Cinnamon teased me and called me a guard dog. It was true I pace the balcony and back hallway incessantly staring out all the windows, but my actions were definitely that of a dog panicked by separation anxiety than one gallantly manning the perimeter. She did, of course, agree that Pieter's sudden silence and lack of his presence proved worrying. He had stayed out for a night here and there in the past. That was obviously him staying at his dad's. But to go into a third day with no communication? I paced a bit faster.
"Cinnamon, c'mon, we've got a great breakfast. Tulip and I worked hard on these omelettes, and I know you love them. They're even still somewhat warm. You don't want to miss that opportunity, do you?"
Jessamine had been trying to get me to eat for fifteen minutes. This time she brought the food directly in front of me. The part of my body that didn't care about my mental state and only worked to continue my functions of living sent out itching calls to shove that whole thing in my mouth.
"It's okay. I'd rather wait here," I denied.
"It's not going to make a difference. What will happen will happen. You'll be better prepared, even for things like giving Pieter a slap on the head when he gets back, if you've got energy in you."
"I..."
"Come."
Jessamine took my hand with an iron grip.
Not having a choice, I dutifully followed instead of protesting and tripping over my own feet since Jessamine wouldn't go easy on me like that. She would toss me over her shoulder to take my downstairs that way if it were possible. I sat in the chair she pulled out for me, and I took the fork she provided. The others who were still eating were upstairs, so this area was quiet and good for talking.
"Tell me what exactly led up to this. You said he was looking stuff up. What was he looking up?" Jessamine prompted after making sure I took several good bites.
"That's the thing─ that's all I know! Pieter said there was something he wanted to find out. That what we had talked about 'the other day' made him really curious about that something. It was something he needed for himself. Then he talked about how he needed to pay for a small subscription to get access to the information. Considering how minimal the payment sounded like, the information Pieter wanted could hardly be that crucial."
"What was it you talked about the other day?"
"We talk everyday about many things. I have no clue what conversation he meant, and at the time it wasn't a matter that I felt was imperative to press," I pouted.
"Well, what about when he left?"
"He looked depressed, to be honest. Something he found clearly didn't sit right with him. Considering he only wanted the information to begin with, it should have been the end of it there. Now it sounds like he's actually acting on the knowledge."
"You know that secret safe space he goes to from time to time. Have you tried checking there?"
"That was part of my plan," I sighed. "Pieter did ask me to trust him though. I'm trying to give it a little more time before I go full paranoid."
"I see. Seems like there really is little to be done other than wait. Let me know if there is something though," Jessamine encouraged.
"Yeah..."
"Now, keep eating, young lady."
"Yes, new Mom," I smiled lightly.
I wanted to bolt to Pieter's house as soon as I was done with my food. Unfortunately, there were things to be done. Fennel and I were doing a dog-walking job together and then Tulip asked me to run a load of laundry at the laundromat. An abrupt babysitting request with an extra thirty dollars bonus popped up I couldn't deny. It took me too long to find a good pair of new shoes as many of my pairs were worn. Only around lunch did a spare moment present me an opportunity. Still, I held off on taking it for as long as possible.
Swimming offered the best distraction. I shoved on my swimsuit, hopped the fence, adjusted to the water's temperature by sitting on the rocky shoal, relaxed as the gently lapping waves massaged me, and finally took to the deeper water. Long accustomed to the sting of salt water, I zipped this way and that recalling the old days. How much faster I'd been able to go even with shorter limbs. How much longer I could hold my breath. How much more confident I'd felt. Exhausted in a time embarrassing to my ten-year-old self, I floated on my back for a break and stared. I was surprised how much this of all things helped. In truth, it reminded me of a comforting feeling that came when I saw the stars. I was insignificant in the grand scheme of things. There I floated, a tiny speck. The sky dominated the world as far as could be seen. The mountains loomed as monsters of rock even though they were miles and miles away. I could spot the light of the arena and the fringes of the skyscrapers. I was simply one of many, and this known realization made my problems shrink as well.
Of course, in the end, my feet did take me to Pieter's house. I stealthily scouted the house from the outside first. I checked the apple tree, the little cliff, and peeked in all the windows. The lights were on, but no one was to be seen. For the first time in a long time, nerves rattled my chest upon opening the front door. I'd been silly. Pieter was being rude and thoughtless not giving me one simple text to know how he was doing, but I was overthinking things way past what I should. He was just going to be upstairs on the computer mulling over and processing whatever caused his somber state. The nerves relaxed as I went upstairs and heard noises in the office.
"Oh."
Then I opened the door. Mr. Clay was the one who sat at the desk, and as opposed to my blank expression he offered a smile.
"Cinnamon, how can I help you today? Did you want the computer? I'm done with it. Just turned it off."
"N-No, that's okay. I came here to look for Pieter."
"Pieter?" Mr. Clay frowned now, and his confusion tossed those nerves right back to bursting.
"He said he was going to stay here yesterday night. He didn't come back this past night though, and he hasn't texted me."
"Pieter was here the other night. He kept to himself like usual. He left yesterday morning with a backpack of things─ I assumed to take to the warehouse. But, if he didn't go there..." Mr. Clay contemplated. "He did look rather down."
"Oh! It has something to do with that information he was looking up. He used your card, right? Can you pull up your bank account online and see what it was he paid for?"
Mr. Clay turned the computer back on, and the wait to get into his account was double what the wait had been trying to find the satellite image of my house. My shoulders dropped when the information finally loaded.
"Two one-time payments to two different White Pages websites?" I scoffed. "That would have to mean he was looking up someone's address. Does it tell you who?"
