24. Riddles and clowns

Entrapped series starts with Book 1 "The Phantoms". This is book 2 "The Disturbing..."

Chloe’s smartphone alarm awakens her at exactly seven o’clock on Saturday morning. She invited Hunter for breakfast before they are going to hit the road. Hunter wants to be at Hayley and talk to her not later than 8:45 before she opens the shop.

Chloe ponders the funny thing that happened last night while she steps into the shower. While the water refreshingly caresses her body, turbulent questions and concerns are rushing through her mind.

It doesn’t make sense at all for no one could have entered the house. She feels as if madness is engulfing her when she thinks about it. It is so unreal, but it definitely happened! A thick cloud of Rum and Maple smoke in the kitchen was tangible evidence of the impossible! Could it be a coincidence? Why the same tobacco that Tony loved to smoke?

She hasn’t told Isaac about it and feeling embarrassed only forwarded an explanation at the safety gate and an apology for having disturbed him. Isaac realized something was amiss, but she downplayed it by telling him she was upset that she disturbed him and Robert unnecessarily. He tried to pacify her by telling her that he would only leave later in the morning to start his work at nine o’clock. She then invited him to join her and Hunter for breakfast so that he and Hunter could get acquainted.

She now carries the weight of the unexplainable alone. How did her life change so drastically! She is meeting new, interesting people, but at the same time experiences the most horrible things! She has a logical explanation for the night sounds, but now this thing! If it only wasn’t Rum and Maple! That familiar smell makes it so much worse because in her imagination she sees Tony on the veranda in silence, staring up in the sky, while he inhales the smoke deeply and leisurely blows it out. She hates nothing more than the unsolved because she is a logical person. She wants to yell out of frustration! What the hell is going on? Who threatens Zoey and Lyle and how on earth could there be a cloud of smoke in her kitchen?

Maybe she is losing her senses. Is this what happens when you are increasingly becoming mad? Maybe some non-existent things become so real that you experience them tangibly. Maybe anxiety in your brain could manipulate things to become palpable.

Could it be that she is only hard-headed? Maybe there are unknown dimensions and on different points you get ports to different realities. Or maybe this really is a haunted house where such things are possible! Why could rational, logical people only live here for two weeks maximum before they hurriedly left? Maybe her father was here in her kitchen! Maybe he is worried about her and that was his sign! Damn! Stop it, Chloe! Just forget it! It didn’t happen!

Although, the alarm went off! The eye in the kitchen definitely picked up something! Then it must be something concrete. Oh no, Chloe, who says? You get false alarms, not so? Maybe the thing is dysfunctional. It could be a coincidence that there was a false alarm precisely at that time. A simple, blooming cockroach obviously stepped on the wrong electronic pad and triggered the false cacophony. The darn little thing! Maybe he burnt out and his bodily rests smelled like Rum and Maple or maybe it could be a giant cockroach that nibbled on Robert’s Rum and Maple in the woods! Yes, that must be the explanation! Chloe is now laughing out loud!

Only if this happens again she will take it seriously. Until then she will think of it as a strange coincidence that could be logically explained and which she can’t figure out at this stage. Just like the monkeys. Period Chloe, and should something like this happens again, she has Isaac that can search in her brain for loose screws and bolts! She laughs again loudly for her funny thoughts.

Chloe slips into an expensive, brown shirt and battleship grey trousers and puts on her farm boots. Now she is ready for the farm visit.

Later she has just finished preparing breakfast when she hears a knock on the front door. Relaxed she opens for Hunter because she uses her peephole.

She greets him warmly while she unlocks the safety gate. “Good morning, Hunter, what type of weather is forecasted for today? The trees are so high around my islet here in the outback I shall never know whether dark clouds are encroaching on me.”

Hunter studies her thoroughly. “Good morning, Chloe, you look really prepared for our farm visit. No, there are no clouds in sight and it looks like a beautiful, sunny day the whole day.”

“Breakfast is ready, Hunter, I must just go and call my neighbor. He’s only starting to work at nine this morning so I invited him to join us for breakfast because he wants to meet you.”

