Danni Dennisen was trick or treating with her brother Max, when a shadow outside at the edge of my porch light drew my attention away from the television. The light was bright enough that it reached out halfway into the yard, barely illuminating the side of my shed that was closest to the house.
Riley was alert, his ears straight up as his head cocked to the side to look out the sliding glass door. It was a habit for me to keep the long curtains open until I went to bed since my yard was fenced in, and no person or animals should be lurking about when I made it a habit to keep the gate locked. I didn’t like feeling closed in with a lot of pulled curtains and shut blinds.
“What is it, boy?” I set down my half-drunk glass of wine and went over to the door, the movie still playing, though I wasn’t hearing it. Riley jumped up from his spot on the couch, hackles raised as he stood beside me, his body tense and ready to bolt. A growl rumbled deep from his chest as he looked out into the dark yard.
Staring out into the yard, I tried to see if there was anything out there that would have caused the movement. It was so subtle before out of the corner of my eye, that I couldn’t be sure. My nerves were shaky despite the wine I had consumed. Pulling my long sweater tighter around myself, I squinted, trying desperately to find a logical reason for the movement.
Riley started barking as a silhouette moved from behind my shed, the size of a man with his face hidden behind a dark hood. My blood froze, crystallizing in my veins and slowing my movements. He was here, in my gut, I knew it was him. Riley lunged at the door, his muzzle bouncing off the glass while I fumbled for my phone on the couch.
It took me three times to dial nine-one-one correctly, with how bad my fingers were shaking, constantly hitting the wrong numbers on the screen.
“Nine-one-one, what’s your emergency?” the dispatcher answered on the first ring.
“There’s a man in my yard.” I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the shed, scared that if I blinked, he would disappear and subtly appear somewhere else.
“Are you being threatened by this man?” the woman asked.
“He’s a fucking stalker who has tried to kill me twice, not some random guy walking by.”
“What’s the location of your emergency?” She asked robotically without an ounce of empathy in her voice.
I rattled off my address, hanging up the phone even though she advised me to stay on the line. Her tone wasn’t calming me down, and I needed to call someone that I knew would.
He answered on the second ring as I continued my vigil by the back door, Riley still growling and barking at the unseen threat.
“He’s here,” I said, panic lacing my voice. “He’s in the backyard.”
“I’m on my way. Where are you in the house?”
“I’m still downstairs. I called the police.”
Blue and red lights started flashing from the front door, catching my attention away from the backyard for a split second. A sharp knock followed, making me jump and drop my phone.
“Raelynn!” I could hear him yelling as I snatched up my phone, rushing to the front door. One hand on my phone, the other on Riley's collar.
“The cops are here,” I said into the phone, setting it down on the table beside my door to keep an eye on Riley and open it for the officers.
Only one stood at my door, the lights still flashing behind him, creating a strobe effect around my neighborhood. Riley continued to bark as I gripped his collar, letting the officer into my house. Behind him, I could see Daxton's Jeep pull up. A manila envelope was in the officer's free hand. An envelope with my name on it that hadn’t been there when I had gotten home earlier.
“My partner went around back to see if anyone was back there,” he turned, hearing someone behind him, and had his hand on his gun by his side. “Whoa, there, buddy. Can I help you?” The middle-aged officer was close to pulling his gun out.
“He’s fine, he’s here for me,” I said quickly, praying that the weapon wouldn’t be brought out unless it was pointed at my stalker.
“This was taped to your door,” He said, handing me the envelope, obviously not putting two and two together.
I handed what felt like a bomb to Daxton to open, not wanting to give up the comfort of holding my dog. Nothing good was going to come out of the sealed wrapping.
“Do you mind if I check the back yard from here?” The officer asked, not waiting for much of a reply before heading toward my back door. The sliding glass door in the living room was a straight shot from the front door, easy to see when anyone walked in. “I’ll ask the two of you to stay here until we’re done.”
I nodded, not really knowing what else to do. Daxton's hand rested on my shoulder, rubbing in a gentle motion to help calm me down. Riley's barks became less frequent, though he was still wound up like a coiled spring ready to be released. Once he was out the door, Daxton unceremoniously ripped open the envelope, pulling out one photo. His face hardened with fury from viewing what I couldn’t see.
“That mother fucker is dead,” he growled, turning the photo so I could see it, his hands shaking slightly as his temper started to grow.
In the photo, the exposure was shitty. Taken without a night lens, the quality was grainy and not super clear. It was clear enough for me to see myself on my knees before Daxton in the backyard, though, his hand fisted in my hair and a look of euphoria on his face. On the side of the photo, it was blocked by something solid, the side of my shed, if I had to guess. My stomach plummeted, thinking back to that night. I had thought I saw movement, but I just never thought it would have been a person. Daxton had held my full attention that evening.
He had been there, watching one of our intimate moments. For a man who was constantly telling me to go find better whenever we argued, he was having a hard time letting go now that I had.
“Are we going to show the police this?” I whispered meekly, wanting more than anything for Daxton to take control over the situation.