"No. I would have to log in to these websites, and it's Pieter who made the accounts." Mr. Clay patted my shoulder when my back bent lower. "You're worried, and I'm glad you care for him so greatly. He's acting strangely for even how he's been since he's stopped staying here. However, if there's anything I've learned over the years it's that Pieter's smart. He knows how to take care of himself, how to stay out of trouble, and how to get by in the harsher parts of reality. I suspect his lack of contact is more from knowing you'll be mad that he took off than from an inability to do so."
"That would be the better option, but I still don't like it any better. If he comes back or contacts you, can you contact me?"
"I promise."
I wrote down the number for my phone, and I left unsure if I felt any better or not.
At least I had nothing else to do for the afternoon. The fact that Pieter packed up a backpack suggested he wasn't going to be nearby, yet I took to the streets regardless. I checked all the locations we frequented. I even ran up to the area in the foothills where I'd planned to build my shelter, for I'd shown Pieter it once. He wasn't anywhere. Then I simply wandered. Wandered with the hope the random walking might bring me face to face with my quarry. While I understood the chance was low, movement felt better than stillness. I could pretend my efforts meant something.
My heart stopped when my phone buzzed. My whole body froze as my stomach dropped when the screen flashed Pieter's name. I held it tightly in my hand waiting for the vibrations to continue, but the brief sensation meant all I received was a text. It took a deep breath to unlock the screen.
"Sorry for the silence. Bad reception or no battery. I'll be gone. Trust me. Sorry."
Fire centered in my stomach combated the heat. It cycloned with relief, anger, and more worry. What kind of message was that? Clearly, Mr. Clay was right. He'll be gone? What kind of explanation was that? Asking to be trusted was his excuse for how his drastic behavior was reasonable? I texted back immediately. If I had just gotten this, there was no reason for why Pieter shouldn't do the same. So I rushed typing my firm request to get more of an idea of where he was and what he was doing, stating he didn't have to tell me why if he didn't want to. All I needed was confirmation he was safe and perhaps an idea of when he'd return. A minute passed with me staring unblinking at the screen. My message got the 'read' check next to it. Pieter had to be typing. To give me the full answer I wanted would need a bit more time to write.
Sadly, it didn't come. Five minutes of standing like an idiot glued to my phone in the middle of the sidewalk got me nothing but dashed hopes. The phone did buzz once more, but it was Tulip inviting me to a movie.
No new messages came by the time I walked to the theater. Tulip coming into sight got me outside of the ball of emotions tightening my jaw and clenching my nails painfully into the palms. I was surprised I hadn't stomped indents into the sidewalk behind me.
"I'll take it by that expression Pieter remains MIA?" Tulip smiled sympathetically.
"I actually just got a text from him, but it does little other than make me more upset." I held up the phone for her to read.
"That is indeed an awful response to the worry he's caused. At least it does help answer that his departure is one of choice and not because something went wrong."
"He could at least tell me when he plans to be back," I mumbled.
"He could," Tulip agreed. "Anyway, turning your phone off during the movie will help you get your mind off the matter. Pieter might respond by the time we get out. C'mon. I'll get everything tonight. My treat."
"It's okay. I have plenty. Thanks though," I declined.
My mind went back to my conversation with Cinnamon and how Tulip's previously endless supply of money would soon trickle to a stop.
The movie helped more than expected. It had an interesting premise. The characters were set in a post-apocalyptic world, but it focused less on the dark and gritty and more about how people were more likely to stick together and work together as they focused on creating a system that recreated the lost memories of the world that explained how the world got to be in the state it was in the first place. Tulip and I discussed it the whole way back to the warehouse while munching on the refill of the big popcorn bucket we got in the last twenty minutes of the film. It took me until after I changed into my pajamas to do some studying that the itch came to turn my phone back on. I waited, hoped a little, and turned my phone off again to preserve battery when no text waited.
The following morning I woke with a gurgle in my stomach, an ache all over, and a burning pound in my head. The greasy burps were likely because of the popcorn─ I always got a stomachache when eating too much of it. The rest, however, that was clearly from something more problematic.
"You okay, Cinnamon? You don't look very good," Fennel said as I sat there rubbing my head.
"No. I've come down with something. Geez, there was some stuff I really wanted to do today, but oh well. Will you mind telling the others I'll be staying here today, so everyone else can go out? I'm going to take some medicine and get a little more sleep before the place empties."
"Sure. Do you want me to stay with you?
"That's okay," I smiled. "It's a sweet offer, but I know you and Lark had your own plans for today."
Fennel hesitated, but I gave her a tickle and she ran out. Fennel loved tickles for the first few seconds yet couldn't stand them after that. I rest my back against the wall working up the strength to stand and pop into the large room. Blessedly, Fennel must have met Jessamine quickly in the hall, for Jessamine appeared with the pill I needed and a big glass of water. I guzzled both, tried a new technique of contacting Pieter by simply letting him know I was sick and asking for a joke to cheer me up, and returned to sleep. Being sick while being the one watching the warehouse was difficult. For one, you had to actually watch the warehouse. That proved challenging while sleeping. The routine was to move from area to area every so often and walk the perimeter from time to time to check for anything off. I borrowed the wind-up alarm kept in the large room to get me up and moving from my quick naps I snuck. I was in the process of lounging in my bed after one lazily letting my mind drift when a loud clatter from downstairs jolted my heart to racing.
