FIVE EMILY
FIVE
EMILY
I’ve never been much of a breakfast person, so this is normal for me.
Devin prefers a full spread, but I’m in no mood to do that while on vacation.
Plus, we have plenty to make for lunch and dinner today.
On our drive in yesterday, I spotted a couple of small diners we can go to to grab a bite while we are here.
I had to take care of all the planning and packing, so if he doesn’t like what we have, he is more than welcome to go to the store in town and pick up what he wants. I’m tired of having to take care of every little thing for Devin. Soon enough I won’t have to anymore.
There is a full schedule of events set up for today, so we can just go with the flow for the day.
First up is a parade through the campground that everyone can participate in, but of course we prefer not to.
We’re more watchers than spectators in stuff like that.
There are plenty of other people here that can feel free to take part.
After our walk around the grounds yesterday to acclimate ourselves to the area, we came back to the cabin.
It’s cozy and quiet in this area. The pool and lake were filled with people screaming, splashing, and thoroughly enjoying themselves.
I enjoy the peacefulness of nature, always have.
Devin brought his work computer and wasted the afternoon away on it, which was fine.
Being around him for too long can be exhausting.
Yesterday gave me plenty of time to be alone and remember the day I finally started to question things about my life with him…
Another long day at work makes me appreciate the drive back home. Devin is gone yet again on a work trip, but he’s due back the day after tomorrow. I miss him so much when he’s gone it physically hurts.
When he first started working for the company, he didn’t have to travel as much—maybe two or three times a year. The frequency of these trips has escalated in the last few years, leaving me alone for multiple weeks some months.
I understand, though; he is a businessman and a hard worker. He provides for us, so I can’t complain. I turn on the radio to listen for the weather; maybe it’ll be nice enough this weekend that we can go for a hike if Devin isn’t too tired.
“Another body of an unknown woman has been found in the woods this early morning. Investigators have not released very much information yet, other than a warning to other young women in the area to be careful. What we do know is that she has been found in the same manner as the others found in the area. Investigators suspect these cases may be connected.” The voice of the newscaster is so neutral and balanced while speaking about a possible serial killer on the loose.
The thought of someone being hunted down in the woods and killed makes me shudder. I’ve heard a few stories lately of women going missing while camping or hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountain Valley.
I remember going there a few years ago with Devin.
It was beautiful—so peaceful and breathtaking.
Being brutally murdered there sounds like something out of a horror story.
Who could do such a thing? I turn off the radio before I even hear the weather report.
I guess maybe a hike this weekend isn’t the best thing to do.
Well, I’ll find something else for us to do together. In the meantime, I think I’ll just make sure the house is clean, and I'll tidy some things up in the garage for Devin. That way he won’t have to do it when he gets back.
Yeah, that’s what I’ll do tonight with some wine and music. It’ll help calm my nerves a bit.
Once I get home, I pop a quick dinner in the oven and open a fresh bottle of Merlot. I know I shouldn’t drink on a work night, but work has been draining, and I need to unwind a bit. A couple of glasses won’t hurt, right?
After I eat, I bring my Bluetooth speaker and wine to the garage and turn on some light classical music to fill the quiet space.
I left my car in the driveway, but Devin’s is still here.
The garage is generally his area and some room for storage.
Last week he did some car maintenance and left the garage a mess.
So instead of waiting for him to come back home and clean up, I’ll just do it for him.
I’m on my second glass of wine and feeling a bit buzzed. It helps me forget the rough day and focus on doing something nice for my husband. I like doing little things like this for him to show that I care and am thinking about him.
He is different, though. When we first started dating, he was more attentive, but now I just think he’s overwhelmed and tired with all the traveling he has to do.
I just hope things slow down for him soon and we can go back to how things were between us.
Some days I feel like he has lost interest in me.
As I sweep the dust and cobwebs in the corners of the garage, I notice Devin’s car is unlocked and there are countless papers, receipts, and plain old junk thrown around the car. Sometimes he takes it with him while he travels; other times, like this, he leaves it at home.
When I open the car door, there’s an odd smell that hits my nose right away.
It’s something strange, maybe rotting mixed with chemicals.
So strange. It turns my stomach almost instantly, and I want to gag.
Maybe he left some food in here, or something spilled and he cleaned it?
Whatever it was, I was on a mission to find it, so I went back into the house to grab some cleaning gloves and a garbage bag.
As I rifle through the papers on the floor of the passenger seat, I notice a used Epi-Pen. Devin is deadly allergic to bees, so he must have used it recently and never told me about it. Weird. He never goes anywhere without one. I think I have an extra in the bathroom just in case.
Something tells me to look through the papers and receipts just in case he needs them for work.
I don’t want to throw anything out that he might need.
Most of the papers were meeting notes, pricing sheets, and lead info, so I put those neatly in a pile and left them on the passenger seat.
The receipts were for gas stations, fast food, and grocery runs.
Those can be important for expense reports, so I add them to the pile of papers I found.
There was one specifically that caught my eye; the date was recent, but he was supposed to be out of town for work. I remember it clearly because it was the day of my best friend's birthday party. I asked Devin to come with me, but he had a last-minute work trip he had to go to, so I went alone.
The location on this receipt was a local hardware store in town at an odd hour too. Hmm…maybe the store had the date wrong on the receipt. That’s possible, but why would he be buying rope and cleaning chemicals? I do all the cleaning in the house and buy my own stuff.
By this time the awful smell starts to give me a headache, and I put that receipt in the trash bag and continue my search for the smell.
The backseat is mostly clean, so I vacuum the front and back of the car.
No spills or damp spots that would cause this horrid stench.
It kind of reminded me of when a raccoon was hit and killed on the street right in front of our house.
After a few days I eventually went out there and had to dispose of the rotting corpse.
The smell lingered in my nose the rest of the day. I’ll never forget it.
Maybe Devin hit something driving one day? I move to the trunk, and as soon as it pops open, that smell hits me in a strong wave. Like it’s been festering in there for a long time. The smell makes my eyes water, but the trunk is clean. There’s absolutely nothing in here; why does it stink so bad?
I take a glove off and put my hand on the carpet, and it’s very slightly damp to the touch. The whole trunk is damp. Maybe that’s what’s causing the smell? Ugh, I’ll have to ask him when he gets back because this is awful! The sound of crackling thunder spooks me, and I slam the trunk shut.
Shit! I left the windows open in my car!
I ran through the house and out the front door in the pouring rain.
I slip into the car, and the front seat is already soaked.
Once I close the window, I sit there for a moment, and an unnerving sensation ripples through my body. Like someone was watching me.
So fucking silly, but it's frightening me, so I run back into the house and lock the door behind me. Between hearing about women going missing and being found brutally murdered, the weird receipt, and Devin’s car smelling like a morgue, I’ve thoroughly freaked myself out.
I’m overthinking things, I'm sure of it! But there was something from that day on that told me to be more aware of my surroundings. To be more careful. I’ll ask Devin about the car when he gets home, but for now I’ll keep the knowledge of that receipt to myself…
“The parade starts at noon, right?” I didn’t hear Devin come outside, and he’s standing right behind me as I stare off into the woods.
“Uh—yeah, shoot, let me make us a quick lunch,” I get up and walk past him without so much as a smile. Everything I do for him is just muscle memory now. I wonder how long it will take me to stop doing that once he’s gone.