6. Ellie
6
ELLIE
I had been in Atlanta over a month, and was really settling in. I decided on a school to attend and was in the process of getting registered to start next semester. Everything was falling into place, but I still hadn’t met many people yet outside of the pub. The good news was I had traded a few texts with Ruthie , and we had plans to meet up for lunch later this week.
I was on the late dinner shift tonight, which started at four and went until eleven or midnight, depending on how busy we were. Tammy was on the early shift, which meant I would only get to work with her for about an hour or two tops, until Sam came in to relieve her. I liked Sam . He was young like me, but not really a chatty person, which was fine, but it certainly didn’t make the shift as fun as it was with Tammy .
Most of the other staff I had met were also really cool and great to work with, but Tammy reminded me of an older version of Katie from back home in Tennessee .
Though I guess I couldn’t really call it home anymore. With Gran gone, Randall being a miserable excuse of a person, and Jack living here in Georgia now, I supposed that meant Georgia was my new home.
“Home isn’t where your house is, but where your family is,” Gran used to say to Jack and me shortly after we went to live with her. I used to think she only said that to make us feel better about leaving our old house behind and moving in with her, but now I was starting to get it. Georgia was where my brother lived, along with his best friends. Friends who were like brothers to him. If he was happy here, then I could be too.
I was only about an hour into my shift when Tammy came over and told me I had a phone call again. I sighed, knowing they would likely have hung up. Again .
“Watering Hole , this is Ellie ,” I said, but once again, I was met with silence.
“Hello? This is the Watering Hole . How can I help you?” I repeated, this time with a little more vigor.
I was just about to hang up, when a voice from my past brought chills to my body.
“Hello, Elliana . I found you,” the man said slowly, saying my name in a creepy way only he could.
“Randall?” I squeaked.
“Ahhh yes, she does remember me.” His voice sounded calm, but with an edge of hostility. “ You can run, Elliana , but I will always find you. You will always be mine. You . Belong . To . Me !” His voice dripped with displeasure and malice, even though it was barely above a whisper.
The room started to spin, and I had a hard time breathing. How had he found me? I knew he likely assumed I came to Georgia , but how did he track me down at work? I vaguely heard Randall’s voice continue but couldn’t hear what he was actually saying. I grabbed the bar to stabilize myself, and I felt the phone slide out of my hand. In my haze, I heard Tammy yell something, but all I kept thinking about was Randall had found me and he would come for me. He would never let me go.
* * *
Tammy’s face came into view, and she kept telling me to take deep breaths and look at her. The scenery around me changed, but I couldn’t focus on that. I needed to figure out what to do.
As my brain fog began to clear and my mind sharpened, I looked around and realized I was now sitting on the small couch in Wade’s office.
“Tammy?” I asked, my voice croaking.
“There she is,” she said calmly sitting in front of me. “ Welcome back.”
“Why am I in the office?” My voice was still barely above a whisper.
“I’m no expert, hon, but I think you had a panic attack,” she said reassuringly, though concern was etched across her face. “ You were shakin’ and breathin’ real fast, and then you just passed out. I had Chuck come and help me carry you back here.”
I’d never had a panic attack before, and I was so embarrassed that I’d had one at work. Even worse, I’d passed out and Chuck had to leave the kitchen to carry me to the office.
“I’m sorry, Tammy ,” I told her. “ That’s never happened before. I’m better now. Let me just splash some water on my face, and I’ll be ready to come back out.”
“Uh-uh, you’re done for the night,” she said sternly like a mother hen. “ Sam just got here, and he’s takin over the bar. Chuck is back in the kitchen. We’re all set, so now I’m gonna walk you upstairs to your apartment.”
“Sam is here to relieve you. My shift just started. He can’t be by himself,” I argued, but she held up her hand and cut me off.
“Wade’s orders,” she said, allowing for no counterargument. “ Grab your bag, I’m gonna take you upstairs and get you settled. If Sam needs help, I’ll come back down and help him out for a bit and then check on you later.”
I was already embarrassed as it was, but now knowing that Wade must have heard and was pulling me off my shift, I was mortified. But Tammy was a take-charge kind of person, so I knew there was no way I would win this battle. I nodded, grabbed my purse and followed her.
She led me out the back door, giving me a little privacy from the customers seated at the bar. We walked around the side of the building to the entrance of the security and apartment lobby. Tammy followed me into my apartment and told me to sit on the couch while she got me some water. I set my purse on the kitchen counter and walked into the living room.
Tammy brought a glass of water to me and put it on the coffee table as she sat next to me on the couch.
“I don’t wanna press you too much right now because you’ve had a rough night, but tomorrow, we’re gonna talk about who was on that phone that spooked you so much,” Tammy said.
I nodded and took a sip of the water. “ Thanks , Tammy . For everything tonight.”
“Honey, I know I may be old enough to be your mom, but us gals gotta stick together,” she said, making me feel better. “ You just take it easy tonight, do something that relaxes you, and I’ll check in on you later.”
“Okay,” I said as I tried to muster up a smile.
“I know only you and the boys can get up here but lock the door after me anyway…. it’ll make me feel better,” she said as she gave me a small smile.
I followed her to the door; she gave me a small hug with a tight smile and left.
As I walked back to the couch, I thought about Tammy’s words and decided to get out my crochet needles and yarn and keep working on the blanket I was making. My gran taught me how to crochet, and it always calmed me down.
It was still light out. I stood by the window, staring out, my thoughts scattered. I tried to collect them, to steady myself, but the memory of the phone call sent a fresh wave of nerves through me. He had found me. He was angry. His words echoed, over and over, refusing to fade.
He would never let me go.