2 promises

  Fog concealed the streets so completely not even the streetlights could penetrate the haze. Madison felt the familiar electricity run through her. Her favorite kind of weather, ordinary places became mysterious and magical as if extraordinary things were happening just out of sight of normal vision. Grabbing her maroon hoodie and jamming her feet into sneakers, she hurried out for a morning jog. The slap slap of her Nikes was the only sound breaking the silence blanketing the neighborhood. A cool mist clung to her face and the early April day smelled of worms a sure sign that spring had arrived.

  Three Days Grace playing loudly on her green Ipod further insulated her and she never heard whatever it was that rushed up behind her and brushed past her left arm before disappearing into the white grayness. Coming to an abrupt stop, she pulled the headphones out and stared in the direction it had seemed to vanish. What the hell?! The thing had been too big to be a dog but it had gone by too fast for her to tell if it was an animal or person. When nothing else moved she put her music back in and continued her workout but turned the volume down, repeatedly looking side to side not willing to be ambushed by what ever was roaming around. Madison almost wished she had thought to bring the pepper spray her mother had insisted on buying her. Oh well she had learned a long time ago not to regret what couldn’t be changed. Picking up her pace, Madison broke into a light sweat as she pushed herself to complete her mile run. She had almost reached her driveway without encountering anything strange when she saw a man slipping around the corner of her house. Speeding up she tried to catch up with him to confront him as to why he was on her property but by the time, she got around the lilac bush he had vanished.

Puzzled Madison checked all the doors and windows before entering her kitchen through the mahogany French doors. Once inside she grabbed a broom from the utility closet and cautiously searched everywhere; behind the couch, under beds even up in the attic and down in the basement before coming back down into the kitchen to make her one cup of coffee she allowed herself. While the teakettle heated up, she took a more through look around but nothing seemed to be missing or disturbed. Whoever the man was must not have had a chance to do more than look around the grounds.

    A whistling sound alerted her to the fact her water was ready. Grabbing her favorite cup and the canister of International Delight, hazelnut naturally, Madison made her coffee and carried the steaming drink into her study to continue working on her current project, a cover for the latest graphic novel by T.J. Emerson, whom she had never met. This series was about rogue vampire searching for an amulet that would allow him to walk in full sunlight. Getting the exact mix of bad boy appeal and unconventional hero was giving her more trouble than she expected even though she had read the story dozens of times.

Madison sat down at her drafting table and shuffled through the rough sketches. Not one of them was quite what she wanted. Maybe she needed to work on a different part of the assignment. T.J. wanted a drawing of the amulet, if she switched her focus, an idea for the cover might pop into her head. Putting aside the sketches Madison reached for fresh paper and her favorite pencil. Nothing; her mind was blank. Staring out into the overgrown vegetation that surrounded her carefully groomed lawn, Madison waited for inspiration to strike. Instead, she caught sight of something large moving around the bushes and trees. She set down her cup and peered into the gloom. Even straining Madison didn’t see anything; she shook her hood, the mist must be playing tricks on her. Picking her cup back up and starting to take a sip she caught movement again this time much closer to the house, she turned quickly toward her closet and took out the gun stored on the top shelf.

    Efficiently loading the weapon, she made her way to the east side of the house and peeked out the blinds. All was quiet but Madison wasn’t fooled this time she waited patiently. In a few seconds, she was rewarded with a man size shape passing by toward the front of the cottage. Releasing the safety, Madison snuck toward the front door hugging the walls. She heard a flowerpot fall over and a muffled curse. Heart pounding she edge closer to the door; gun ready. She knew how to use it thanks to all the time her dad made her spend at the gun club insisting she know how to protect herself. A jiggle of the handle brought her focus back to the immediate danger. Moving so she faced the door head on waiting for whoever it was to make his move. She didn’t have to wait long. Smash! Broken glass flew in from the side panel of the door. A strong masculine hand reached in searching for the lock. The sight of it spurred Madison into action. Rushing forward she put the barrel of the gun against his hand and watched with immense satisfaction when it froze.

  “You might want to rethink what your doing mister” 

  The owner of the hand released the lock, “Please wait I’m not going to hurt you, I can explain.”

  “Talk fast.”

  “I was hired by Phillips and Pickering, a law firm in Louisiana, to contact you and convince you to meet with them.”

  “And you thought the best way to go about that was to break into my house? Are you insane?” Madison pressed the gun a little harder into the man’s hand.

  “Look I’m sorry. My name is Derek. I’m a private investigator and I thought you might be in trouble.”

  “What in the hell gave you that stupid idea?”

  “Could you let me in? It would be easier to explain if I didn’t have to worry about a window in the middle of my hand.”

  “Ok but if you do anything that makes me nervous; I will blow a hole in you.”

  “All right, all right. Damn.”

  Madison tightened her grip on the pistol as she opened the front door, she didn’t know if it was some kind of trick and she learned a long time ago not to take chances. The man on the other side was hunched over in such an awkward position that she chuckled and almost felt sorry for him. His teeth were gritted and a muscle worked in his very masculine jaw, the scruffy beard and tousled hair covering his eyes only enhancing his appearance.

  “You got id?” The stranger shook the hair out of his eyes and stared at her with the most brilliant blue eyes she had ever seen, her breath caught in her throat and an unwelcome quiver started in her stomach.

  “In my pocket. It all right if I reach for it or will you decide to be trigger happy.”

  Rolling her eyes Madison gave him the go-ahead and took the card being very careful not to touch him