Fifty Two

I booted my pirate copy of Windows three times before it loaded error free. My ISP was on crawl mode. The smell of salted pig feet had permeated my whole unit and I stared at the blank screen trying not to think of ham. Finally my blog loaded.

It'd been a while since my last blog entry. That fact reinforced again the affect these women were having on my life, such as it was. I had a routine, fantasies and I had safety.

I clicked on the two new comments.

I can be tough on the internet and off it. Say, Bacon Boy, I've got an idea. Something I'm sure you'll like. I'm going to be your instructor, Des. Your guru. As your guru, I have a gift for you. Think of it as a token of my sincerity. I will guide you away from your valueless ways. There is pain in growth, how much you incur, depends your worth as a student.

I am a forgiving teacher. There are only two rules you must never break. Don't hurt Nina. Not in any way. Not ever. That would be a deal breaker. You don't want to break this deal, bacon boy.

Anon.

I read it twice, once in a hurried frenzy, and then again to make sure I had read it right. I rubbed my eyes and let out a heavy sigh. What the hell? I ran my fingers through my hair and tried to think.

They knew my name and my address. They'd been to my house. They wanted to protect Nina in some psychotic way. If it wasn't someone I had told, then it must be someone Nina had told. All I had to do was ask her who she had talked to about us. Maybe it was her brother or... yes... her father! Kevin - the Kevin that might be screwing Lisa. Maybe that was it - eliminating me and Mike... it made sense. Well sort of. It was all I had to go on anyway.

I couldn't show Nina my blog - it was too incriminating of my own deviantness. But I figured I didn't need to. Not yet anyway. Resolved to ring Nina, I scrolled down to check the second comment.

Did you like your present? I liked the symbolism. Did you get it Bacon Boy?

You can't run without feet. See? You can't run from me.

Do you want to know the second rule?

You must never speak to Nina about our arrangment. That includes ever speaking about or showing her this blog. And before you wonder, yes, I would know.

I shivered. Literally. I mean, I've read the cliched line - "a shiver ran down my spine" too many times to count, but I've never actually understood it before. I looked around the walls and ceilings for a spy hole or maybe a tiny camera. Yeah it sound fanciful, but how else could they be so sure to know what I was up to?

I didn't find anything but cobwebs.

After ten minutes of frantic deliberation I picked up the phone.

Fifty Three