Kace half heartedly trotted down the staircase of the five story apartment complex where he resided in 15th street. He didn't care to use the elevator. Actually, no one cared to use the the elevator except if the person in question was a visitor to the building and as expected by the residents, the building didn't receive many visitors, which was actually a good thing. The machine was a death trap in itself and only if one wished to go on a suicide mission. Well....he didn't plan on going on any missions of recent. What he needed was to cool off and to let off some steam not a freaking mission. These thoughts were twirling around in his head when he walked out of his habitat and crossed the tarred road and stepped onto the foot walk of the opposite side when he heard Mrs. Bakers- whom he had obviously seen before he crossed over- mumbling a faint good evening and her offering of condolences for his deceased wife. He wasn't sure though. It was either Mrs. Bakers had a seriously bad sore throat or his eardrums weren't properly working this morning but boy was he glad not to have heard. He seemed to have nodded his head lightly as a simple reply to her earlier words. He could clearly see Madamé Hammington sitting just right next to Mrs. Bakers as it seemed they were engrossed in a conversation before Kace trotted along. He was grateful she didn't speak to him, only giving him a look which was hard- if he could say- to depict whatever emotion which was enshrined on her ageing face. He wondered what she was thinking but he shrugged it off. He didn't know. He didn't care. He had better things to do.
The two old ladies were seated on Mrs. Bakers porch with Rosie, her golden retriever.
"Are u sure he will be alright?" asked Madamé Hammington to nobody in particular, as both women stared at kaces' retreating back.
"I hope so, Rose, I hope so" Mrs. Bakers answered her question nevertheless, confirming her chat ful nature. "I just miss his old self.......you know. That cheerful, jovial young man. Had a bright a future ahead of him! Just take a look at him now" indirectly emphasizing on how tattered and unkept Kace looked especially when up close. " He's just a shadow of his past self. Well, what can we do? it's not as if we could turn back time, can we?
"Maddie! you should be mindful of those words" she reprimanded her friends' oblivious choice of words while being grateful that the young man was out of earshot!
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Kace had already reached St. Gregory's store and was just aimlessly walking in between the grocery's store aisles seemingly looking for .... well, he didn't know what exactly but he would just be looking. Just in case he saw what will fancy. kaces' mind wandered back to what the deranged beggar- at least so he thought- just outside told him before he could pass through the stores' automatic doors.
"Greetings to you,My Lord......I am indeed honored to grace your presence" She bowed slightly, showing her respect, hence, blocking him from entering the store
"What???" Kace was stunned for a moment."What's this now" he was a hundred percent sure he didn't know her. it seemed that God made this day specially for him!
"Please excuse me" he said when he was collected now as he tried to shove the tattered woman aside. "I want to pass through" he was starting to get irritated.
"NO!! you must listen to me...the forces of darkness are against you and the whole universe! You must find the light before the dark gets to you. Remember!"
Now he was annoyed. 'What kind of mumbo jumbo, cock and bull story was this ....beggar spouting'. He shoved the woman right off his way and walked straight through into the store without looking back wanting to dismiss the curious gazes which were being thrown at him and the seemingly deranged beggar. But at the very last minute before he could turn into a corner and disappear, he looked back without knowing the reason why! He thought that the woman would be aggrieved because of the manner he treated her, but no,she smiled at him revealing her whatever stained teeth and mouthed the words- REMEMBER!!
Kace was already heading home after a brief talk with Tony- the shop keeper. He tried not to think about the beggars' words and focus on the wonderfully boring day but he just couldn't. He finally gave up on his way up the stairs to his apartment on the third floor, concluding that the freaky woman was nothing but a psycho looking for a victim to mess with. With this thought, holding his groceries in one hand, he brought out his keys from his pants' back pocket. He inserted the keys in the lock and then, the next moment, his eyes widened in horror. Today seemed to never get better.
"WHAT THE........ !!" he shouted angrily the rest of the sentenced hooked. His house had been burgled!!!