Watching You

• Ashlea Knickel, Grade 9, Trinity College
• Short Story
• 2015

Finalist in the 'The Write Track 2015' competition

I feel his eyes on me. I have felt them for a long time. Every now and then I catch him watching, but he always runs away. His name is Max, he’s been stalking me. Even now, as I am standing in my kitchen making a salad, I can feel his wicked eyes burning into my skin. He always seems to be there, always seems to be watching.
I snap back to reality and realise I am chopping thin air. I go over to the fridge and eventually find a carrot. I shut the fridge door and turn to go back to the bench when I feel my muscles tense. I feel a tightening in my stomach and I have to fight desperately to catch my breath.
Standing right there in the middle of the floor is Max. He doesn’t speak, doesn’t even move, but I see the hard, cold, murderous look in his eyes that makes a chill run down my spine.
I take a deep breath and try to be brave. “What do you want?” I ask, noticing the shaky tone I speak in.
He doesn’t answer, he only stares.
I burst into life and let instinct take over. I grab the closest thing and make it a weapon. A recipe book. The knife probably would have been a better choice but at least the book is heavy and thick. Max quickly realises what I am doing. He has the reflexes of a cat and runs straight for me, not bothering to get himself a weapon.
I stand my ground and make the first hit. I swing my book up into the air and slam it down onto his shoulders. He flinches but keeps coming. I hit him again and one more time after that. My blows are starting to take their toll and after one more hit to the head he turns around and runs for cover. But I am faster than he is and manage to overtake him and block the door.
I lift up my book one last time and bring it crashing down on his head, hard.
He stops still. With a look of pain in his eyes he falls over and curls up into a little ball. Oh no, I didn’t mean for it to go this far. I only wanted him to leave me alone, I never wanted him dead. Oh no, oh no, OH NO ...
I grab a broom and use it to push Max’s limp body outside. “I never wanted him dead ...never wanted this,” I think to myself. I give Max a moment of silence before I walk inside. I lean against the door and try to recover from the shock.
At least that is one less spider in the world!