Firmament - Le Cercle Littéraire - Thế Hữu Văn Đà n - The Literary ...

The Firmament Volume 3, No. 1, April 2010 50
herself as she thought of what her husband would say about her fears. … You and your silly
imagination..
The thought of the forthcoming reconciliation was a panacea, and she tried to concentrate on the
thriller once again, but random thoughts interfered.
How silly to let a story affect her so–must have been her state of mind--it was only play acting.
Amused now at her own stupidity, Mai cuddled Mimi, rubbing her cheek against Mimi’s soft warm
furry body.
From behind her came a barely perceptible click--and the door opened. She did not have to look
around to know, she could tell by the rush of cool air. It has happened many times before. But she had
given it that extra tug! Had heard the snib shoot home. Someone had opened it; and that someone was
behind her in the passage. She was too petrified to do anything but hug the cat harder and rivet her
wide unseeing eyes on the television screen.
Mỹ! Why didn’t he come when she needed him so desperately. Mỹ! Mỹ! She screamed in silent
agony.
She could actually feel the presence of someone behind her now, hear the breathing, and feel the
warmth on the back of her neck.
The cat meowed and began to scratch her arms as it struggled to free itself from her vice-like
grip, but Mai was too frozen with terror to notice it or the blood oozing from its tears in her skin.
In that moment of daze, Mai vaguely felt two strong hands closing about her soft white throat as
her staring eyes drifted from the screen to the mirror on the wall with a horribly surprised look! ■