Dating : Sometimes you aren’t alone in space.

I couldn’t focus on much more than the pain in the back of my head. I didn’t know what hit me and it didn’t occur to me that it might have been who hit me. My thoughts were hazy as I stumbled to my feet, using the cold metal of the wall beside me to try and steady myself. I felt something warm drip down the back of my neck and reached back to gently dab at the cut there, thankful it didn’t feel very deep. I was alone here, just me and my small cargo ship so anything worse would have been a death sentence. With lingering double vision I tried to find whatever had knocked me on my ass but there wasn’t a damn thing at my feet or any where else in the small kitchen that could have been to blame.
“ Ok crazy…” Talking to myself had become common place out here in the emptiness of space, a feeble attempt at keeping myself at least a little sane. I had 325 more days out here, all by my lonesome and too much time alone in space could really mess with a person’s head. I gave up trying to figure out what had happened and instead wobbled my way to the first aid kit to clean myself. I could have taken a fall for all I knew, knocked myself out just long enough to not be able to remember. There wasn’t much use in trying to figure it out.
“ You need to talk to an actual person for a little while. “ I whispered as if anyone else could hear me. Maybe sometimes I was afraid someone would respond. The hiss of the door sliding open was more than enough to send the first aid kit tumbling out of my hands and my body out of it’s skin. I twisted around so quick that I saw stars and needed to once again brace myself against the wall. All I could do was stand and Stare at the open door, heart pounding up into my throat, breath caught in my lungs. “ H..hello..?” God, that sounded stupid. I was alone. When no one replied I managed to get my legs to work, small steps taken towards the door which lead into an empty corridor. “ See? Alone.”

“ Not really..” The response was not just the voice in my head, it was not my own. It was deep and raspy and it sent the hairs on the back of my neck straight up. He stepped out from around the corner, tall and muscular with nothing but hate in his eyes. “Hey pretty girl…been a while.” And while he moved closer I couldn’t move.

“ How …how did ..” It was like seeing a ghost, a nightmare from the past suddenly back to haunt me.

“ You didn’t really think I’d let you come all the way out here alone, did you?”

I needed to move but my legs were frozen in place, glued to the floor in fear. He was only an arms reach away from me now, his blood shot eyes looking me over while he licked his lips.

“ You’re…dead…you…I..” I was finding it increasingly hard to speak or breathe or do much more than stand there and stare.

“ You what? Killed me?” He chuckled and guided his shirt up so I could see the healing stab wound in his chest. “ You tried, baby girl…right? Cause ghosts aren’t real and I’m real as ever.” Closer still. He snatched up my wrist before I had a chance to react and forced my hand against his chest. “ See? Solid…all muscle, remember how much you used to like that? “

I struggled and he yanked me closer. “ How are you here?” My voice betrayed me, weak and shaky while I wanted nothing more than to sound strong and unafraid.

“ How about I show you?” He drug his fingers into my dark brown hair and yanked me down the hall with him, ignoring my pleas and screams. “ Who you calling out to, Liv? No one here but me and you.” He laughed.

He was right but it didn’t stop me from trying. He pulled me along and I stumbled and struggled to keep up, wincing every time he pulled my hair a little harder. I didn’t want to cry but I could feel tears on my cheeks and it only seemed to make him happier.
Three years ago I had been in love with this man, with Ian, and life had been so sweet until he started drinking and blaming the way he hit me on the whiskey he drank. Four months ago I had enough of the black eyes and busted lips, of his fake apologies. Four months ago we fought and I shoved a steak knife into his chest and ran as fast as I could away from my life with him, as far away as this tiny ship floating in space. I never looked back, hell, I never worried about getting thrown in jail…any where was better than with him.

Look at us now. Alone in the great unknown with my ex lover I had thought was dead, because of me. Maybe it was my fault for not trying to find out, for assuming the problem was gone forever. He stopped at the cargo bay doors and shoved me over the threshold with ease. I fell hard, sliding along the smooth tile flooring until a wall forced me to stop.

“ I guess maybe I’m a little obsessive, ya know? Tracked you down a few months ago…stalked you a little bit, found out what you had planned and I just couldn’t handle the thought of you being all alone out here with no one to keep you warm at night. Call me a stowaway and you an idiot for not being more careful. Anyone could have sneaked out here with you…anything even. Thank god it was just me.” He stood in stood in the door way, all too proud of himself.

I wanted to get up and run but there was no where to go. I wanted to stop crying but every time I tried to push back my tears all I did was choke on them. “ Just kill me…and get it over with, Ian..”

He snorted and his heavy books carried him towards me again. “ Nah, baby…there’s no fun in just killing you.” He crouched down in front of him, taking my chin in his hand to force me to look up at him. “ I’d get bored and maybe you’re okay with stabbing someone and running off…but I’d rather play a little bit first.”

to be continued.