She goes out and they continue chatting on the veranda.

“Oh ..., okay, that’s all right. I was surprised to see his very expensive sports model BMW here this morning. It’s the first time I see any sign of life on that side opposite your place.”

“Well, he is coincidently the medical doctor that looks after Zoey and informs me regularly of her condition and progress. He is Doctor Isaac Horn. He arrived here that morning I went to look for Zoey and Lyle and that same afternoon he caught me when I clandestinely slipped into Lyle’s room, against his strict orders. That night you slept here, he visited me with news about Zoey and I found out that his eating habits were horrible and unhealthy. He works long hours and only grabs a takeaway on his way home. I proposed to prepare dinner for him every evening. He had supper here last night and invited me to join him for supper at his place this evening.”

Hunter’s face shows relief. “This is fantastic news. It means you won’t be alone during the evenings.”

Chloe sees Isaac leaving his home. “There he is. No need to go and fetch him.”

Hunter turns his head in Isaac’s direction. “Attractive bloke! I’m sure he is very popular with the females.”

Chloe keeps her eyes on Isaac and she won’t quarrel with this opinion. He is definitely a very attractive guy. A real leave-me-alone-posture; clearly displaying ample self-confidence in his demeanor while he is walking up to them. The sexy hunk!

Isaac stops in front of Hunter and smiles: “Is this now my Chloe’s bodyguard and hero Hunter? Thank you so much for your concern and what you do for her. I’m really impressed with your work. What do I owe you for the lights around my place?”

Chloe is shocked by his shameless impertinence. He has just said ‘my Chloe’! She instantly gets the urge to kick his ass but she will have to behave in front of Hunter. She will put him in his place later on tonight.

Hunter smiles heartily. “How do you do, Doctor Horn? And forget about paying. Chloe paid for everything.”

“I feel guilty, Hunter, what about your hard work and valuable time, did she pay for that as well?”

Chloe cuts in. “They wouldn’t let me reimburse them for work and time.”

Hunter explains. “I’ve done it mainly for myself because overnight she has become the most important thing in my life.”

Hunter looks straight at Chloe. “I don’t sleep peacefully, Chloe. I awake in the night extremely worried over you. I must stop myself from phoning you in the middle of the night to make sure you are okay.”

Chloe moves like lightning and plants an unsuspected peck on his cheek. “Shame man, I assured you that I can look after myself. When are you going to relax?”

Hunter smiles at her impulsiveness and looks back at Isaac. “Promise me, Doctor, you’ll never mess around with this girl for she might be delicately built but she is very dangerous. Her father taught her deadly tricks that can cause permanent damage and she is lightning quick.”

Isaac looks surprised. “I read the radiating self-confidence in her body that talks with and find it so very sexy from the first day I met her and I annoyed her.”

Damn, this man is arrogant but also irresistible. Aggressively she puts her hands on her hips: “So very sexy! Doctor, you must contain yourself. I will report you to the medical council. And by the way, I am not at all impressed with what you have said earlier. ‘My Chloe!’ I will be glad to know, Siiir, what you mean by that? Do you really think I am now your possession?” Aggressively she swings her hips.

Suddenly the men burst out in a laughing competition as if they encourage each other. Isaac struggles to get words stuttering between fits of laughter. “Do you see what I mean, Hunter, she misses nothing and when she gets annoyed that sexy body talks overtime.”

The next moment her fist slams into his shoulder with a noisy slap. She has reacted so quickly that she is frightened by her action when Isaac screams surprised: “Ouch, this is painful, damn! She is really dangerous and malicious, Hunter!”

Tears of laughter run down Hunter’s cheeks and he also stutters between fits of laughter: “I can now clearly see what you are talking about, Doctor, you had barely uttered the words when she attacked with vengeance and let that sexy body talks!”

Chloe turns around and disappears towards the kitchen while she screams back at them: “You two should never have met! You are bad for each other! Are you sure you are not family? Bad genes? I am going to the kitchen. But make sure you complete your laughter before you enter the house. Your hot coffee water may just land all over you instead of in your cups.”