeled. How did this man know my name?
How did he know about Jason? “Here,
Britt,” he said, handing me the roses. “I
brought these for you.” I hesitated, unsure
of what accepting them might mean, but in
that moment, I felt I had nothing to lose.
“Thanks,” I said, my voice barely audible.
He stepped back and smiled, a look of
childlike excitement lighting up his face.
“You’re a treasure, Britt,” he said. “Jason
doesn’t cherish you the way you deserve.
Like last week, when you wanted to watch
Star Wars and he said it was stupid. That
made me so angry. I love Star Wars.” My
blood ran cold. How did he know that? “By
the way, I’m sorry for your loss,” he added,
handing me a handwritten letter. The words
hit me like a wave. I lost my father too. It
was a car accident, a drunk driver. I feel
your pain. It all came flooding back. Today
was my father’s birthday. I’d completely
forgotten in the chaos with Jason. “Thank
you,” I whispered, overwhelmed. I tried to
steady myself, thinking of a way to get him
to leave. “What’s your name?” I asked
cautiously, stepping toward the door. “G-G-
Gary,” he stuttered. “Well, Gary, thank you
for the flowers. It was a sweet gesture, but
this approach wasn’t right. Maybe we can
grab lunch sometime?” I offered, forcing a
smile. His face lit up. “Oh, that would be
great! I live next door.” The realization hit
me. That’s where I knew him from. Gary
was my neighbor, though I hadn’t seen him
in years. “Okay, Gary,” I said, reaching for
the door, relief washing over me. “I’ll see
you around.” But as I opened the door,
there stood Jason, ear pressed to the frame.
“Lunch?!” he shouted, throwing the roses
he’d bought in my face. Before I could react,
Jason shoved Gary, then grabbed me by the
neck. “You brought this loser into my house?
How dare you!” he roared. Gary, still
holding his roses, looked stunned. “See you
around, Britt,” he mumbled, turning to leave.
Jason lost it. He punched Gary, knocking
him to his knees. Though Gary was bigger,
Jason’s rage was unrelenting. I screamed
and tried to pull Jason back, but he flung me
across the room with an elbow to the
stomach. “Excuse me, Brittany,” Miss Karen
interrupted. “This is the Sisters of Love
group, heavy on the love. Let’s refrain from
violent depictions and using aggressors’
names. Thank you. You may proceed.” “Oh,
I’m so sorry. Thanks for letting me share,”
Brittany said, her voice softening. “Since
then, my boyfriend has really started
appreciating me more. Things are so much
better. I can feel it�"he’s going to propose
any day now.” After the session, the sisters
filed out for the night. “That was a great
session,” Brittany said to Miss Karen.
“We’re so happy you joined. Hope to see
you next week!” Miss Karen replied. As
Brittany’s ride pulled up, she ran over and
hugged her boyfriend. Miss Karen couldn’t
resist introducing herself. “Hello, I’m Miss
Karen Anderson,” she said, extending her
hand. The man reached out, a warm smile
spreading across his face. “Nice to meet
you. I’m Gary.”
Miss Karen stood there, her eyes fixed on
Gary with an expression she couldn’t quite
hide. She quickly tightened her face into a
polite smile, masking her unease. Gary tilted
his head slightly, his eyes narrowing, as if he
could sense her hesitation.
“Well, I’ve heard so much about you,
Gary,” Miss Karen said, her voice light but
deliberate. “I’m glad Brittany has someone
like you.”
Gary simply nodded, his smile polite yet
guarded.
Miss Karen turned to Brittany, her tone
shifting to a warmer note. “Alright then, I’ll
see you next week, Brittany.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Brittany replied cheerfully,
clutching Gary’s arm.
Miss Karen offered a quick wave and
headed to her car. Once inside, she sat for
a moment, her eyes lingering on the pair
outside. Brittany and Gary stood close, their
voices low, exchanging what seemed to be
a tender moment. From the outside, they
looked like the perfect couple.
Miss Karen lowered the car’s visor, her
fingers brushing against the photo tucked
into the mirror’s edge. It was her late
husband, Arnold, smiling back at her. Her
eyes welled up as she whispered, “I miss
you so much, Arnold. Two years… and it still
feels like yesterday those b******s took you
from me.”
She wiped her eyes, shaking her head to
regain composure. She flipped on the radio
to distract herself.
The smooth voice of the host filled the car.
“Welcome back, folks, to Mystery Monday.
Today’s story is about a man who seemed to
vanish into thin air. Jason Callahan was last
seen leaving his home to grab dinner, but he
never returned. For the past year and a half,
his girlfriend was the leading suspect, but
with no charges filed, the district attorney
has officially removed her from suspicion.
The case has gone cold, leaving Jason’s
family desperate for answers. If anyone has
information, please call in. Brittany, you
were the last person to see him�"if you
remember anything, no matter how small,
please come forward.”
Miss Karen froze, her hand hovering over
the ignition. Her mind raced as the words
echoed in her ears. Jason Callahan?
Brittany? She couldn’t shake the chill
crawling up her spine.
Without hesitation, she made a sharp U-turn,
her tires screeching against the pavement as
she headed back toward the Sisters of Love
church. As she approached, her heart
skipped a beat. A car that looked eerily
similar to Gary’s was pulling out of the lot.
Determined, Miss Karen turned into the lane
to follow it�"but BANG! The sound of
crunching metal jolted her, and she realized
she’d sideswiped another vehicle in her
haste.
“D****t!” she yelled, slamming her palms
against the steering wheel. She quickly
pulled over, apologizing profusely to the
other driver.
By the time she looked up again, Gary’s car
had disappeared around the corner, out of
sight. Shaken and frustrated, Miss Karen
exchanged insurance information, her mind
still racing.
