The New Neighbor

' – No, dammit,' George rasped as he stapled.

“Come out and put your tongue in it, George… put your tongue in it and roll it around… put your cock in it, George, just slide it in… “

He thought of Karen… of Robby and Jen… of Christmases and Thanksgivings… school plays and recitals… of Robby’s birth… he even thought of Laura.

Lorelle giggled as she dragged her fingernails slowly down the other side of the plastic.

* * * *

Karen lay on the bed in the guest room with the door closed and locked, stroking Monroe gently. The cat was curled up on her stomach, purring like an idling engine, as if he hadn't been less than an inch from bloody injury and most likely death only a short time ago.

'What am I going to do, Monroe?' Karen whispered.

The cat didn't even stir.

'What… am I going… to -'

There were three short taps on the window pane.

Karen's head jerked to the right and looked up at the rectangular window. The white shade was down and the light-blue curtains were half drawn.

Three more staccato taps.

She felt her heartbeat in her fingertips.

Monroe protested with a half-hearted meow when Karen sat up and lifted him off her. She swung her legs off the bed, stood and stared at the window.

More gentle tapping.

Karen could see a hazy, dark shape through the white shade. She stepped forward, reached out a trembling hand and almost jerked it back and hurried out of the room. Instead, she tugged on the shade. It snapped up with a clatter and -

– Karen stumbled backward with a gasp and whispered, 'Lorelle!'

She was naked beneath a sheer black cloak that fluttered around her gracefully in the breeze. Her hands rested between her breasts where she held the cloak together. Lorelle's voice was dulled by the pane of glass, but Karen still heard her.

'I thought you were coming over, Karen,' she said.

'Well, I… I-I… '

'I've been waiting for you.'

Karen inhaled deeply and closed her eyes, then said in a trembling voice, 'I'm suh-sorry, but I had to stay with… I, um, I need to stay with my family.'

'Why?'

Karen's eyes snapped open. 'What?'

'What's holding you to your family, Karen? The children are old enough to take care of themselves. Robby's not even yours. And your husband… well, things will never be the same with him, will they? He’ll never do for you what a woman can do… what I can do.'

“Please stop,' Karen said, turning her back to the window and crossing the room.

'He'll never make you feel the way you felt with me.'

'Don't.' Karen put her face in her hands, fighting the urge to turn and look at Lorelle, to drink her in with her eyes. 'Please don't do this to me,' Karen whispered.

'I'm not doing anything to you. But I want to. Look.'

Karen didn't move.

'Please, Karen. Look.'

She turned cautiously.

Lorelle had pulled the cloak away from her left breast and was fingering the small silver earring that hung from her pierced nipple.

'I wore it for you,' she said as she placed a hand on the glass and moved closer, closer, until the earring chattered against the pane, until her breasts were pressed flat to the glass.

'Please… go away,' Karen breathed.

'You don't want me to go away. You want me to touch you… '

'No, please… '

'… and lick you… '

'… go away… '

'… but I can't do any of those things until you come to me, Karen. Do you hear me?'

Karen closed her eyes.

'Come to me, Karen… come to me… '

Karen covered her face with her hands again and cried.

* * * *

Robby had not left the dining room table. He sat with his back to the sliding glass door, unaware of the mist blanketing the back lawn. He'd eaten nothing for breakfast or lunch and was beginning to feel a few pangs of hunger, but he couldn't bring himself to eat. Not yet. Somehow, the idea of food was not appealing, no matter how hungry he felt.

He didn't know how long it had been since Pastor Quillerman had left, but he wished the man would get back soon. How long would it be before Lorelle began trying to lure them over to her house again? To what lengths would she go? And what would she do to him?

Robby had seen her with her guard down, as she really was. He knew the truth about her and, unlike Ronald Prosky, he was still alive to share it with others.

What would she -

'Robby?'

He jumped to his feet so suddenly, he knocked the chair over. When he spun around, he saw Lorelle outside the glass door. She stood naked in a mist that surrounded her ankles and curled up the back of her body, its tendrils caressing her calves, hips and back.

She smiled and said, 'Are you glad to see me?' Her eyes moved slowly down his body, then: 'Or is that a gerbil in you pants?'

He looked down at himself and was surprised to see that he did, indeed, have an erection. He'd been too frightened to feel it growing. When he looked at her again, her fingers were snaking through the hair between her legs.

'Come on over, Robby,' she said. 'We'll have some fun.'

He tried to speak but couldn't, so he just shook his head.

'Why not?'

'You know why not.'

'Aaww, c'mon.' She rattled four fingernails against the glass.

Her skin looked so smooth. The very sight of her stirred vivid memories – more like actual sensations – of the things they'd done together.

Her nails rattled, her tongue peeked out the corner of her mouth, her hand continued to move as she lifted one leg slightly. 'Come over, Robby. Come over and play… “

Robby spun around, eyes wide, placed both palms flat on the tabletop and breathed, 'It won’t work. I know what you are… what you really are.”

The glare from the clouded sky outside was swallowed up suddenly by a shadow that rose up from behind Robby.

The sound of Lorelle's nails tapping against the glass lost its delicacy and became loud and sharp, sounding dangerously close to breaking the glass.

A familiar voice – wet, thick and inhuman – said 'Raaaawww-beee.' The nails scratched over the glass with a