Zach did not want to panic, but he could not help being afraid for his dear wife. What had happened to her? Had she screamed for help while he was revisiting the past? He quickly decided to search the perimeter of their residence. He easily and quietly crossed the backyard to the other side of the house where they had set up a small toolshed. That toolshed was where they kept all their manual and electronic tools. They had decided that neither of them wanted to trip over a stray nail gun or a bulky wheelbarrow.
As Zach crossed to the toolshed, he observed that the door was open. He inched closer slowly and took a peek. There, right in front of him, was a form he had never seen before. He charged into the shed and grabbed the arms of the stranger while kicking him behind the knees to make him kneel. The stranger let out a shout of surprise, and mentioned his name. Zach let go suddenly. He went around the figure and came face to face with his wife whose face was contorted in pain.
Zach swore viciously and knelt in front of his wife. He rubbed his palms over his face, biting his lower lip so that he didn’t scream his frustration. This was no time to ask his wife what she was doing there. He was even shocked he could not recognize his own wife from behind. He hissed and touched Cathy’s shoulder and made to take her hands but she withdrew from him like a flaming torch. She then screamed, “Don’t touch me, Zach! You lying, cheating traitor! Go on, kill me now! God, I knew it. I knew you were too good to be true. You had this planned all this while. What is keeping you now? Just kill me already!” As Cathy ranted, her tears flowed freely. It was then that Zach noticed the contents of her hands: black poster colour, a paintbrush that looked recently used, and some stationery, including envelopes. Zach moved back as Cathy made to rise up. She wailed as pain shot through her legs with the effort. As there was nothing else to hold on to, she allowed Zach to help her to her feet, but quickly withdrew from him and continued her assault.
“You didn’t need to do this, Zach. You could have gotten rid of me so easily so many years ago. Why did you pretend to have put everything behind you, as if you really meant moving on with me? Do you want me to commit suicide? Would that make you happy?”
Zach was lost. “Cathy, what are you talking about? I have no idea …”
“You don’t, do you?” Cathy thrust the items into Zach’s chest. “You are the one blackmailing me – no, us! You made that note up here, and how stupid I was to think we were moving forward. I was bedding the devil as he planned the fastest way to take me to hell.” She scoffed. “Well, here I am now. Don’t hide behind papers and paint. You’re strong; do it. Come on,” she jabbed his shoulder. “What are you waiting for?”
Zach was stupefied. His wife was accusing him of making that note? Him? “Cathy, I don’t know what this is about…” Zach began as he dumped the contents of his arms onto the workbench.
“Of course. Somehow a ghost from the past had access to this shed and made up the note and was clumsy enough to leave his evidence? Ha ha, right. I hardly come here. You use this place more often than I do, and we are the only people living here. Man, I caught you. Oh wait, I wrote the note myself. I am spooking myself. Oh God…” Cathy collapsed against the workbench, weak from her rantings. “Zach, why?”
“Listen to me for one minute, will you? I did not do this! I don’t know who did. What I do know is, someone is messing with us, and the person is smartly framing me to tear us apart. Come on, Cathy,” he reached for her hand but she pulled away. He sighed heavily. “I didn’t do it, Cathy. I wouldn’t stoop this low. You should know me by now. Ah.” With that Zach walked out of the toolshed and headed for the front porch of the house where he had a wide view of the vast beach and the sea. He longed to go for a swim to clear his head, to ease his wrung muscles, but he feared he might be putting Cathy in danger if he left her alone. She might even leave him. And who knows, the madman posting those black mails might be lurking. He stretched his arms and flexed his muscles, and then turned back into the house. As he passed through the hall towards the bedroom, he saw Cathy going the same direction. She was still crying. He wanted to leave her alone but he couldn’t. He couldn’t be held responsible for what he didn’t do. And whether she liked to admit it or not, she needed him now more than ever. This prankster could still be around.
He entered the bedroom after Cathy and saw her slump into their bed, the bed where they had just made wonderful love. Zach could feel a hard-on by merely thinking of it but he suppressed it; some things were more important than physical satisfaction. Zach tentatively sat by his wife on the bed and tried to reason with her. As he moved to touch her, she said sharply, “Don’t. I’m not ready.” Zach sighed, shook his head, and quietly walked out of the bedroom to the hall. Hopefully, she would come around soon, he thought.
Meanwhile, somewhere hidden within the hedges of the area lay a masked man, observing the goings-on with Zach and Cathy, and smiling to himself. It wouldn’t be long now, he thought, and she would be mine.
