# Touch: Chapter 15



## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

Down the spiral staircase they went, gripping the walls and taking very slow steps. It was so black that Nadia's eyes were hurting. She was surprised there wasn't a lantern or something to be seen.

Coming to the bottom, she said to Andrei, "Now I know how you feel a little. Are you alright?"

"Yes I am, but I hope you are."

"I am, but it was a bit frightening."

"I'm sorry. Let's go then."

Leaving the Cathedral, they set off on the same route as before. Nadia was surprised how dark it had become, but she was glad there were streetlamps. Only a handful of people were to be seen, and this made her uneasy.

Nadia and Andrei walked quickly and stealthily, so she thought.

"Wait," suddenly Andrei said. He paused mid-step. "This doesn't feel like the right street. Did you see the street signs?"

"Yes, at least, I thought I did. What feels wrong?"

"My home should be 2 blocks away, right? Describe what you see."

"Well, I see what I saw earlier this evening, but everything is dark, and rather obscure..."

"Is that book store here?"

Nadia looked around. It wasn't.

Sudden alarm filled her. The streets look terribly the same in the city. She must have taken a wrong turn already at the beginning.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry!" she cried, "this is the wrong street, ach! How did I miss that! There was a corner, and 2 signs, one for yours and then another."

"Was it a fork?"

"Yes."

"No doubt the light confused you."

Nadia grimaced, and started to feel quite anxious. It's a bad thing to be lost at night.

"But if I simply took the road to the right of yours, then your house is on our left now , through the alleys. If we could--"

Suddenly, Andrei held up his hand for silence. They didn't speak a word.

"I heard footsteps," he whispered. "Who's around?"

Nadia looked around. The street was abandoned for the night. A chill went down her spine.

"No one."

Although Andrei saw nothing, his eyes instinctively got wider as he focused harder with his hearing.

"It's drawing closer. Let's go."

"But where?"

"Anywhere! Oh drat it all!" Nadia could see he was very nervous, and she began to panic. Looking around the edges of the buildings, she finally found an alley. She escorted Andrei into the gloom, which was equally as penetrating as the bell tower stair case.

"Do we have to go in?" she whispered apprehensively.

"Yes, I heard the walking go away... have courage."

"You lead the way then... I cannot."

"... Very well."

Both of them groped about the walls, passing around obstacles, and Andrei going ahead holding Nadia's hand. They did it as quietly as possible so as to hear any other sounds.

Nadia's heart beat rapidly. But Andrei kept calm and steady. Soon, they were halfway through.

Andrei froze, and Nadia immediately understood why.

Ahead of them, a figure slowly emerged from the end of the alley. It stood there for a moment, before pulling to a side. All was silent again.

Her head hurt so much from looking in the dark that she could barely focus. She tried to make a step, but Andrei immediately squeezed her hand to halt. The silence felt like it lasted forever.

After a few minutes, she began to here a faint scratching. The man on the end was approaching them little by little, but he was invisible in the dark. But not to Andrei.

Nadia held her breath for so long she felt like she was going to faint, and rested her back on the wall.

The scratching soon sounded like padded steps moving toward them. Whoever it was, they were well aware someone was there with him, but didn't want to be detected. 30 paces, then 25 paces from them. And the man was still invisible.

The man came 5 paces away from them, and he stopped. Nadia could even hear his breath.

Suddenly, there was a snapping sound behind the man, he turned around in a rush, wondering if someone was there. Silence again. Looking frantically both ways, the figure began walking toward Andrei and Nadia with more speed, but less care. He came directly perpendicular to Andrei.

That was exactly where he wanted him.

There was a whoosh through the air, and a loud bang.

"Ahh!" the man suddenly cried, and fell face forward into the ground.

Nadia recognized that voice anywhere.

"Quick!" Andrei whispered between his teeth. "Check his hands and pockets for weapons."

Nadia finally began to breath somewhat normally, and bent down over the unconscious body. She felt the pockets, but there was nothing. But in the man's right hand, there he wielded a long knife. She took it from his hand, shaking.

"Is it... him?" she had to ask.

"Yes... it's him. Leave him. We must get home this very moment."

Nadia got up immediately. Andrei took her briskly through the rest of the alley, and they finally got out the other end. The streetlights seemed to be blazing bright now.

"There! I see the bookstore is right over there. We are close," Nadia went back to escorting him. In a few minutes, she finally recognized Andrei's house to the right, and ran up the steps banging on the door.

The servant looked out the window on the side and immediately opened the door.

"Nadia! You're a pale as a sheet!"

Nadia rushed in and hugged the servant. "Oh thank you, thank you for saving us now!" She turned around and saw Andrei, also very pale, come forward. But from a different paleness.

As the servant closed the door, Andrei and Nadia rushed at each other in an embrace. She began crying now.

"Oh my God, I was so scared!" she cried.

"Oh dearest Nadia I am so so sorry, oh please forgive me! I never should have brought you out, never, never!"

"No! How was it your fault? There was no wrong going out. It was that evil man who was scheming against us! What a horrible man! I met him some days ago, I was sure he was up to no good. Agh, I was frightened to death!"

They continued exclaiming at each other for another minute, Nadia expressing her terror, and Andrei begging for forgiveness. The servant looked on in fear but also wonder.

"What happened, sir?" he had to ask.

Andrei immediately recounted the incident, and the servant stood aghast.

"He was going to kill you?"

"Why wouldn't he? He hates me. He probably would have came here to, to break in once we were... not a threat. I think he's taken care of now. At least for tonight."

"Is that what you did, Andrei? You threw a pebble?"

"Yes, it's enough to set someone off if they are borderline terrified. I then hit him with my cane. Thank God at least I had that... Nadia, you look ill. I think you should stay here tonight. Besides, it probably still isn't safe."

"Yes, thank you... and, Andrei... thank you for saving my life."

"Oh!" Andrei looked embarrassed. "I felt entirely responsible for your well-being. I only did what I could."

"And you did it better than any other man in that situation. Thank God for your hearing."

He smiled sadly. "What was that one psalm, about 'the darkness is my closest friend'? I guess that came true tonight."

"Psalm 88... I never looked at that verse that way... but perhaps you're right."

"I love that psalm..." Andrei went up the stairs to his own room.

Nadia stayed the night this time in a guest room on the 2nd floor of the apartment. All the doors below were locked and windows covered with curtains. The dear servant would watch over the place in the night for them. After calming herself down, she begged to God in prayer that such a thing would never ever happen again. Emotionally and physically drained, Nadia quickly fell asleep.



Nothing further happened the rest of the night.


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