LIVING ALONE?

"Are you insane?!!". "No, Sir", she replied. "Then what in heaven's name are you doing with a Pistol!!", he yelled louder pointing at the pistol on the table. "For safety, Sir". "Safety, are you a cop or a criminal?". "None, Sir", May replied, her head still bowed, eyes staring at the tiled floor of the Cake house.

"Really, then what is a child like you doing with a gun if not that your enemies do not wear mini skirts, type hate and gossip like the normal bad people children your age have problems with".

… I do not like where this conversation is going…

May thought. It's true that anyone who almost got shot dead by a twenty year old gun wielding maniac would like to know why the kid acted that way or at least get a reason why they should not confiscate the pistol as a cop that they are BUT her reasons are not something she wants to share especially to a cop which means, she has to change the topic somehow. May rose her head and looked the angry acne faced middle-aged cop and smiled, "Sir, I am terribly sorry for what I did. The house was empty when I came in. I thought no one had the key except me so whoever it is, would probably be a trespasser so I did what I felt was right. To shoot first before I get shot". The cop eyed her. "But", she continued, pretending she did not see the look he was giving her. "I will never do it again, I will take care in the future. I am a child alone in this big house. I was scared. I am sorry, Sir".

The cop looked away. "I guess that makes sense. Well, you have your house keys now. You understand the security system, right?". May nodded in affirmation. "Then, I will be returning to the station. Call if you have any problem or press the distress button over there". He pointed at a small black button below the counter beside the bar which was at the left side of the living room. May looked and then returned her gaze to him smiling. "Well, enjoy your house", the cop said finally, those words substituting for a good bye as the man made his way down to the door. She followed, seeing him off at the road where he entered his police car and drove off then she returned to the house.

Oh my God!, She exclaimed in her mind. Will these freeloaders ever leave me alone. Am I the only young adult spending her father's money in this entire city. Why are they all up on my business,

*Huh*

she signed, her tired legs dragging her to the two hundred thousand dollar muddy brown coach with two circle-shaped pillows; lazily standing on the floors of her sitting room. Obedient to the notion to rest which her body was suggesting, she lay her back on the coach. Eyes closed for a while then she suddenly she smiled. The incident that occurred about an hour ago had just flashed through her mind.

Honestly, she thought it was a threat which was why she pulled the gun. Her aim was not the best but she knew she would at least immobilize the enemy. So immediately she felt a presence behind her, she turned, pulling the trigger at the same time. Had that cop not been supper fast to dive to the side, she would have actually shot him. It was the way he flew with his big belly like a fat mouse, he even hit his head on a flower pot.

*Ha, ha, ha, ha*, she giggled… that, that was the part that was really funny. If only she had a camera. This is totally internet worthy. She giggled some more. Sitting up. A smile, an after effect of that laugh still lingered on her lips... It really is totally internet worthy, she thought again. If only she thought of taking a p… wait… The smile grew immediately.

She rose to her feet, legs pointed towards her bed room. Besides the beautiful lights outside, the distress button under the bar counter and panic room in her bedroom; this house had one other security feature, Surveillance cameras. She went on, the inside of the cake house was built in a weird pattern. When you walked in from the door you would be stepping into the small walkway where shoes were kept and slippers standing by. Passing the walk way, the sitting room would be facing you, however, it would require climbing a three step to get into. The rooms were hidden behind a wall that went in a circle owing to the fact that the house was round. She had to walk down the stairs, glide through the small space that was carpeted with the same type that lead all the way down the Passage that where the rooms were placed side by side. Three rooms in total. The one she slept in was the one at the end of the passage right next to the big dance room that it's door faced the passage directly.

It was not a long walk mostly because she was in a haste to get to the tablet built into the wall where the security footages were being recorded. Hopefully there should be a way to extract the footage she needed.

"Okay, here we are", she mumbled to herself opening the door wide. The wooden construct greased over the floor; she stopped. She didn't walk in, she didn't turn around. She froze.

