I landed on the cemented, semi-tiled floor, gracefully leaping off a windowsill, my heart racing like a thoroughbred horse, as I made my swift escape from the slide window of this newly built condominium, just moments before the policemen would arrive. I nearly hit my knees on the ground, overcome with panic, as an adrenaline rush surged through me, propelling me away and blending with the shadows. Good thing the sun's already down, allowing me to effortlessly hide behind closed corners. Damn, I feel like a mouse scurrying into its cozy burrow.
Emergency alarms started filling the air, like music resonating through the whole building.
"Screw those humans!" I let out a scream, but it was as quiet as a whisper. Fears slowly slipped from my lips as I found a hiding spot for me to temporarily stay. I waited for the perfect time to escape and return home to the high-class subdivision I lived in.
I should slink away from here, disappearing into the night without a trail of evidence, leaving no trace of my origins like a ghostly apparition. My neighbors, like indifferent statues, would never bat an eye or lift a finger to suspect me, for they are as disinterested in each other's affairs. I mean, the subdivision is bustling with businessmen, politicians, celebrities, and international influencers. So obviously, all of them are busy building their lives and profiles.
I closed my eyes, relying solely on my ears to listen to the disharmony of sounds buzzing around. When the police siren started wailing, my senses started tingling, and I felt caught in a trap, and I swiftly sought defense behind a colossal garbage tank. I tightened my mouth and covered my nose as if shielding it from a noxious cloud of toxins, desperately trying to escape the foul smell that encroached on my senses.
I witnessed beams of flashlights descending like shooting stars near my spot, compelling me to lean forward, shutting my eyes, and inching closer to the very edge of the garbage tank. I relied on the fact that I wore black clothes, blending seamlessly into the night. In this way, it gave me hope that it somehow helped me camouflage in the darkness. The lights twirled, flickering and darting in every direction. They traced the line of broken glasses with ample blood drops that fell from my leg wounds.
Shoot, it looks like I messed up!
When one of the lights landed near the trash tank, I gasped, my breath escaping. My heart raced, especially when I realized that the blood was as clear as a crystal stream, raising suspicions about my presence. I sidled away as the light crept towards me. Until the moment arrives when the light appears beside me and I am left breathless, as if a gust of wind has stolen the air from my lungs, for every foot I struggle to lift, it feels as though every chance in my life could crumble like those fragile glasses I broke.
"The suspect likely escaped, Sergeant. We were unable to find traces of suspects in and out of the building at this time." I heard a manly voice, probably in his thirties, informing
"How about the neighboring units? Have they checked it?" A female voice asked.
"Yes, sergeant."
After which, I heard their footsteps tiptoeing away from the rooftop. I am as fortunate as a four-leaf clover to have honed my hearing senses like a master artist, thanks to my morphed beta version. It's like having the ability to hear a whisper from a couple of meters away, as if my ears were finely tuned radar detectors, alerting me to any impending life-threatening event.
I let out a sigh of relief before I transformed my outfit into a stylish ensemble with a long dress that cascaded down to my ankles, concealing my black boots, all with a simple click of the coat's button. I then removed my wig and tossed it into the garbage tank, celebrating as my hair cascaded down like a waterfall, revealing its lustrous blonde locks with a slight curl at the ends.
As I strolled down the bustling main street, I sported my eyeglasses while clutching my Atropa Belladonna bag with handles as smooth as silk spun by a werewolf skin and pockets made from werewolf fur. I let the breeze of the cold night sweep through my clothes like a gentle caress from a ghostly hand, convincing myself that it was an honest mistake for me to extinguish someone's life, someone whom I thought was connected to the alpha. Just as expected, a multitude of people converged upon me, their cameras clicking like a chorus of chirping crickets.
"Look, it's Rosaline Strauss!"
Yes, that's me, a shining star in the night sky. Rosaline Strauss, the city's supermodel with the hefty title of one of the highest-paying models in the country, I cloak myself in a shroud of secrecy, assuming the guise of Agent Beta, a phantom of the werewolf realm. A female reporter swooped in, landing near my side. She extended her microphone to me. A male cameraman walked after her. Their loud voices alarmed the security guards. They swiftly blocked their path from reaching me.
I called my driver and asked him to pick me up at my current location.
"I hope you had a nice day, Miss Strauss. Could you provide us with any fresh information on your contract, bearing in mind that it is set to expire in two weeks and that it is up for renewal?"
"Are you planning to renew your contract with Atropa Belladonna, or do you intend to take advantage of the opportunity presented by the company that is its rival?"
"Was the rumor that Dogru Ilac was offering a signing bonus of eighty million dollars accurate?"
Dogru Ilac is like the relentless rival of Atropa Belladonna, constantly hounding me to join their company for what feels like an eternity of five long years. Clearly, their offer is lower compared to my net worth as a model, but the notion of it being a signing fee is higher than expected.
Just in the nick of time, my driver arrived. The guards were like sturdy walls, standing firm as a fortress, shielding their bodies from the surging crowd as I slowly went towards the car's door. The flashes of the cameras made it difficult to even cast a glance around.
As soon as I came inside, I stole a glimpse towards those ambulances in the distance as they took those two victims I accidently murdered behind closed curtains. I also caught the attention of grieving families near the condominium entrance.
I sighed.
"Where are we heading, madam?" My driver asked.
"I want to go home. I feel exhausted."
—
I was in my shower, feeling cozy, when, out of the blue, Sheena, my raven, popped up outside the window, as unexpected as a jack-in-the-box. I turned off the shower and opened the window glass while stomping my feet hard in annoyance.
"Oh my god, not now, please. I am tired, Sheena…"
"You messed up again! You messed up again! The hostess is warning you!" She chirped. I rolled my eyes and shut the windows, getting back to the shower and pretending not to hear her annoying chirps.
I was in the middle of drying up my hair when a notification appeared on my phone. It was about a contract offer from a rival company, Dogru Ilac. And guess what, CEO Malcolm is calling me right now at the same time, what a coincidence!