Not too much of a problem, I calmed the panic whispering the worst. Everyone at the warehouse came and went whenever during the day. Larkspur or Fennel had simply returned and tripped over something. Slowly cracking open the door, I peeked my head out and listened further. It also could have been a small animal like a squirrel or raccoon. Honestly, it could have been nothing living at all. The echo of the noise made it difficult to tell where the impact happened. A small piece of the building falling off had happened before.
"Wow, look at this," a man's voice mockingly appreciated the desks and chairs. "They've got their own little classroom. How quaint."
"It almost makes you feel bad for the little brats."
"They'll get over it. They've been sitting on prime state for too long. You're sure that orange bastard is out of the picture?"
"Yeah. I've been keeping an eye on the movements in and out of this place for a while. Him and that other chick have become a no-show."
"Great." The first man kicked over the blue plastic chair with glee. "It's quiet, but I wonder if someone is around."
"How accommodating we are to them depends on how accommodating they are to us," the second man laughed.
They hadn't seen me yet. I was sure of that. There was no way for them to see me from the angle I was at. Although, they might have spotted me walking around earlier if they'd been monitoring the building earlier before crashing the place. With a heart having no excuse not to race now, my muscles provoked by fear allowed me to silently shift the heavy dresser in front of the bedroom door. It was my one defense. I had nothing that could work for a weapon, and the drop out the window to the ground floor offered nothing in the way of climbable features. My fingers fumbled with getting my cell phone turned on.
I'd never realized just how crucial Leo's presence had been to stopping things like this from happening. There'd been prostitutes, drug dealers, and the like who'd popped up from time to time wishing to stake the area as their own. Leo always had them run out before the night was done. Who could have ever expected these men and whoever they were connected to spying on us so effectively though. My mind rationalized what weak plans I could come up with. Maybe I could buy some time by offering use of one of the other buildings while I got Jessamine or Tulip to contact our allied officers so the officers could come claim the men for jail.
But...neither Jessamine or Tulip responded. The sounds of the men puttering about on the first floor, I think checking all the empty crates for anything good, reassured me enough to call both. Neither picked up after two attempts. Then I sent texts. Still nothing. I had two minutes, maybe three before the men came my way. I doubted the dresser wouldn't be enough to stop them. My shaking hands rubbed my face fighting back the numb tingling spreading quickly. I closed my eyes trying to find some comfort in the unknowing darkness wishing with all the effort I could muster for the men to just vanish. Tears crept out from my between my lashes.
"Relax."
My hand smacked into the dresser leaving a painful soreness across the bone. The voice. That voice was back. It swooped upon me like a sudden breeze.
"W-What?" I called in a whisper, expecting nothing.
"If you want the men gone, relax," the voice answer gently, although this did little for my sanity. "Close your eyes, let the tension fade, and don't fight."
"I..."
"Relax."
I glanced at my phone. Nothing from Jessamine. Nothing from Tulip. Not even a lame pun from Pieter. With nothing else to do and no other choice, I complied to that which had to be my imagination attempting to calm me. My lungs took a deep breath, I closed my eyes, and I ignored as best as possible the sounds of the men.
A sensation instantly claimed me. My breath shuddered as the heat in my body siphoned away to the open air, a mist morphing with a will of its own. That's what I envisioned at least. Spots of light pinpricked my blackened sight, my body going motionless. Energy crashed and bounced like a ball of electricity before crunching through my chest. My head swarmed. Consciousness reverberated with a dull echo until I was sure I wasn't conscious at all. I had to have passed out at some point, because I abruptly woke to find myself lying on my side in a cold sweat. Frightened cries filled downstairs. Curious and strangely unafraid, my legs pushed to standing, I slid the dresser to the side, and I stepped onto the balcony to see the most bizarre thing.
"I-It was...! Why was it floating!?" the blue and purple man cried in panic.
"I don't fucking know!" the other snapped with an anger spurred by pure horror. "Move! Fuck this place!"
That was it. The two barreled out the unlocked door scrambling over one another, clawing at his companion when the other managed to get in front of him, and hurriedly dashing out of sight.
I stood, frozen. From shock instead of fear, but frozen nonetheless. Ringing rattled my head, bouncing back and forth from one side of the skull to another. It took the ringing disappearing before returning for me to realize it was actually my phone chiming with a call. I managed to get the second call coming through before it went to voicemail.
"Cinnamon, is everything alright?" Tulip fretted. "I got your message. Some guys are in the warehouse? Are you in danger?"
"I...not anymore. Um, two guys did come in. They've clearly had their sights on the area for a while and knew Leo wasn't around anymore. They made a bit of a mess going through the crates downstairs, but they didn't find me. Then..." How in the world did I explain this? "It's a little hard to describe. Confusing story short, I...scared them off. Can't imagine they'll be coming back."
That was the best I could do.
"You scared them off? How?"
Damn it.
"H-How about I'll tell you when you get back? Everything really is fine for now."
"I'll come over right away. I'm just filling out job applications," Tulip said.
Her travel time should have given me plenty of minutes to come up with a reasonable explanation. Should have. However, the problem I faced was there no reasonable answer. Tulip arrived and stood before me long before I even began to process what happened, let alone rationalize it.
"So, what's this confusing story?"
"I think at this point I can't stick to what I said before," I accepted. "Tulip, I have no damn clue what happened. I didn't scare them off. I was hiding here with the dresser blocking the door when I passed out. Not too much time passed. As soon as I woke, I heard the two men freaking out. They were running out of the building scared out of their minds shouting 'fuck this place.'"
"Oh. Hmm."
Of course, Tulip had no idea how to respond.
"And it did seem like they wouldn't be coming back?" She chose to go with that instead.
"From what it seemed, yeah."