As she got back into her car, she muttered to
herself, “I missed him this time, but I’ll get to
the bottom of this. Next week, Gary… next
week.”
The following week, Miss Karen arrived at
the church early, determination in her heart
but uncertainty clouding her mind. She sat in
her car, the rain tapping softly against the
windshield. With her hands gripping the
steering wheel, she prayed aloud, "Father,
please guide me. Help me protect Brittany.
Help me save her."
When the sisters began arriving, Miss Karen
scanned each face. Brittany wasn’t there.
Panic set in, and frustration bubbled to the
surface. She slammed her hands against the
wheel. "I scared her off," she muttered. "She
knows I’m onto Gary, and now she’ll never
come back."
Still, Miss Karen waited, watching as the last
of the sisters filed into the church.
Reluctantly, she grabbed her coat and
stepped into the rain. Her mood was heavy
as she entered the group meeting room.
“Hello, sisters,” she said softly.
“Hello, Miss Karen,” the group replied.
Before she could continue, Miss Beth gently
grabbed her arm. “Miss Karen, could I have
a word with you in the hall?”
Out in the hallway, Miss Beth studied
Karen’s face. “Are you okay? You don’t
seem yourself today.”
Karen hesitated, unsure if she should confide
in her. “I’m fine,” she replied, forcing a
smile. “It’s just... I was in a car accident last
week, and seeing the dent today brought
back memories of Arnold’s tragedy.” Her
voice cracked as she mentioned her late
husband.
Miss Beth immediately embraced her in a
warm hug. Karen leaned into the comfort,
but over Beth’s shoulder, she caught sight of
someone through the glass of the meeting
room door. Brittany.
“The girl,” Karen whispered.
Miss Beth followed her gaze. “Yeah, she’s
here. She was the first one to arrive�"scared
me half to death sitting in the dark when I
turned the lights on,” Beth said with a light
laugh.
Karen and Brittany locked eyes through the
glass. Brittany smiled and waved, her
demeanor almost unnervingly cheerful.
Throughout the session, Karen couldn’t
shake her unease. Brittany’s bright
demeanor seemed out of place. Was she
pretending? Was Gary controlling her? Or
worse, was she complicit in whatever was
happening? These thoughts swirled in
Karen’s mind, pulling her into a daze. Even
the other sisters noticed her distraction.
Finally, Karen excused herself to the
restroom. Once inside, she splashed cold
water on her face repeatedly, gripping the
sink for support. “Get it together, Karen,”
she whispered to herself. “You have to stay
focused.”
When she emerged from the restroom, a
sudden, firm grip on her arm startled her.
She was yanked back toward the hallway.
Looking up, she froze. It was Gary.
His grip wasn’t painful, but it was
commanding, and his towering presence
made her feel cornered. Her heart pounded
as he smiled down at her, his expression
unreadable. Before she could cry out, he
placed a hand over her mouth, silencing her.
But instead of violence, Gary pulled
something from behind his back. A small
round cake.
“I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said softly,
removing his hand from her face. “It’s
Brittany’s birthday today. I thought it would
be nice if you presented this to her in front
of the group. She loves this group so much.”
Karen stared at the cake, her emotions a
mix of relief and anger. She wanted to lash
out at him, but they were in a church, and
she knew better than to make a scene.
“Thank you, Gary,” she said coolly. “I’ll
make sure she gets it.”
Gary smiled and turned away, clapping his
hands as he left the building. Karen watched
him go, her mind racing. Was this an
intimidation tactic? Or something more
sinister disguised as kindness?
After the Sisters of Love prayer, Miss Karen
presented the cake to Brittany, whose face lit
up with joy.
“Oh, thank you so much!” Brittany
exclaimed, beaming. “I love being in this
group, ladies.” But her smile faltered, and
she looked down at the floor.
“Unfortunately, this will be my last session.
Gary got a new job out of town, and we’re
leaving tomorrow.”
The sisters surrounded Brittany, hugging her
tightly and showering her with love and well
wishes. Miss Karen, however, remained
rooted to her spot, her heart sinking. She
glanced out into the hallway and saw Gary
standing there, watching her intently.
Their eyes met, and Karen felt a chill run
down her spine. She quickly looked away,
her thoughts racing. As Brittany said her
goodbyes, Karen whispered to herself, “I
have to save her. Somehow, I have to save
her.”
Miss Karen joined the group hug, though
brief, and smiled softly. “I’m going to miss
you, Brittany. We all are. Safe travels, and if
you’re ever in Rochester again, you know
where we are.”
Brittany smiled warmly and continued
chatting with the other sisters. Miss Karen,
however, couldn’t ignore the growing
unease in her chest. She glanced over at
Miss Beth and said, “Can you lock up
tonight? I’ve got somewhere I need to be.”
Beth nodded, a bit surprised, but didn’t
press for details.
Miss Karen slipped out the exit door that led
straight to the parking lot, quickly getting
into her car. She drove around the corner,
parking in a spot where she could keep a
clear view of the church without being easily
seen. She adjusted her seat, her eyes fixed
on the parking lot. “This is it,” she muttered
to herself.
She watched intently, every nerve on edge.
Then, her heart skipped a beat. “There it is,”
she whispered.
Gary and Brittany walked to their car, got
in, and drove off. Miss Karen waited just
long enough to avoid suspicion before
pulling out and following them at a safe
distance.
The drive felt endless, each turn heightening
her anxiety. Finally, they arrived at an
outdated, tiny motel. The neon sign buzzed
faintly in the dim light. Miss Karen parked a
short distance away, her heart pounding as
she watched Gary escort Brittany to one of
the rooms. Gary went inside, the door
closing behind him.