The silver brown drapes sweeping the floors with it's fold and rolled up ends met her black-eyed gaze first. It was night but the neon lights on the P.O.P caused them to glitter.

… Good God is that fabric…

The seduction of its colors swept her mind forward and her feet off the floor. Like hypnosis had overcome her, she zombied towards the drapes. One foot in front of the other; the right passing the sharp bend ending the walk way and meeting the whole first before the right; they stopped, both of them.

It was the white translucent curtains, like a veil over the virgin; long rectangular inverted windows. No one could see her from the outside but from here, where she stood, the green leaves on the Orchid flowers crawling over her windows was so clear she could almost touch it. But the curtains gently swinging around it, faulted the imagination. However, whenever the curtains slowed down and rested; it looked like they cast a spell of blur filter upon the windows.

Her eyes graced off them. Something of Safari green and aging cream. The allure; she didn't even notice the circular lights suspending from the celling on a long brown rope, the first shorter than the other. No, she didn't notice the glass table bearing a boat bottom, ring top night lantern close to the bed

The wallpaper over the head of bed was calling her. The Safari green leaves of the some worth fading palm trees of nestling birds and the lake running into the distance of blurring feather shaped trees & long swamp grass over a clean bright ash grey sky.

She finally moved, giving into the seduction. Reaching to touch the painting but the moody white cushion stopped her lost feet but not her moving mind. Obedient to the eyes, her legs moved away from the cushion, from the cream-colored bed matching the mixture of dwindling white and brown pillows on the top it.

They didn't stop until they hid the tacky black cupboard placed close to the wall with drawers, a remote and another night light upon a spherical stand and a glass cup holding for it's light. The lamp shook a little, long thin stick holding little the bulb with the stand balancing gracefully to prevent a fall.

May's outstretched hands touched the picture… is this Africa? It must be unless it wouldn't feel so real. Where is the place. I need a peace like this… her hands slipped away. Like that would happen. Day dreaming does not suite the tempo of the room. She turned to the bed, hands spread out and falling flat on top of it… This does.

The house is worth than every goddamn zero behind it's price. Oh money is sweet some… her thought broke away, the words unfinished. That was mum's favorite word. *Tsk*, why did I think of that. She sat up on the bed. The security footages, yeah… she hobbled out of bed. I want to keep my mind of everything, even for just one day, so I don't need to think about anything related to mum right now. That man's jump should be a good distraction.

May nodded, traipsing to the tablet built into the Wall. Let's see.. she screen touched the button with an obvious sign of storage on it. The button opened to a page where pre-recorded surveillance videos were orderly arranged by time, each running for three hours.

May schemed through the video looking for the one that had recorded her coming into the house. "Where are you, where are you, where are… gotcha", she clicked on the video recording of 05:00 PM. The video began to play. She fast-forwarded it, looking for the part where she got to the door. The video ran under x5 speed. She saw her self wiggling like lightning past the gate, it looked so weird. She smiled… maybe should start collecting from her… something flew through the gate. She paused the video immediately.

… What was that? a Bird? Let me rewind the video…

She rose her fingers to the back forward button… God please let it be bird. My life just started feeling normal a day ago. Please let it last, please… she prayed silently. They tapped the button, her fingers. The video set to slow down as it went backwards. The dark figure rolled back and out of the gate; it was just a stone.

May exhaled… I can't believe I forgot to breath… tears covered her eyes. She held onto her chest, her heart was beating so fast. She forced back the tears. "Don't cry, May, it's just a stone. Get it together please, please". Her hands were shaking, her body leaned on the wall and her face looking down. Her words, they weren't working, they couldn't chase it away.

What if it came here? What if… oh God who am I kidding, buying a house in the other side of the world, running way. How the hell did I think I could escape…

*Grring* *Grring* *Grring*

Her cellphone ran in the sitting room, the quietness of the house amplifying the sound. May turned her head staring at the door… she smiled… that noise, it just shot her out of her trance.