"Well, I'll notify our police to patrol around here more often just to be safe. You said you passed out? It was likely because of a combination of your fever and the sudden stress. Although, you don't feel too hot now." Tulip felt my forehead.
"Maybe the incident scared the cold out of me," I joked weakly.
"I'm glad you're safe regardless. I'll stick around with you for the rest of the day, and I'll contact Leo later to see if he has any advice."
Tulip ordered me to continue resting while she went to clean up the mess downstairs. I complied and let out the biggest breath once sure she was out of earshot. That went better than expected. Tulip hadn't pressed me for more information like I expected. She might later though, and Jessamine would definitely request whatever small details might help explain the situation better. However, no way was I telling anyone other than Pieter about the voice.
"Hello?" I spoke into the quiet. As reality should be, no disembodied voice responded. Frowning, I tried a different tactic. "A.I., power up. A.I., respond."
I listened and waited and honestly hoped that would work. I'd get my explanation, and I'd realize I did have a cool little computer instead my head. Unfortunately, all that happened was my head pounded once more with an ache reminiscent of a heated poker repeatedly jabbed into my temples.
"I'm done with this shit. I'm going back to bed," I grumbled, slinking under my covers.
The sleep made the worst of my symptoms vanish. The better help, however, was getting me off the hook from the questioning I expected. Tulip called Jessamine to let her know everything was fine so Jessamine didn't wake me with a panicked called. They sat me down after to try and get those smaller details, but me sniffling a little more than needed and constantly rubbing my head had them waving their hands and supposing they'd been spooked by a trick of the light. The matter passed. Two days later, I was back to full health.
"Higher!" Fennel demanded.
"Like this?" I cheered.
When her swing came back, I jumped in the air as I caught it to pitch the seat forward with speed unrivaled. Fennel squealed gleefully as she rocketed into the sky, and I smoothly side-stepped to avoid her butt also rocketing backward from sending me flying myself. I gave Larkspur the same kind of push wishing I could be their size again.
"This is so fun! My mom would never push me on the swing," Fennel said once we tired and the two's pace slowed significantly.
"No?" I wondered.
"We even had a swingset in the backyard, but she was still always too busy. She said my aunt is a 'slut', that she has babies with men to get money from them but then spends the money on things for her. Mom takes care of my cousins since she says otherwise my aunt will leave them with her junk friends. Junky friends? Something like that. But...she spent so much time taking care of my cousins she didn't have the time to take care of me. Dad had to work all the time to pay for everyone. I barely saw him," Fennel frowned. "I tried to help too! Vine was throwing a tantrum, so I picked her up to comfort her. She squirmed so much that I accidentally dropped her, and she got a bruise of her forehead. That was when Mom yelled that she was tired of me messing up and that she wished I would leave."
"That wasn't right of her. It is a good thing she's trying to do taking care of your cousins, but it shouldn't come at the cost of neglecting her own child. I...will say though...if you ever feel like you want to go home, I think you should give her and your dad a second chance. I don't think she told you to leave because she meant it. I think she was just stressed and lashing out. You leaving might have given her the wake-up call she needed."
"Maybe," Fennel contemplated slowly. "I don't want to go home yet though. I like being here with everyone better! I'm even getting good at making money!"
"You are," I acknowledged.
The next day, Ruby was off her period and ready to enjoy her improved mood and lack of pain. She grabbed my arm with an unbreakable grip when I started to walk off to take another rambling walk in hopes of finding Pieter to lure me to the beach instead.
"Just think about it, the longer he's gone the more recompense you can demand. The boy has enough money to buy you ti nicest of dinners for months."
"If he comes back."
"He will."
"I don't know at this point!" I tossed one of the rocks Ruby and I collected in a pile at our feet to skip upon the weak waves like we were now. I envisioned the water as Pieter's face, and the rock bounced seven times─ a new record. "He's ignored whatever I text him, and he hasn't sent me anything since that first text. Honestly, part of me is tempted to tell him if he doesn't at least update me every now and again that I'll dump him."
"But you don't want to dump him," Ruby noted.
"I know! Which is why I know he'll see through the bluff too and not say anything still, making the whole thing pointless."
"Ohhh, maybe I should dress up as a boy. Someone new at the warehouse. You can send him a picture of us getting all cozy warning he's on thin ice. Acting as he has further will have you moving on."
I laughed. "That's a fun idea, but we could never pull that off. You're too much of a girl, Ruby."
"That's true." Ruby glanced down at her chest. "To flatten these that much would crush my heart and lungs."
As with spending time with Tulip, hanging out with Ruby made me temporarily forget about my wayward boyfriend. I'm sure that was why Ruby and Cinnamon made it their goal to distract me as much as possible from then on. The three of us did something fun each afternoon. It truly made it feel like we were just normal teenage girl enjoying our summer vacation. Unfortunately, even they couldn't stop me from wallowing. Knowing Pieter wasn't simply hiding out at his house meant there was no reason why I couldn't be there now. I went to do my normal things like studying, preparing my lessons, taking nice showers, and opening up Mr. Clay. I also stayed much longer doing things like watching television and movies, cleaning the house, and otherwise lingering to raise my chances of being the first thing Pieter would see should he decide to come home.
