Chapter 3

It had almost been a month since the accident. Stella was cleared to return to work. Stella was a receptionist at a Law Firm, Stella did not feel like speaking to people but she also did not want to sit at home by herself and look at her home that reminded her of Jack at every turn.

His favourite chair.

His favourite coffee cup.

His clothes

His side of the bed.

Stella didn’t have it in her to wash his clothes as she didn’t want them to loose his smell. She was at work even through her boss let her know that she could take a break when ever she felt like it. Stella was talking on the phone when it happened the first time. She looked up and froze, she felt like she was being watched. She looked outside the window to her left when she saw him.

Jack?

Stella took a double take and when she looked back he was gone. She swore it was Jack, she ran outside to look down the street.

It was empty.

Stella stood there for what felt like hours. When she walked back inside her boss was waiting for her. Sarah said “Stel are you okay you looked like you’ve seen a ghost?” Stella didn’t respond as tears fell silently down her face.

I am going mad.

Yup I’m insane.

Sarah smiled kindly and said that Stella could go home if she needed and could try again tomorrow. She gratefully accepted. Stella began to walk to the bus station, another reminder of the accident. She didn’t have a car anymore. Jack use to drop her off and pick her up every day. Putting her headphone on to listen to the only music that didn’t want to make her cry, Heavy Metal. As Three Days Grace was blasting in her ears she looked up across the street, she froze.

Mad I am going mad.

It happened again. For a second, she saw Jack. Stella thought she was going mad, so she convinced herself it was him, she thought she probably had PTSD and she was seeing things. He was there for a second and then a bus drove by and he was gone.

Yup PTSD that’s it.

Stella looked back at her phone and waited for her bus. On the bus she was looking out the window. There was a dark green pickup truck sitting at the traffic lights.

I need medication, what the fuck is wrong with me!

Again, Stella thought she saw Jack in the truck. The bus took off, Stella tried to look back but couldn’t see the truck. Stella took some deep breaths, palming the back of her neck realising she had a headache and her neck where the bite was aching. The doctor said she would have some soreness there for some time as the muscles would have been damaged. Stella got off at her stop and walked home. Brittney had left food in the fridge for her.

Brit you goddess!

Stella was about to heat up the food when she realised, she had no wine. Stella was not a big drinker but since the accident she would have a few glasses of wine at night to help her sleep. Stella didn’t like to think she was self-medicating herself, but she couldn’t cope at this stage. She grabbed her keys and headed out down the road to the liquor store. It was only a few blocks.

Stella was walking briskly down the street as it was colder then she had thought and only had a thin jumper on. She looked up and saw the moon it was so bright, not a full moon yet but it must be close Stella thought as she kept walking. She kept looking behind her thinking someone or something was following her. She looked down the alley ways as she walked by expecting to see someone.

Mad

I’m going mad.

Bang!

Stella jumped and a small squeal escaped her lips. She spun around to see a dog digging in the trash.

Jesus fucking Christ!

Trash dog, the neighbour hood dog that roamed around, he was too scared of humans to let them pat him or catch him, so the nice people of the neighbourhood left food out for him. Apparently, his owner died suddenly and the dog stayed loyal and never left where he last saw his owner and continued to wait for him. Stella smiled at the dog who looked at her and smiled back?

Huh the fuck?

No not smiled she told herself she was seeing things she turned and kept walking laughing at herself that she was mad, and she thought of Jack and how he would have laughed at her for thinking the dog smiled. Stella smiled sadly thinking of Jack, it was the first time she had smiled thinking about him since he died.

Stella bought four bottles of wine. She thought it was a bit much, but she rationalised it that it meant she didn’t have to walk down here for a few days. She was walking back to her house when she walked past the ally way, she saw trash dog, smiling expecting to see the dog in the trash. She froze. Someone was standing there staring at her. Waiting for her.

Jack?