Needless to say that paranoia didn't take very long to set in. You, yes you, you'll know what I'm speaking of. You feel everyone's eyes on you, and every single glance even remotely directed at you is suspicious. The most minor of movements send your mind and body into a rampant fight or flight mode. And last but not least, everyone is out to get you. Let's just say I wasn't in the best state of mind to deal with the situation at hand.
I needed to see Laira, desperately. I needed a dose of reality. Someone to grab me and shake the hell out of me. My fears weren't exactly unfounded, but they escalated rather quickly from paranoia to paralysing anxiety.
I lean, against the first wall, and draw a deep breath. My plan was going great so far. Can't you tell? I was being subjective. I was by no means in no measure to judge whether I was in any real danger or not. Because my mind was seeing everyone around as the enemy and it drew the remaining strength I had left right out of me with the speed of light.
" Miss," I opened my eyes at the sound of a male voice, edged with concern," Are you alright? You look an awful shade of pale," He says as if I didn't know.
I tried to muster a smile, but I think it came off a bit weird because the man took a step back, his eyes a little wider. I didn't know if it was recognition or fear. But he left before I had a chance to respond. And so did I. If I wasn't moving, I was a sitting duck.
By some miracle, I managed to drag my feet to the mansion but stopped short near the boundary. Mostly to scope the field and to see if anyone was paying me any special attention. It was eerily peaceful. Usually, by this time, the town was bustling. But then again, I didn't spend much time outside, so, maybe it was just my imagination playing tricks on me. It would be the first time.
The mansion looked quiet, with no sign of life but the front door was slightly ajar. Not by much, one had to squint to actually notice. Good thing my vision was still in good working order, because pretty much everything else wasn't.
I took a deep breath and on shaky legs, I trudged my way towards the front gate, with my eyes wildly roving all over the place, trying to find the threat, existent or not.
I couldn't relax, not even if someone would have shoved me in the most soothing bath, and sang me to sleep. I was so tense that if a twig had snapped somewhere in a two-mile radius, my heart attack would have been imminent. I was definitely going to die before I could make it into the second decade of life.
The front screeched. I flinched at the grating sound. My heart was pounding so hard that I could feel my muscles struggling to contain it.
Mind you, I wasn't the stealthiest person alive. I was tall and stood out against the bare background like a sore thumb. I was pretty sure that wearing the scarf hadn't done me any favours either.
I leaned against the door, trying to gauge the situation inside. I couldn't remember if Enid had shut the door on our way out. I couldn't remember much, bar our conversation in the car.
After a few minutes of listening, I push the door, which lets out a long, drawn creak, revealing an empty house. Everything seemed normal, at first sight. Nothing had been disturbed in our absence. My target is my bedroom, and Mason's office. I need to find where he went. It was vital. I knew he had an office, somewhere in Morston as well, but that was tomorrow's problem. One at a time.
The moment I took a step into the corridor leading to the bedrooms and office, a stack of papers flew through the door, followed by a grunt of frustration, and a loud thud. The ensuing cursing session gives me insight into the gender of the owner's voice. It was a woman, she sounded fairly young. Considering her choice of euphemisms for Mason. Disgruntled lover. Perhaps.
I rear back into the alcove at the entire hallway and wait. The house creaks on its own. It always had. It was old, and always complained, like old people do of their aches brought by the passing of time.
I glimpse a head full of hair, as she looks up and down the corridor.
"Who's there?" She whistles and laughs. The broad is crazy. And here I thought, I was bad.
" Come out, come out, wherever you are," Her singing song voice is so enchanting and lulling. She could easily be a singer. I wonder how many of those, Mason had brought back home and then shoved out the door. Although, I had never seen him walk them out.
Lost in my thoughts, I lose track of where the batshit crazy lady is and find myself nose to with a beautiful round-faced brunette, wearing a shit-eating grin, with a crazy look in her eyes.
" Found ya' " She beams, grabbing my arm and dragging me out of the alcove. I'm stunned and follow her without even putting up a fight.
I notice, the trench coat, and the heavy cobalt boots that peek from underneath, a sparkle catches my eye, with the next step she takes, and I know it's not a jewel. It's a knife or a dagger of some sort.
We finally make it into the office, she lets go of my arm and looks me up and down with a thoughtful frown.
" You look like you died and came back," I don't say anything, because I know she is right and she has a knife. I have a scarf and fighting skills of negative zero.
" Who are you?" She begins pacing in front of me as if pondering.
" Nobody," I realise, I'm breathless and on the verge of fainting, or heaving what I ate two months prior any moment now.
" Take off your scarf," She commands and begins to unravel the trenchcoat she is wearing.
I feel the blood in my body drain further, when it falls open, revealing an entire armoury strapped to her body. She isn't one for subtlety that's for sure.
Something warm trickles my upper lip, and out of instinct, I go to wipe, it off. My heart is finally giving out. I'm mentally preparing myself to die.
The crazy lady takes a lungful of air and breathes it out satisfied.
" Look at that," She beams clapping her hands, rocking on the balls of her feet," Out of all the places in Morston you walked into mine," she says with a savage grin.