The first week passed into the second week. The second week became the third. The month was almost at its end, and summer vacation was beginning to dwindle. The hurried pace I used to walk the sidewalks with slowed to a drained shuffle as my whole world became a fuzzy dream where even with the worst or best of things happening you could hardly move despite all your effort. I woke, I worked, I walked, I played, and I slept. The process repeated in a cycle not even worthy of remembrance. Nothing stuck until the day Leo and Coral sent Jessamine an email with pictures of Coral's baby bump and the ultrasound revealing the baby's sex. They refused to say which it was though, and certainly none of us could tell the difference in the blobby picture. Time was moving swiftly for them. They were walking their path away from us, and the gnawing loneliness of their absence I'd shoved to the side for the sake of everything else going on hit me as I found I had only energy enough to sit on those swings I pushed Larkspur and Fennel on wishing harder to go back to being a child. I'd repeat the years if it meant my dumb boyfriend would be sitting next to me. For now, all I had was a near month-old text and a broken promise to be with me as the painful feelings in me now had nowhere to go but around and around until I forgot what it was like not to have them at all...
"Tell me what exactly led up to this. You said he was looking stuff up. What was he looking up?" Jessamine prompted after making sure I took several good bites.
"That's the thing─ that's all I know! Pieter said there was something he wanted to find out. That what we had talked about 'the other day' made him really curious about that something. It was something he needed for himself. Then he talked about how he needed to pay for a small subscription to get access to the information. Considering how minimal the payment sounded like, the information Pieter wanted could hardly be that crucial."
"What was it you talked about the other day?"
"We talk everyday about many things. I have no clue what conversation he meant, and at the time it wasn't a matter that I felt was imperative to press," I pouted.
"Well, what about when he left?"
"He looked depressed, to be honest. Something he found clearly didn't sit right with him. Considering he only wanted the information to begin with, it should have been the end of it there. Now it sounds like he's actually acting on the knowledge."
"You know that secret safe space he goes to from time to time. Have you tried checking there?"
"That was part of my plan," I sighed. "Pieter did ask me to trust him though. I'm trying to give it a little more time before I go full paranoid."
"I see. Seems like there really is little to be done other than wait. Let me know if there is something though," Jessamine encouraged.
"Yeah..."
"Now, keep eating, young lady."
"Yes, new Mom," I smiled lightly.
I wanted to bolt to Pieter's house as soon as I was done with my food. Unfortunately, there were things to be done. Fennel and I were doing a dog-walking job together and then Tulip asked me to run a load of laundry at the laundromat. An abrupt babysitting request with an extra thirty dollars bonus popped up I couldn't deny. It took me too long to find a good pair of new shoes as many of my pairs were worn. Only around lunch did a spare moment present me an opportunity. Still, I held off on taking it for as long as possible.
Swimming offered the best distraction. I shoved on my swimsuit, hopped the fence, adjusted to the water's temperature by sitting on the rocky shoal, relaxed as the gently lapping waves massaged me, and finally took to the deeper water. Long accustomed to the sting of salt water, I zipped this way and that recalling the old days. How much faster I'd been able to go even with shorter limbs. How much longer I could hold my breath. How much more confident I'd felt. Exhausted in a time embarrassing to my ten-year-old self, I floated on my back for a break and stared. I was surprised how much this of all things helped. In truth, it reminded me of a comforting feeling that came when I saw the stars. I was insignificant in the grand scheme of things. There I floated, a tiny speck. The sky dominated the world as far as could be seen. The mountains loomed as monsters of rock even though they were miles and miles away. I could spot the light of the arena and the fringes of the skyscrapers. I was simply one of many, and this known realization made my problems shrink as well.
Of course, in the end, my feet did take me to Pieter's house. I stealthily scouted the house from the outside first. I checked the apple tree, the little cliff, and peeked in all the windows. The lights were on, but no one was to be seen. For the first time in a long time, nerves rattled my chest upon opening the front door. I'd been silly. Pieter was being rude and thoughtless not giving me one simple text to know how he was doing, but I was overthinking things way past what I should. He was just going to be upstairs on the computer mulling over and processing whatever caused his somber state. The nerves relaxed as I went upstairs and heard noises in the office.
"Oh."
Then I opened the door. Mr. Clay was the one who sat at the desk, and as opposed to my blank expression he offered a smile.
"Cinnamon, how can I help you today? Did you want the computer? I'm done with it. Just turned it off."
"N-No, that's okay. I came here to look for Pieter."
"Pieter?" Mr. Clay frowned now, and his confusion tossed those nerves right back to bursting.
"He said he was going to stay here yesterday night. He didn't come back this past night though, and he hasn't texted me."
"Pieter was here the other night. He kept to himself like usual. He left yesterday morning with a backpack of things─ I assumed to take to the warehouse. But, if he didn't go there..." Mr. Clay contemplated. "He did look rather down."
"Oh! It has something to do with that information he was looking up. He used your card, right? Can you pull up your bank account online and see what it was he paid for?"
Mr. Clay turned the computer back on, and the wait to get into his account was double what the wait had been trying to find the satellite image of my house. My shoulders dropped when the information finally loaded.
"Two one-time payments to two different White Pages websites?" I scoffed. "That would have to mean he was looking up someone's address. Does it tell you who?"
"No. I would have to log in to these websites, and it's Pieter who made the accounts." Mr. Clay patted my shoulder when my back bent lower. "You're worried, and I'm glad you care for him so greatly. He's acting strangely for even how he's been since he's stopped staying here. However, if there's anything I've learned over the years it's that Pieter's smart. He knows how to take care of himself, how to stay out of trouble, and how to get by in the harsher parts of reality. I suspect his lack of contact is more from knowing you'll be mad that he took off than from an inability to do so."
"That would be the better option, but I still don't like it any better. If he comes back or contacts you, can you contact me?"
"I promise."
I wrote down the number for my phone, and I left unsure if I felt any better or not.
