I woke up to the heavy knocks from the door. Someone was banging, trying to break through, I tensed as I felt my fur erect. 'What is the time?'I was obscured from reality and nightmares.
For once I had no idea what to do, I wanted to hide or sneak out as the furious person walked up the window, directly in front of me and began tapping, the sound of a screwdriver was tack as I heard a voice calling the other.
"I think I can open the window using this." The banging stopped and a screeching sound began at the window, they were going to break in. "Better if we smash the window, I have some spare money, I can get it fixed later."
"I wonder why August didn't leave the keys under the mat, tsk."
I sighed in relief as I recognized Sarah's voice. Had she recovered or was I dreaming?
"Sarah?" I flapped the curtains narrowly open and there she was, with Lisa holding a screwdriver.
"August! Open the focking door!" She screamed at me as Lisa gave me a confused look. I let the curtains fall back as I rushed to open the door only to remember I had added an extra latch from the outside.
"Use the back door!" I shouted as I hurried through the kitchen to open the door. The sun was up, bright but cool. I scanned the ground before my eyes as I remembered what I had done last night. Everything looked perfect except for the flies that buzzed around the area.
"What's wrong with you? You didn't even pick up my calls!" Sarah was the first to come around, suspecting me as Lisa added, "What have you been doing? You look different. "
I didn't know who to answer or what to say. I just watched the flies that were idly sucking on the earth, thank god they didn't suspect me of anything as they walked inside the kitchen.
"Why is this place so muddy? Where were you last night?" Sarah asked as she rooted her step a meter behind me, l giving the floor a horrible look. Lisa pinched her nose and added, "The smell..."
"Yes, I can smell it... August?..."
*****
All eyes were on me, my leg shook slightly as I recomposed myself trying hard to act innocent.
"I went to the mortuary. And the storm caught up with me." I had some confidence as Lisa nodded, saying that I made some sense.
"No wonder the smell." Lisa relieved me, I had almost begun cu cursing her inwardly.
The two began ignoring me, as they inspected the house, they didn't even answer when I asked when they had been discharged from the hospital and how they had got there.
"You should have picked up my calls." Sarah was visibly angry with me, and although she was trying her best to hide it, I could undoubtedly read her face.
I remember praying, and kneeling in front of the 64' inch tv last night until my knees hurt. I had slept late, around 4 am after a struggle to relax my mind, I had not even planned to sleep, I was so scared that a ghost might be coming back to drag me to hell.
I checked my phone, and indeed, 20 missed calls from an unknown number I presumed it was Lisa's contact number.
"I slept late, that's why I didn't hear my phone ringing, oh, it's even on silent mode you can see for yourself am not lying." I distracted the pair as I noticed the dirty clothes that I had dumped behind the door last night before walking into the shower.
"Sarah! Check!" I almost shouted, pulling her around as Lisa stood up for her friend.
"Hey! She just came from the hospital. "
"Oh sorry, I... I... I just want you to know my phone is muted..." I took the chance to walk between them and the clothes as I tried hiding my lies.
"We can go downstairs and have some tea." I began welcoming the duo as I placed a smile on my face and opened my arms wide to wrap them in my warmth. Today I was daring, even Lisa was shocked at my behaviour, since when did I have enough boldness to touch her?
They stared at me before shaking off my hands, 'Ooouky....' They both smudged their faces and let me know that it was ok for me to relax.
"We have to do some quick cleaning," Sarah suggested as Lisa as ever added. "And he will prepare lunch."
"Lunch?" I choked.
Was it, not 8 am? I confirmed the time from my phone and realized that it was a freaking evening! It wasn't even lunchtime but 3 pm with some minutes past half.
"Ok, I will prepare noodles for lunch," I said kicking the pile of wet, dirty clothes that reeked of garbage with the back of my leg back into the bathroom before shutting that door. I had to plan quickly, before the girls start cleaning upstairs, on how to dispose of those clothes.
*****
The girls were doing pretty fine, It was a glory that Sarah was back and lively, I didn't care why they had decided not to tell me anything about the time she was at the hospital but cheer inside that my cousin was back to life.
The cleaning had absorbed the girls who had switched the tv on and let soft pop music fill the room. It was time to hide and throw the dirty clothes out the window for disposal.
I knew three minutes was just enough for me to have the garb out and ran out to dump them in the bins but another knock at the front door froze my steps on the stairs as a heavy voice called from the door.
"Hellooo? Anyone home?"
'Fuck!' I cursed as I ran upstairs and hid the clothes under my mattress, in such a neat manner that no one would notice. On my way back downstairs, Sarah was at the door as Lisa had run out from the back door so she could open the padlock from the outside.
I stood on the stairs, as Lisa informed Sarah to open the door.
"It's some men claiming to be officers." Lisa alerted Sarah as the door opened and right there in front of my eyes stood two police officers.
"We are officers," They waved their badges across Sarah's eyes as they began to inquire who else was in the house.
"Just the three of us," Sarah replied. The house was locked on as I saw the two officers stealing glances inside, I was up, hiding behind the door frame.
"We are looking for a person called August Green." I heard one of the cops say with his eyebrows raised.