In Love With His Mistress

he was here to rob

Step by step, he got close to the lighthouse. But as he reached the door and pushed it, he rolled his eyes finding it locked from inside. 

“Very well…” he mumbled with a sinister smile on his face and was about to kick the door, suddenly someone from behind called him out.

“Can I help you, sir?”

Rolling his eyes Blake turned towards the man who looked to be in his late forties and roared, “it’s none of your business.”

“If you are willing to kick the lighthouse’s door, then it’s probably my business, gentleman,” replied the man in a solemn voice.

“OH! Come on…” Blake grew furious.

“I request you not to damage the property, sir.”

Blake had no other option rather to glare at him and walk away. Alicia, who was praying, shaking like a leaf saw him leaving. She took a deep breath of relief. When he got inside the woods, she thought it was the best opportunity for her to go downstairs and escape.

 Reaching the door, she tried to pull the door but it didn’t open. The door was locked from outside.

“No, no… no…” she mumbled in panic.

She couldn’t even call out for help. Frustrated she sat on the cold stairs. She had no idea what she was going to do.

“What? What am I going to do? What if the door never opens?” She stood on her feet and paced back and forth. 

“No, no that is not possible. Lighthouse is meant to be lit every night. So someone will definitely come. I know… I just need to wait,” trying to calm herself down, she mumbled. Sitting back at the stairs, she rubbed her arms.

She leaned her head on the wall and closed her eyes.

****

The sound of the lock opening made Alicia wake from her half-sleep. As soon as her eyes opened, she found out that someone was opening the door.

Hastily she stood on her feet and looked around. ‘What am I gonna do? What am I gonna do?’ she mumbled underneath her breath in panic.

When the door was pushed, she hurriedly hid behind the door. The man who opened the door, carrying shopping bags in his hand, noticed her legs underneath the door. He tried to pull the door but Alicia hastily pulled it back.

“Who… Who… is there?” questioned the man.

Alicia gulped hard and didn’t know what to answer. Seeing the door shaking, the man understood that she was trembling with fear.

“You… don’t have to be scared. Come out, I am not going to hurt you…” said the man in a calm and soft tone.

Alicia hesitating a little slowly stepped out of the door and stood lowering her head.

“I… I am sorry. I didn’t mean to barge. I will leave, right away,” she said and prepared to leave.

"No, wait…” stopped the man extending his hand and pressing it against the door. “Look at your condition. What happened to you?”

Alicia gulped hard looking down at herself and didn’t answer his question. She was soaked like a chicken and she was not even able to answer his question. 

“Come with me,” said the man, and walked upstairs.

But Alicia hesitated to go with him. Looking down from the stairs, he said, “come, I am not going to bite.”

Clutching her fist, Alicia followed the man in nervousness. He opened the door to his compartment and glancing at her said, “seeing your condition, I guess that you are in great trouble. Come have a seat and let me help you.”

“Thank… thank you…” stammered Alicia in her low tone.

As she walked inside, she found the room was small and cozy. It had a small bed in one corner and a kitchen in the other corner. 

“Please have a seat,” said the man squatting in front of the bed and pulled out a steel box from under the bed.

Alicia marched to the bed but didn’t sit with the fear of staining the bedsheets with her dirty and wet clothes. The man started to search for something in the box.

“What is your name, young lady?” questioned the man, piling the clothes on one side of his box.

“Um… Alicia…” she replied, clearing her throat.

“I am Carl,” he replied, shortly glancing at her and giving a smile.

“You live here?” asked Alicia, darting around.

He darted around before getting back to his box and answered, “seems so.”

“But you were not here a while ago.”

“I had gone to do grocery shopping…” replied Carl.

“You left without locking the door?” Alicia was astonished.

“No, actually as you can see my grey hair which is actually the evidence of me getting old. So sometimes I suffer from short-term memory loss which is kind of common for the age I am in. I had forgotten to lock the door before leaving. But reaching halfway, I remembered and walked back. Luckily, I was quick. Or else someone was here to rob me…” explained Carl. 

“The man with tattoos?” questioned Alicia.

“Yeah,” he shortly glanced at her and nodded his head.

She cleared her throat and looked away feeling uncomfortable.

“He was here to rob you, is it?” Carl questioned seeing her low face.

She just nodded her head.

“So you came here to hide from him and got locked,” Carl said again.

“Yes… but if you want I can leave…” she said.

“No, no… it’s fine. You must be starving, have some lunch and leave,” Carl suggested.

“I really don't want to trouble you…” she said hesitantly.

“It’s alright, dear. I usually get no visitors, so I don't mind treating you as my guest,” Carl replied in a soft tone.

“That is very sweet of you,” Alicia passed a comment.

“Thank you…” Carl said and handed her a dress saying, “here…”

Alicia was astonished. She hesitated to take it. So, Carl said, “take it. It’s my daughter’s last keepsake. But I see you are in more need of it than me.”

“You really don’t have to…” 

“Come one take it. You look like a wet dog with only one difference, and that is you don’t stink,” quipped Carl chuckling.

Alicia glanced at her wet and stained clothes on her body. She knew she had to take the dress or else she had to roam around in dirty clothes. Hesitating, she took the dress from his hand.

Carl pointed towards his right and said, “Washroom is that way, in case you need a bath.”

Alicia nodded and marched towards the washroom. Carl walked to his small kitchen and started to prepare coffee.

After some time, Alicia stepped out of the washroom in a sky blue plain floral dress, ending below her knee and wet hair. She was looking so beautiful. She towel-dried her hair for a while and hung the towel on the washroom door.

Walking towards Carl, she said, “do you need any help?”

“Oh! No dear, I am having a guest after decades. So, I cannot let my guest work,” replied Carl, pouring the coffee on the cup. 

“You are very kind,” Alicia asserted.

“Well, haven’t heard that since long,” Carl quipped with a witty smile on his face.

“Yeah, that’s because you are getting guests after decades,” replied Alicia, with a smile on her face.

“Well, that makes sense. Come have a seat,” Carl suggested, pulling the chair for her.

Alicia nodded and dropped on the chair, “thank you.”

 Carl placed the cup of coffee on the table with donuts and said, “Have it…”

“Thank you…” Alicia said and ate lunch. She felt heavenly when her hungry stomach was stuffed with food.