At least I had nothing else to do for the afternoon. The fact that Pieter packed up a backpack suggested he wasn't going to be nearby, yet I took to the streets regardless. I checked all the locations we frequented. I even ran up to the area in the foothills where I'd planned to build my shelter, for I'd shown Pieter it once. He wasn't anywhere. Then I simply wandered. Wandered with the hope the random walking might bring me face to face with my quarry. While I understood the chance was low, movement felt better than stillness. I could pretend my efforts meant something.
My heart stopped when my phone buzzed. My whole body froze as my stomach dropped when the screen flashed Pieter's name. I held it tightly in my hand waiting for the vibrations to continue, but the brief sensation meant all I received was a text. It took a deep breath to unlock the screen.
"Sorry for the silence. Bad reception or no battery. I'll be gone. Trust me. Sorry."
Fire centered in my stomach combated the heat. It cycloned with relief, anger, and more worry. What kind of message was that? Clearly, Mr. Clay was right. He'll be gone? What kind of explanation was that? Asking to be trusted was his excuse for how his drastic behavior was reasonable? I texted back immediately. If I had just gotten this, there was no reason for why Pieter shouldn't do the same. So I rushed typing my firm request to get more of an idea of where he was and what he was doing, stating he didn't have to tell me why if he didn't want to. All I needed was confirmation he was safe and perhaps an idea of when he'd return. A minute passed with me staring unblinking at the screen. My message got the 'read' check next to it. Pieter had to be typing. To give me the full answer I wanted would need a bit more time to write.
Sadly, it didn't come. Five minutes of standing like an idiot glued to my phone in the middle of the sidewalk got me nothing but dashed hopes. The phone did buzz once more, but it was Tulip inviting me to a movie.
No new messages came by the time I walked to the theater. Tulip coming into sight got me outside of the ball of emotions tightening my jaw and clenching my nails painfully into the palms. I was surprised I hadn't stomped indents into the sidewalk behind me.
"I'll take it by that expression Pieter remains MIA?" Tulip smiled sympathetically.
"I actually just got a text from him, but it does little other than make me more upset." I held up the phone for her to read.
"That is indeed an awful response to the worry he's caused. At least it does help answer that his departure is one of choice and not because something went wrong."
"He could at least tell me when he plans to be back," I mumbled.
"He could," Tulip agreed. "Anyway, turning your phone off during the movie will help you get your mind off the matter. Pieter might respond by the time we get out. C'mon. I'll get everything tonight. My treat."
"It's okay. I have plenty. Thanks though," I declined.
My mind went back to my conversation with Cinnamon and how Tulip's previously endless supply of money would soon trickle to a stop.
The movie helped more than expected. It had an interesting premise. The characters were set in a post-apocalyptic world, but it focused less on the dark and gritty and more about how people were more likely to stick together and work together as they focused on creating a system that recreated the lost memories of the world that explained how the world got to be in the state it was in the first place. Tulip and I discussed it the whole way back to the warehouse while munching on the refill of the big popcorn bucket we got in the last twenty minutes of the film. It took me until after I changed into my pajamas to do some studying that the itch came to turn my phone back on. I waited, hoped a little, and turned my phone off again to preserve battery when no text waited.
The following morning I woke with a gurgle in my stomach, an ache all over, and a burning pound in my head. The greasy burps were likely because of the popcorn─ I always got a stomachache when eating too much of it. The rest, however, that was clearly from something more problematic.
"You okay, Cinnamon? You don't look very good," Fennel said as I sat there rubbing my head.
"No. I've come down with something. Geez, there was some stuff I really wanted to do today, but oh well. Will you mind telling the others I'll be staying here today, so everyone else can go out? I'm going to take some medicine and get a little more sleep before the place empties."
"Sure. Do you want me to stay with you?
"That's okay," I smiled. "It's a sweet offer, but I know you and Lark had your own plans for today."
Fennel hesitated, but I gave her a tickle and she ran out. Fennel loved tickles for the first few seconds yet couldn't stand them after that. I rest my back against the wall working up the strength to stand and pop into the large room. Blessedly, Fennel must have met Jessamine quickly in the hall, for Jessamine appeared with the pill I needed and a big glass of water. I guzzled both, tried a new technique of contacting Pieter by simply letting him know I was sick and asking for a joke to cheer me up, and returned to sleep. Being sick while being the one watching the warehouse was difficult. For one, you had to actually watch the warehouse. That proved challenging while sleeping. The routine was to move from area to area every so often and walk the perimeter from time to time to check for anything off. I borrowed the wind-up alarm kept in the large room to get me up and moving from my quick naps I snuck. I was in the process of lounging in my bed after one lazily letting my mind drift when a loud clatter from downstairs jolted my heart to racing.
Not too much of a problem, I calmed the panic whispering the worst. Everyone at the warehouse came and went whenever during the day. Larkspur or Fennel had simply returned and tripped over something. Slowly cracking open the door, I peeked my head out and listened further. It also could have been a small animal like a squirrel or raccoon. Honestly, it could have been nothing living at all. The echo of the noise made it difficult to tell where the impact happened. A small piece of the building falling off had happened before.
"Wow, look at this," a man's voice mockingly appreciated the desks and chairs. "They've got their own little classroom. How quaint."
"It almost makes you feel bad for the little brats."
"They'll get over it. They've been sitting on prime state for too long. You're sure that orange bastard is out of the picture?"
"Yeah. I've been keeping an eye on the movements in and out of this place for a while. Him and that other chick have become a no-show."
"Great." The first man kicked over the blue plastic chair with glee. "It's quiet, but I wonder if someone is around."
