Taking Carol
Chapter I The New Neighbor
Carol Sizemore couldn't think of anything her part-time neighbor would want to
meet with her about. She had known that someone had purchased the house next
door six months earlier, but hadn't seen or met anyone associated with it since.
She had been satisfied to see the lawn care company keeping it well maintained
every Wednesday, and didn't much care whether anyone ever lived there.
It was odd to have a complete stranger call her and insist that they meet on
short notice, and the woman's demeanor was unsettling. It was as though she had
no doubt that Carol would agree, like she was taking Carol for granted. Carol
resented the woman's attitude but didn't object to visiting with her later that
evening. She didn't want to be rude by refusing the invitation.
When Carol asked what was so important that they had to meet so quickly, the
woman, who identified herself as "Karen, your new neighbor", breezily replied
that, "I'm just sure you will want to take a look at a few things I have for
you."
Carol had trouble concentrating on anything for the rest of the afternoon. Not
that she had a lot of brainwork to occupy her time. There was only a week of
school left where she taught high school math at the Naval Base in Mayport,
Florida. She finally put her mind at ease by concluding that the woman was
probably an Avon lady with a bad sales technique.
After a few laps in the pool Carol spoke briefly on the phone with her mother in
Ohio, then showered and dressed for the visit with her new neighbor. Carol
liked being on time and ended up waiting ten minutes before strolling across the
lawns to ring her neighbor's doorbell precisely at six o'clock.
She was a little put off that she was made to wait a couple of long minutes
before her neighbor finally opened the door. Carol was a forgiving person and
gave everyone the benefit of the doubt in almost every circumstance.
Karen was a bit taller than her, but seemed friendly enough. They were about
the same age, Carol judged. Karen looked to be a professional of some sort.
Carol thought of her as a lawyer for some reason. It might have had to do with
the fact that Karen looked very attractive and comfortable in the business suit
she was wearing. Carol assumed she had important plans for later in the
evening, and she felt a little embarrassed to be so underdressed in her white
shorts and red tank top.
Karen welcomed her into the home and motioned for her to proceed into the living
room, off to the left. She was surprised at how wonderfully appointed the home
was. An interior designer had obviously been give a liberal amount of freedom
in furnishing and decorating the place.
Carol sat rather nervously in an easy chair that seemed to be the place where
Karen wanted her to be. There was a brown envelope on the table between her and
the chair that Karen sat in. Karen crossed her legs and seemed to study Carol
for a few seconds before speaking; "I understand you're a school teacher?"
"Um, yes.", Carol replied, wondering how she knew anything about her. "I teach
high school on the base." She started to ask, "What about you?", but was cut
off.
"And you're only twenty eight. How do you stay in such good shape?" Karen
inquired rather intently, tossing her hair lightly over a shoulder.
Carol was ill at ease already. How could this stranger know her age and
profession? There must be some innocent explanation. "Oh. I, ah. Thank you!
I swim a lot, and run and do a little weight training too."
Karen was now looking Carol over in an entirely different way. It was as though
she was surveying her for flaws. Carol felt creepy in the pregnant silence
before Karen spoke again. "Carol, I wonder if you wouldn't mind standing up for
me? I'm very interested in hearing more about your workout program"...
Carol was lost. She started to stand, then thought better of it. "Who is she
to order me around?", she thought. Feeling foolish and not knowing whether to
sit back down or to stand all the way up, Carol hesitated.
Karen kept talking as though nothing unusual were occurring at all. "Do you
swim everyday?"
Carol slowly straightened until she was fully upright. "I, yes. Most
everyday."
Karen was resting her chin in her hand, studiously observing her guest. "You
have good tone. Turn around. You look like a swimmer, Carol."
Carol half formed the thought that she needed to get a handle on what was
happening, but started to follow instructions before she could consider how best
to react to circumstances she had never faced before. She thought the comment
was a compliment, but before she could say anything else her neighbor spoke
again.
"You could pass for twenty, Carol. Your butt is nice and firm and your
legs...those legs are quite nice.", Karen mentioned without enthusiasm. Carol
thought she had nothing on her attractive neighbor, who looked like she could
have been a model. She struggled to make all of this fit into some strange
sales pitch for some sort of Mary Kay cream or something, but couldn't. She was
very uncomfortable, but there was a faint, almost imperceptible warmth spreading
within her that was alarming. This was all wrong and none of it was right or
normal. Whatever it was. Her mind was racing. She had to say something.
"Uh. Thanks.", was all she could manage. She was facing away from Karen, not
sure what to do. She caught herself in the realization that she was waiting for
more instructions. Before she could react, Karen commented that her breasts
were of a nice size and appeared youthfully firm as well. Carol was taken aback
and drew in a deep breath to respond. Again, Karen spoke first.
"Turn and face me, Carol.", she ordered casually. It was as though she simply
expected it to happen. Karen was rising from her chair and folding her arms as
Carol turned toward her. Their eyes met. Carol could not match the icy blue
gaze that challenged her. She glanced quickly down toward her feet, feeling
silly and unsure what to do with her hands. She shook her head, trying to clear
the confusion away to regain her self control.
"Take the envelope from the table, Carol."
Carol looked down and to the left, seeing the manila envelope she had noticed
earlier. She stepped forward and took it, trying to sort out in her mind how to
break out of the bizarre situation she found herself in.
"There are things in that envelope that are very important to you right now.
Take it home and open it immediately." Karen's voice was controlled and
somewhat formal, as though she were instructing someone beneath her intellect
how to perform a simple task.
Carol hesitated, not sure if she should leave. The frustration boiled over
before she even realized it was coming. She looked directly at Karen and
angrily shouted, "Is it okay if I FUCKING LEAVE?" as tears formed in her eyes.
She stalked quickly toward the door and out into the yard without waiting for a
reply as her sobbing swelled into an uncontrollable avalanche of complicated
emotions.
Karen gently closed the door behind her with a wry smile on her lips. "That
went well.", she thought. She strode through the kitchen and into her enclosed
sunroom, taking the cordless phone off the wall and carrying it with her. She
kicked off her heels and tossed her jacket on a side table. The pastel yellow
leather couch was one of her favorite places to relax. She hadn't been home for
long, but it sure did feel like home compared to the places she'd been the last
nine months.
