Hyena

Hyena

Mary and Marlon came back from the park. At three years old all Marlon wanted to do was ride his tricycle all day long. The local park was perfect for it. Smooth concrete paths wound around a pond, gently rolling grassy hills and a small forest. Keeping a vigilant watch over her toddler, Mary didn’t see the purple Harley Davidson with flames on the tank parked in her driveway until she was almost home.

The motorcycle was unknown to her. Curious yet cautious, she slowly opened the front door to her house. She shushed Marlon with an index in front of her mouth. Before Mary became a mom she earned her living as a mercenary. One of the first things Marlon learned was to stalk prey with her. He thought it was a fun game. To her it could mean the difference between life and death.

Mary and Marlon crept soundlessly into the front hall. To the right was the kitchen, to the left the two bedrooms. Through a short hall was the living room, open to a back patio. Mary heard her husband Julian laugh, and a woman’s shrill giggling answer. Inhaling audibly Mary straightened up. Marlon caught her changed attitude and ran ahead to see who was there.

From the living room Mary heard Julian exclaim, “Marlon, I didn’t hear you get in! Meet Serena.”

Serena. Mary flipped through her memories, trying to put a face to the name. Nothing. Mary hung her coat on a hanger and followed Marlon. She walked up to Julian with her sweetest smile and hugged him tight around his neck, forcing him to bend and kiss her. The kiss lasted a full minute, leaving Julian breathless and with flushed cheeks.

The strange leather-clad woman stood motionless in her spot, pretending there was something very important to look at in the backyard. Only when Julian laughed uncomfortably and said, “Mary, this is Serena, she used to run with us.” did she turn her face back to the couple and smiled benign.

Standing nearly six feet tall with a Barbie doll figure, long jet-black hair cascading down her back and high cheekbones Serena didn’t impress Mary. She had spotted the hyena’s brown eyes, feigning to come by for a casual visit but really spying for an angle to get back into Julian’s life.

“Well, I’m sure you two have a lot to catch up on. I’ll give Marlon lunch and put him down for his nap.”

Mary saw Serena size her up. Working in the kitchen she overheard Serena ask Julian, “Why did you marry that small breasted, bossy little thing?”

A stifled cough, groaning, a lame, “Mary needed me.”

Mary kept her temper in check until Marlon had eaten and was asleep. Her bright blue eyes blazing with anger she sneaked back into the living room, startling Julian out of his skin. “I’m going to see Jake. Don’t wait up for me. You have to bring Marlon to his kiddy-yoga at four.”

“Can’t you …”

“No. Today Jake and I go visit Jesse’s grave. We’ll go party at Lucifer’s Lair afterward.” She glared at Serena and added, “At least Jesse won’t come out of the woodworks and try to get between us.” Jesse had been Mary’s boyfriend until he died, taking a bullet in his chest, protecting her. His twin brother Jake and Mary formed a sibling-like bond, which kept them going in the months after the tragedy.

Serena stood up from the couch she had been sitting on. “I better leave.”

Mary snorted, “Don’t you two have more nostalgic moments to mull over? Don’t leave on my account.”

She left her home and drove to her friend Jake’s apartment. There she found comfort in her best friend’s hug. Together they visited the grave of the one person they both equally missed.



624 words without title and prompt



What if an old love knocked on your (character's) door, returning into your (their) life?