"How accommodating we are to them depends on how accommodating they are to us," the second man laughed.
They hadn't seen me yet. I was sure of that. There was no way for them to see me from the angle I was at. Although, they might have spotted me walking around earlier if they'd been monitoring the building earlier before crashing the place. With a heart having no excuse not to race now, my muscles provoked by fear allowed me to silently shift the heavy dresser in front of the bedroom door. It was my one defense. I had nothing that could work for a weapon, and the drop out the window to the ground floor offered nothing in the way of climbable features. My fingers fumbled with getting my cell phone turned on.
I'd never realized just how crucial Leo's presence had been to stopping things like this from happening. There'd been prostitutes, drug dealers, and the like who'd popped up from time to time wishing to stake the area as their own. Leo always had them run out before the night was done. Who could have ever expected these men and whoever they were connected to spying on us so effectively though. My mind rationalized what weak plans I could come up with. Maybe I could buy some time by offering use of one of the other buildings while I got Jessamine or Tulip to contact our allied officers so the officers could come claim the men for jail.
But...neither Jessamine or Tulip responded. The sounds of the men puttering about on the first floor, I think checking all the empty crates for anything good, reassured me enough to call both. Neither picked up after two attempts. Then I sent texts. Still nothing. I had two minutes, maybe three before the men came my way. I doubted the dresser wouldn't be enough to stop them. My shaking hands rubbed my face fighting back the numb tingling spreading quickly. I closed my eyes trying to find some comfort in the unknowing darkness wishing with all the effort I could muster for the men to just vanish. Tears crept out from my between my lashes.
"Relax."
My hand smacked into the dresser leaving a painful soreness across the bone. The voice. That voice was back. It swooped upon me like a sudden breeze.
"W-What?" I called in a whisper, expecting nothing.
"If you want the men gone, relax," the voice answer gently, although this did little for my sanity. "Close your eyes, let the tension fade, and don't fight."
"I..."
"Relax."
I glanced at my phone. Nothing from Jessamine. Nothing from Tulip. Not even a lame pun from Pieter. With nothing else to do and no other choice, I complied to that which had to be my imagination attempting to calm me. My lungs took a deep breath, I closed my eyes, and I ignored as best as possible the sounds of the men.
A sensation instantly claimed me. My breath shuddered as the heat in my body siphoned away to the open air, a mist morphing with a will of its own. That's what I envisioned at least. Spots of light pinpricked my blackened sight, my body going motionless. Energy crashed and bounced like a ball of electricity before crunching through my chest. My head swarmed. Consciousness reverberated with a dull echo until I was sure I wasn't conscious at all. I had to have passed out at some point, because I abruptly woke to find myself lying on my side in a cold sweat. Frightened cries filled downstairs. Curious and strangely unafraid, my legs pushed to standing, I slid the dresser to the side, and I stepped onto the balcony to see the most bizarre thing.
"I-It was...! Why was it floating!?" the blue and purple man cried in panic.
"I don't fucking know!" the other snapped with an anger spurred by pure horror. "Move! Fuck this place!"
That was it. The two barreled out the unlocked door scrambling over one another, clawing at his companion when the other managed to get in front of him, and hurriedly dashing out of sight.
I stood, frozen. From shock instead of fear, but frozen nonetheless. Ringing rattled my head, bouncing back and forth from one side of the skull to another. It took the ringing disappearing before returning for me to realize it was actually my phone chiming with a call. I managed to get the second call coming through before it went to voicemail.
"Cinnamon, is everything alright?" Tulip fretted. "I got your message. Some guys are in the warehouse? Are you in danger?"
"I...not anymore. Um, two guys did come in. They've clearly had their sights on the area for a while and knew Leo wasn't around anymore. They made a bit of a mess going through the crates downstairs, but they didn't find me. Then..." How in the world did I explain this? "It's a little hard to describe. Confusing story short, I...scared them off. Can't imagine they'll be coming back."
That was the best I could do.
"You scared them off? How?"
Damn it.
"H-How about I'll tell you when you get back? Everything really is fine for now."
"I'll come over right away. I'm just filling out job applications," Tulip said.
Her travel time should have given me plenty of minutes to come up with a reasonable explanation. Should have. However, the problem I faced was there no reasonable answer. Tulip arrived and stood before me long before I even began to process what happened, let alone rationalize it.
"So, what's this confusing story?"
"I think at this point I can't stick to what I said before," I accepted. "Tulip, I have no damn clue what happened. I didn't scare them off. I was hiding here with the dresser blocking the door when I passed out. Not too much time passed. As soon as I woke, I heard the two men freaking out. They were running out of the building scared out of their minds shouting 'fuck this place.'"
"Oh. Hmm."
Of course, Tulip had no idea how to respond.
"And it did seem like they wouldn't be coming back?" She chose to go with that instead.
"From what it seemed, yeah."
"Well, I'll notify our police to patrol around here more often just to be safe. You said you passed out? It was likely because of a combination of your fever and the sudden stress. Although, you don't feel too hot now." Tulip felt my forehead.
"Maybe the incident scared the cold out of me," I joked weakly.
"I'm glad you're safe regardless. I'll stick around with you for the rest of the day, and I'll contact Leo later to see if he has any advice."
Tulip ordered me to continue resting while she went to clean up the mess downstairs. I complied and let out the biggest breath once sure she was out of earshot. That went better than expected. Tulip hadn't pressed me for more information like I expected. She might later though, and Jessamine would definitely request whatever small details might help explain the situation better. However, no way was I telling anyone other than Pieter about the voice.
