MY NEIGHBORHOOD

 I Have lived in this small neighborhood for years, it was quite and peaceful. The neighbors were friendly and welcoming. I remember the first day I moved in two years ago like it was yesterday. My best friend Lilian thought I was crazy to move from my parents house which was much comfortable and spacious than my new one bedroom house. To her the house was too clouded and the neighborhood was small with only five houses in the compound. To me this was a dream come true, have always dreamed of having a place of my own. Where I could come home from work sit on the coach, watch my favorite reality show some comedy's and at times cartoons without anyone questioning me.

I would go out on weekends for drinks with my friends and colleagues come home drunk past midnight or even spend the night out without answering to anyone. With no commitments and doing whatever I wanted. Have never felt lonely not until my new neighbor moved in two weeks ago. 

The neighbors had a tradition for years to bake a cake or get flesh fruits to welcome the new member to their community. It was an old fashioned tradition but most of the neighbors were old couples. I was the only young lady in the hood. The first weekend all the four of us took our welcome gift to the new neighbors house.

 Standing at the door with the small cake I had baked. I took some baking classes from Mrs Baker so I would join in the welcoming parties. She was a cheerful old lady, her son had bought the house for her and her husband. She invited me most of the time when she had family dinner with her son and his family. It was enjoyable since back home I never sat at the table with my family. My father was always busy out of town for business and mother was always sad spend most of the time out with friends.

 When I was little didn't understand why we never celebrated Christmas as a family but come to realise that my dad had another family. He had three other children and to him I was not important but it never bothered me. Since moving to this neighborhood Mrs Baker and her kind husband made me feel appreciated. They were my family. The other neighbors were nice to and this was a safe place to live.

 The new neighbor was a handsome young man at his early thirties. I was surprised to see him because I was used to having old neighbors. Lilian had once joked that I had moved to a retirement center. If she saw my new neighbor, James was his name, she would wish she lived here to.

 I Didn't listen much to what the ladies were talking about with James. I was busy checking him out, his muscular arm looked strong and would love to feel them around my body. Mrs Baker and Lydia the single mum of three practically dragged me out of the house after our meeting was over. Man I had it hot for the new guy, its not like their were no men in my life but he was the juiciest man have met in a long time.

 Mrs Baker warned me not to get too close to the man, such handsome men were player's and would only cause trouble she said. Lydia too felt their was something off about him but my friend Lilian had a different opinion when she saw him on Sunday. She had come over for movie date after church which we often did. I told her to stay away since I saw him first and would making mine, not that it would stop her from checking him out especially when he worked at his compound without a shirt. Which was a site to behold since his compound was next to mine.

 The weird thing though, he was not into me, just hallo a few times. Not that I was that resistable to men, especially when I pull my long black hair down and put on a short body hugging dress and some light make up. Which I did often since my new neighbor James moved in.

 He would bring different women to his place on weekends, never saw him with the some woman though. To me he didn't have a serious relationship and a man like him would definitely have women around him for fun. I went out with my friend Lilian and Becky for drinks on Saturday night and had the crazy idea to go over to James place and tell him how much I liked him.

 I got a cub from the club and had him drive me to James house. The fence was broken near the gate, not that many realized it. The former neighbor didn't like carrying keys and had a small route I had seen him go through several times. I got to the compound unnoticed and walked to the front door but before I could ring the door bell, I heard screams. I was tipsy but somehow the scream from inside sobered me up.

 I run to the backyard and looked through the window. James was chocking a half naked woman, she was dying and he seemed to enjoy it. He was naked on top of the woman and his arms that I had yearned for were around her neck choking her. I was so shocked that I let out a scream. He was startled, let go of her and looked at the window but I was quick to hide.

 Clawed on my knees on the soft grass, got out of the compound and got a taxi to my friends house. I couldn't go back to my house in case he come looking for me not that he had seen me but I had to be cautious. Before going to Lillian's place I asked the driver to stop at pay phone where I called the police and gave them the information but didn't give out my name or location.

 In the morning I had Lillian dropped me to my place and on the way we saw the police at James place. They didn't find anything wrong at the house and were apologizing to him for disturbing his peace. Even Lillian felt that in my drunk state I might have mixed up things. I also believed that what I saw was not murder but I was not sure myself.

 I watched him and for weeks he didn't bring any woman along. A month after the incident he come to my place and asked me out which surprised me since he had not paid any attention to me before. I was into him at first but what I saw and the warning from Mrs Baker and Lydia I declined. He come over several times and my curiosity got the better of me. He was handsome and honestly I still had a crush on him dispute what I saw back then.

 We went for movies on weekends but didn't like me telling anyone about us. Mrs Baker was out of town to visit her family for the holidays and my best friend Lilian had gone to visit her sick mum. I was feeling lonely in the house on a Friday afternoon when James called me to his house. We han gone out for several weeks and I didn't find anything wrong with him. He was not a serial killer that would turn on me when I got there so I threw caution to the wind and went.

 It was the first time I went to his house since the welcoming day. It was furnished differently and a little creepy I may say. We got a few drinks and I felt strange, before I passed out I sent a message to Lillian that I was at James place in case I didn't show up.

 When I woke up I was in a basement, my body was lying on that cold floor but I didn't feel cold at all. Wait I could see my body, didn't know what had happened but my soul was not in my body. James walked in with the some smile I saw that night. He was a sick man and talking to himself of how he enjoyed taking the life of those women who flattered with men and only used them to gain money. I had seen him inaction so he had to get rid of me.

 Before he couldn't do what he planned to do to the body, he was interrupted by the door bell. I followed him from the basement to the bedroom and to the front door. Lilian got my message and when I didn't show up at work for two days she come with the police. They search the whole house but didn't find anything.

 After the police left, he went back chopped my lifeless body into piece's put in a plastic bag into his trunk and drove off. At the community entrance he met Mrs Baker and Lydia, they stopped him to ask about what had happened. He claimed to have no idea and they let him drive off.

 He went past all the security checks and no one suspected him of anything. Finally he got to an abandoned land, there was a sinkhole where people dumped garbage. He walked to his trunk took out the bag and tossed it in the hole. We were miles away, no one would ever know what happened to me but I would watch over my mum and friends from above. Maybe in the spiritual world I would find a way to stop James or maybe help him overcome what turned him into a killer.