Chapter three.

Another.. lonely night?

Hours had passed, and when Gabriella had finally snapped back into reality, she realized she had never moved. She spaced out once the man had left her house. Rudge napped next to her, stirring himself awake when he noticed she moved. She stood up and walked to the bathroom across the short hall from her bedroom. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. Flat hair, dark circles under the eyes.. She let herself blink a few times, before resting her hands against the counter, leaning forward slightly. Gabriella stared at the counter, letting her eyes focus and unfocus again and again until Rudge barked, signaling he was hungry.

She shook her head, pushing the images of the man away; the fear she felt when she saw him snooping in her bedroom. Her private home had been invaded. She let a shiver run down her spine, rubbing her arms. She looked at Rudge when he barked the second time.

"All right, buddy, all right."

Gabriella shuffled her feet to afford being stepped on by Rudge, making her way slowly to the kitchen. She opened her fridge door when she arrived to it, looking through the shelves. She pulled her freezer door open, looking through the items, pulling out some chicken.

"May as well get rid of this, huh Rudge?"

She glanced down at her dancing companion. She filled the sink with enough water to cover the frozen chicken, before setting it on the bottom. It was going to take a couple hours to thaw completely. She wiped her hands off on a small dish towel that hung on over the over door handle. She placed it back, looking down at Rudge. 

"Shall we test out your new toys?"

Rudge danced around, spinning a couple times before he wandered the house, bringing back a few toys they had bought earlier that day. She took each one from his mouth as he brought it. Once he brought pretty much every single of his 20 toys to her, she walked to the back door that led to the backyard. She pulled the door open, dropping most of the toys, kicking them outside after Rudge bolted out the door. 

"Rudge!"

Gabriella groaned when he immediately began rolling in the small patch of dirt that could never grow grass. Because of that exact reason. She huffed, closing the door behind her, waiting to hear the click that it was completely shut. She threw most of his toys out into the yard, placing the others into a small wicker basket that sat outside in a corner against the house. She sat down on a chair that was almost as old as she was. Gabriella threw a toy that Rudge would bring back every few minutes, chuckling to herself when he would bolt after it like his life depended on it.

She smiled to herself as she watched Rudge play with his toys, eventually settling on a patch of shade against the fence, panting. She looked around her yard, furrowing her brow. She wanted to start a garden, but figured Rudge would just roll around in it; heaven for him, hell for her. She shrugged and stood up, walking to an outer corner of the house. She turned the sprinkler system on, Rudge jumping up and running around the yard, attacking each sprinkler. She giggled, running her hands over her face.

"Oh my goodness."

Gabriella walked to the back door, opening it, keeping the screen door closed. She closed herself inside, turning the A/C off and opening windows. She enjoyed the weather this time of year. Not too cold for a thick sweater, but not too hot to be sweating either. Fall. The leaves changed colors and died, and the town looked beautiful. She walked back outside, barefoot. She had removed her shoes and socks in her bedroom, and walked onto the grass, letting the sprinklers wet her. Rudge came running up behind her, knocking her onto her feet when he brushed against her. She laughed, laying on her back; she could be mad, but what for? The way she saw it, life was too short to be mad over the little things.

Gabriella changed into clean, dry clothes, standing at the stove. She spent longer outside than she intended, but it had passed the time. She left Rudge outside to dry in the setting sun, starting dinner. The chicken sizzled in the pan, sputtering every so often. Once the chicken was finished cooking, she started up some instant mashed potatoes, setting them aside. She grabbed a towel, and stepped outside, opening and pulling the screen door shut. She dried Rudge off, letting him back inside the house, once his feet were cleaned. She shook the towel off in the yard, before bring it inside. She dropped it into the washer, along with a couple other items, starting it up.

She walked back to the stove, and cut up one of the chicken pieces for Rudge to eat. She filled his water bowl, before she set his pieces onto a plate and onto the floor.

"Eat slowly Rudge."

Rudge seemed to roll his eyes at her, before he ate his food quickly. 'Right, I'm the bad guy' She thought to herself whilst she made up her plate, mixing the chicken and mashed potatoes together. She walked to the small dinner table for two and sat down. She took her time eating, dreading her run afterward. She looked at Rudge who stared at her, waiting for something to be dropped. She finished about half the plate, before setting it on the floor, letting him finish.

"Spoiled."

Rudge growled when she walked by. Gabriella patted his back, not caring about whatever dog comment he had. She cleaned up the pan and pot, letting them dry. She pulled on her socks and shoes, grabbing his leash and collar. To her, it looked like Rudge leaped to her in a single bound when he heard the jingle of the sliver clanking together. She sat on the floor, crossing her legs. She held the collar in her lap, waiting for him to settle and sit as well. It took about ten minutes until he did, his front paws still bouncing on the floor from excitement. She wrapped the collar around his neck, buckling it, before attaching the leash. She stood up and walked to the front door.

She opened it, letting the cool air rush in. She dropped his leash and walked to the back door, shutting it, then turning the deadbolt to lock. She walked back to the front door, closing it behind her, Rudge in the front yard already. She whistled at him to come back, grabbing his leash. She walked down the porch, wrapping the leash around her hand a couple times to keep a good grip. Rudge was significantly stronger than her, but she was never afraid of him jerking ahead.

The sun was gone, and the moon was shining in the sky; well, the half that was awake anyway. She glanced up at the sky every now and then, mostly letting Rudge lead. He stopped to smell different objects: grass, posts, chairs, flowers, trees. She tugged on the leash to keep him walking. Rudge stopped completely, sitting, ears perked up. Something was wrong, but Gabriella figured he was just getting tired and wanted to turn back. She wasn't aware of what was lurking ahead.

"Rudge come on!"

She pulled on his leash harder, he pulled back, backing away from the direction they had been walking in. He sat back down again, letting out a stressed bark. She looked in the direction he stared, straightening her back.

"Hello miss! I thought I'd never see you again! Lovely night out, isn't it?"

Damon had somehow snuck past Rudge's and her own senses. She jerked her body around to face him, putting a hand to her chest. She looked back in the direction Rudge faced until Damon stepped into her view.

"Are you all right Gabriella?"

Gabriella looked up at his face. He seemed so kind, so caring.. She shrugged it off, nodding.

"Yes, you just spooked my dog. That's all."

"Ah, I do apologize."

Damon reached to pat Rudge on the head and he growled in return. He pulled his hand back quickly, a hesitant laugh escaping his lips.

"Well, I must be going. Again, my apologies."

He dipped his head in a nod, before walking in the direction she faced, disappearing around the corner. Gabriella stared until he was out of view, looking down at Rudge. He looked up at her, hair standing on his back still. She patted his head, gave him a reassuring smile, and headed back home. Something didn't feel right about that man. She couldn't put her finger on it.

Author's Note

I apologize to anyone who was expecting this chapter last weekend. Please don't be hesitant with any criticism!