As he tied the knot in the lace of his running shoe his mother called up the stairs. "I am going to work now. Paul make sure you take a key so that you can let yourself back in when you have finished your run. Please don't disturb Samantha this afternoon. Sam you need to get on with your coursework."
"I am already working." Samantha called down. Having recently turned eighteen she had reached a point where her lack of effort at college had been noted. So her parents were treating her like a thirteen year old, which was not really conducive to a happy harmonious household. As Paul walked past his younger sister's room he looked through the open door and saw that she was spread out across her bed reading a magazine.
"Christ, be careful Sam. You will burn out at this rate."
She looked and shot him a black look. "Why don't you fuck off golden boy. Just because you are at college you're able to just breeze back here safe in the knowledge that you are the athlete everyone loves. To make matters even worse our parent's think you can do no wrong so do me a favour and get off of my back."
He just laughed. "Delude yourself all you like if carry on in this vein you will fail. That won't make you look any better and I will certainly not suffer." This was greeted by her slamming the door shut. So he walked down the stairs picked up his key and left the house. He placed the key in the little secret nook that acted as a temporary 'safe' for his key while he ran round the neighbourhood. He set the stopwatch and began his gentle trot out into the street. The circuit that he ran was a little over a mile long, which he could normally run in about seven minutes, today he was planning on at least eight or nine laps. In fact an hour away from his sister would be bliss given her current extreme moodiness.
His feet pounded the concrete with the trainers absorbing each impact. As he felt his leg muscles loosen he cranked the pace up a notch to quicken his run. His mind emptied as he steadied his body then relaxed slightly, at this point his breathing was calm enabling him to slip into the 'running mode' so he could keep his breathing constant, he felt so comfortable as he took the last turning into the long straight then past his house once more. A cursory check of his watch confirmed that his pace was normal and every thing felt perfect.
As Paul hit the only incline, which was fairly gradual, he was surprised that there was a slight twinge in his calf muscle. Automatically he checked his stride and let his pace falter. With less speed he hoped that his calf would hold up. The calf being the most exposed muscle to stress and strain has to be treated with complete care and respect. Upon reaching the tip of the rise he tentatively increased his stride and with it his pace. Within ten paces he felt the unmistakeable stabbing pain in the right calf muscle once more that made him pull up right away. Sitting on the grass verge he gently rubbed the fleshy muscle at the back of his leg.
After a couple of moments he returned to his feet and started to walk in the opposite direction having decided that to prevent matters getting any worse he would curtail his run. His leg did not feel 100% correct but he was relieved that the walk was generating only a dull ache. He knew that to continue his run would have meant the stabbing pain increasing until he had sustained an injury that may take a while to shake off. So he made his way back to the house.
Approaching the house he retrieved his key from the secret hiding place before making his way to the door. He remembered his mother's words warning him not to disturb his sister's studies. Placing the key silently into the lock he gently twisted the metal, feeling the lock move, he pushed the door open without making a sound. Stepping into the hall he stopped on the doormat and closed the front door. Kneeling he untied his shoelaces, then when they were completely loosened, allowed himself to slip the trainers from his feet. Leaving the running shoes with the family's collection of footwear he walked stealthily to the foot of the stairs.
Carefully he mounted the stairs taking great care not to make a sound. He would make her sorry for being such a moody bitch who was really starting to ruin his return home from college. He won't disturb her he thought, except of course, when he gives her the scare of her life. Checking his watch he saw the time he had taken which would mean that she would not be expecting him back for at least another half an hour. She was unlikely to be studying with no one to keep an eye on her.
Passing the open bathroom door he crept along the wall towards her room. He looked into the room and stopped himself before he made any sound. His mouth fell open as he surveyed and empty room. The magazine his sister had been reading lay abandoned on the bed. His mind tried to make sense of the vacant room before him. Then it dawned on him that his sister was probably taking advantage of his absence to go through his room and possessions.
Any doubts about the shock he had planned for Samantha was dismissed as his anger brewed up. How dare she invade his personal space. The door to his room had been pulled almost closed, which he thought was odd as he had left it wide open, but he guessed this just confirmed his suspicions. Looking through the small gap between the frame and the door allowed him to see his sister sitting on the end of the bed facing away from where he stood. Slowly and quietly his hand touched the wood panel allowing him to push the door open.
Samantha did not notice the door open, as she was engrossed in what she was doing. Paul saw her motionless, except for her right shoulder which was moving slowly almost unnoticeable. The screen was visible over her shoulder allowing Paul to see a picture of two women naked together on a bed. As he walked nearer he could make out that his sister was chatting on line while obviously masturbating and looking at lesbian pornography.
"What the hell are you doing Samantha?" He asked. She spun round her hand whipping out of her skirt, as she was shocked to see her brother looking at her. Her face went scarlet as she rose from the bed and dashed out of the room. Paul went to the screen to see the chat dialogue. His sister appeared to have been talking to a bi-sexual woman in her mid twenties. She had explained that she was experiencing lesbian thoughts and fantasies. Paul grinned as he switched the terminal off disconnecting from the net.
He approached her room and heard her sobbing softly in her room. As the door opened he saw her laid on the bed her body heaving and falling as she cried. Paul sat on the bed beside her and softly put his hand on her shoulder. She instantly drew away from his touch.
"Calm down Sam. It's alright I understand."