"Hello?" I spoke into the quiet. As reality should be, no disembodied voice responded. Frowning, I tried a different tactic. "A.I., power up. A.I., respond."
I listened and waited and honestly hoped that would work. I'd get my explanation, and I'd realize I did have a cool little computer instead my head. Unfortunately, all that happened was my head pounded once more with an ache reminiscent of a heated poker repeatedly jabbed into my temples.
"I'm done with this shit. I'm going back to bed," I grumbled, slinking under my covers.
The sleep made the worst of my symptoms vanish. The better help, however, was getting me off the hook from the questioning I expected. Tulip called Jessamine to let her know everything was fine so Jessamine didn't wake me with a panicked called. They sat me down after to try and get those smaller details, but me sniffling a little more than needed and constantly rubbing my head had them waving their hands and supposing they'd been spooked by a trick of the light. The matter passed. Two days later, I was back to full health.
"Higher!" Fennel demanded.
"Like this?" I cheered.
When her swing came back, I jumped in the air as I caught it to pitch the seat forward with speed unrivaled. Fennel squealed gleefully as she rocketed into the sky, and I smoothly side-stepped to avoid her butt also rocketing backward from sending me flying myself. I gave Larkspur the same kind of push wishing I could be their size again.
"This is so fun! My mom would never push me on the swing," Fennel said once we tired and the two's pace slowed significantly.
"No?" I wondered.
"We even had a swingset in the backyard, but she was still always too busy. She said my aunt is a 'slut', that she has babies with men to get money from them but then spends the money on things for her. Mom takes care of my cousins since she says otherwise my aunt will leave them with her junk friends. Junky friends? Something like that. But...she spent so much time taking care of my cousins she didn't have the time to take care of me. Dad had to work all the time to pay for everyone. I barely saw him," Fennel frowned. "I tried to help too! Vine was throwing a tantrum, so I picked her up to comfort her. She squirmed so much that I accidentally dropped her, and she got a bruise of her forehead. That was when Mom yelled that she was tired of me messing up and that she wished I would leave."
"That wasn't right of her. It is a good thing she's trying to do taking care of your cousins, but it shouldn't come at the cost of neglecting her own child. I...will say though...if you ever feel like you want to go home, I think you should give her and your dad a second chance. I don't think she told you to leave because she meant it. I think she was just stressed and lashing out. You leaving might have given her the wake-up call she needed."
"Maybe," Fennel contemplated slowly. "I don't want to go home yet though. I like being here with everyone better! I'm even getting good at making money!"
"You are," I acknowledged.
The next day, Ruby was off her period and ready to enjoy her improved mood and lack of pain. She grabbed my arm with an unbreakable grip when I started to walk off to take another rambling walk in hopes of finding Pieter to lure me to the beach instead.
"Just think about it, the longer he's gone the more recompense you can demand. The boy has enough money to buy you ti nicest of dinners for months."
"If he comes back."
"He will."
"I don't know at this point!" I tossed one of the rocks Ruby and I collected in a pile at our feet to skip upon the weak waves like we were now. I envisioned the water as Pieter's face, and the rock bounced seven times─ a new record. "He's ignored whatever I text him, and he hasn't sent me anything since that first text. Honestly, part of me is tempted to tell him if he doesn't at least update me every now and again that I'll dump him."
"But you don't want to dump him," Ruby noted.
"I know! Which is why I know he'll see through the bluff too and not say anything still, making the whole thing pointless."
"Ohhh, maybe I should dress up as a boy. Someone new at the warehouse. You can send him a picture of us getting all cozy warning he's on thin ice. Acting as he has further will have you moving on."
I laughed. "That's a fun idea, but we could never pull that off. You're too much of a girl, Ruby."
"That's true." Ruby glanced down at her chest. "To flatten these that much would crush my heart and lungs."
As with spending time with Tulip, hanging out with Ruby made me temporarily forget about my wayward boyfriend. I'm sure that was why Ruby and Cinnamon made it their goal to distract me as much as possible from then on. The three of us did something fun each afternoon. It truly made it feel like we were just normal teenage girl enjoying our summer vacation. Unfortunately, even they couldn't stop me from wallowing. Knowing Pieter wasn't simply hiding out at his house meant there was no reason why I couldn't be there now. I went to do my normal things like studying, preparing my lessons, taking nice showers, and opening up Mr. Clay. I also stayed much longer doing things like watching television and movies, cleaning the house, and otherwise lingering to raise my chances of being the first thing Pieter would see should he decide to come home.
The first week passed into the second week. The second week became the third. The month was almost at its end, and summer vacation was beginning to dwindle. The hurried pace I used to walk the sidewalks with slowed to a drained shuffle as my whole world became a fuzzy dream where even with the worst or best of things happening you could hardly move despite all your effort. I woke, I worked, I walked, I played, and I slept. The process repeated in a cycle not even worthy of remembrance. Nothing stuck until the day Leo and Coral sent Jessamine an email with pictures of Coral's baby bump and the ultrasound revealing the baby's sex. They refused to say which it was though, and certainly none of us could tell the difference in the blobby picture. Time was moving swiftly for them. They were walking their path away from us, and the gnawing loneliness of their absence I'd shoved to the side for the sake of everything else going on hit me as I found I had only energy enough to sit on those swings I pushed Larkspur and Fennel on wishing harder to go back to being a child. I'd repeat the years if it meant my dumb boyfriend would be sitting next to me. For now, all I had was a near month-old text and a broken promise to be with me as the painful feelings in me now had nowhere to go but around and around until I forgot what it was like not to have them at all...
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