… I don't care who it is that's calling, even if it's dad, am willing to actually forgive, cos that just saved my life…

She loomed down the Passage and up the three step into the sitting room like a scared ghost. Her phone ringing incessantly on the small counter in the bar. She lifted the face down device and looked at the screen. The caller id read "Officer MJ", in bold letters. She smiled; it's you, it's always you. You are the only one who can do this.

The phone stopped ringing. The call pop-up screen sliding out for the home screen. A notification appeared, it read… five missed calls. The message tone ran almost immediately after. The message appeared on the screen.

"I have been calling you but you are not picking up. Is something wrong? Please call me back when you see this message. I am really worried"

May smiled. Since she left home three months ago, no one has been following her up and asking about her and worrying about her more than officer MJ. MJ is an unmarried man in his late forties. She was to him a daughter he did not have. He was there when everything happened. He was there through out the questioning and interrogations she had to go through because she was a witness. It was not so hard because of him.

She swiped the phone unlocking it. She pressed the contacts icon and then scrolled over to his number, dialing it. Immediately it ran, he picked up.

"Oh God, May are you there? Are you okey? May! May!", The man at the other end asked. His voice was coming from the phone but his distress was dead obvious. "Am fine. Am ok", May replied weakly. "Are you sure? You don't sound fine. Forget it, I knew I should not have stayed in the station when I came over to this county your house was in. Am coming over now. Keep the phone on, let's keep talking while I…". "Please don't come", May beckoned on him. "Why?!". "Because I want to be alone right now plus am fine so you don't need to worry". "How, in hell, am I suppose to do that, this is the first time you have been alone and I heard an officer who said he went to give you the right key to your house say that you almost shot him. When did you own a gun and I Know you, you are always composed and precise unless you are scared, May…". "Stop, please. Yes, I know am scared but…", her voice trailed off for a moment. Stifled by a sob. She held it back, her button bending to touch the floor of sitting room. "I need to over come this alone now. Please understand. I need to live a normal life, I really need to but I can't. Not unless I get over this. Please understand". She heard him heave… I hope he understands. "Okay", officer MJ said after a moment of silence that seemed surprisingly longer than it was. "But, you still have to leave the phone on even after you go to bed, Alright?". "I don't think that is….". "Then I will start coming over now". "No", May stopped him immediately. "Fine. I will do as you say. Happy?". "Very", he chuckled a little. May smiled broader. You know that feeling of drinking something warm when you have been freezing for hours or when you are tired and immediately you come home to realize that your kids already made dinner and set a bath for you. You know that relief, that calm delight; it's exactly how he made her feel whenever he called. Everyday, she wished she would be born again as his daughter. "Eh, May", he spoke. "You might want to be talking so That I can know you are still there". "Yes, sir", she said like a teenager being nagged by her mum.

"So how do you like the house?", MJ asked, changing the topic. "Well, it's… AWESOME", may replied. "Really?". "Mhmm", she said. "the inside is so beautiful. I have a bar, a chandelier, a panic room, Surveil…", the conversation continued on. Everything was forgotten; the fat cop, the footage, the fear, the gloom, her mum, the mysterious rock;. None remembered again that night.

****

*Piiiii* *Piiii* *Piiiiiiiiiiiii*

The horn blazed outside. With great effort it tried to reach out to anyone In the house that the car which beared it, was parked beside. However, there was no response. It went off again for the fifth and last time. The reaction it expected was still not there.

Worried, the horn blower , officer MJ opened the police car door and stepped out. Unconsciously, slamming it behind him as his feet made strides towards the house gate. The cake house has a door bell button at the gate. Immediately, he closed in on the gate, his fingers went for the bell, pressing it as long as his patience could permit him.

Frenchie street was the most scarcely inhabited part of Midshire county, for that reason it was awfully quiet In the morning. Officer MJ did not notice this until his fingers fell away from the door bell and no other sound came from anywhere.

He heaved; This place is so damn quiet so how the hell can someone not be able to hear all those noises. Something is terribly wrong here. I need to get inside that house.

He cat walked backwards, in affirmation to his thoughts. Coming about a yard away from the house, he scooched low a little like an athlete and breathed… fence climbing skills don't fail this old man now.

He geared towards the wall; one foot here, another there, a hand here and flip, he was over the cake house fence and landing on the grass safely. He rose from the ground… I still got it. Well why wont I. Being in the age is starting to make me feel like am actually old. He grinned a little tucking on his gun at the same time. The weapon pulling out of it's hostler.

… Please be safe, May. You should not get hurt. Not now…

The cake house door was all the way to the other side, he had to walk a little bit before he made it. Reaching for the handle, he tugged on the door. It was locked from the inside. His hands left the door handle slipping into his pocket in search for the spare key he owned. Surprisingly, he couldn't find them in his right pocket. He switched to the left, the back, his breast pocket… nothing.

… Oh shit, Damnit. Am not with the key. How can I not be with this key. I took it with me when I left this morning, am sure I came it. It's just where I kept it that I can't … the memory of him parking the car beside the Midshire house replayed in his mind immediately. He turned off the ignition of his car and dropped the key he was holding on the font seat beside him.

… Oh great… he slapped his forehead. I guess I have to break down this door. I hope she doesn't sue for trespass and forced entry. He pulled away from the door reverting his body so that his shoulder would be pointed straight at the door. He jobbled a little and ran for the door.

"Ma…"

… No wait, he can't call her name. If the enemy is still here he should not know the nature of the person in the house. Officer MJ began to walk, slowly. Staring hard down the way he was going. Listening to hear a sound, any sound.

Officer MJ stepped out of the walkway into the main house; he heard it… still breathing. He turned, his gun directly towards the sound but it was faster; a baseball bat swinging at his hand immediately knocking away his gun. He shielded his head with the arm immediately, the bat landed hard on his hand. It broke into two.

"Ehhhhh!!!"

Officer MJ slumped on one knee. He looked up. Their eyes met.

"May?".

"Let me see your hand". She touched his arm. Officer MJ pulled it away. "Am fine. I already told you that a thousand times. Stop worrying will you". "I broke a baseball bat on your arm. By Right, you shouldn't be able to move that arm about ". Officer MJ looked at her, "Am fine. There isn't any bruise that will leave a scar and no fracture so am not in any trouble of any kind but you are if you don't explain why you didn't answer to the horn blazing outside or the door bell. If I was out to hurt you, Door bell and car horns would not be part of my M.O". May looked away. She was sitting at the extreme of the couch while Officer MJ sat at the other end. "May, why are you so scared? What are you not telling me?". "Nothing", May rose from the chair. "Maylee Scout lestruad. If you keep acting like this then there's no way I can keep you from the Asylum". May stopped and turned. "What?". "Never mind". May rushed him, grabbing his hand. "Ah", MJ flinched. She just pulled on his bad hand. Apparently, May was completely submerged in his last words, her eyes pinned on his. "What did you mean by Asylum. What is going on?". MJ stared at her and heaved. "I will tell you if you tell me first, why did you not open the door? I need the whole truth". May looked away, letting his hands go. She sat on the floor next to his feet, eyes forward. "I was probably sleeping when your honked your horn. But when I got up, I heard the door bell but I was weak so it took me awhile to get to the door. But immediately I did, I heard a thud on the ground. I thought it was an intruder so I got scared". "They came to your mum, not you. Why are you scared of every breeze that blows outside unless of course you are still traumatized with what happened that night. I remember the man who killed your mum jumped the fence". "Am getting by just fine", May said almost like a whisper. "Your own mother was quartered before your very eyes. You nearly shot a cop dead and you literally broke my arm. Everything you do keeps on saying one thing MENTALLY UNSTABLE AND DANGEROUS".

May looked him. Her glossy wet eyes wide with fear and denial. "Is that what they think of me". "Yes. That officer who came to give you your house key, he was a supervisory officer. He was sent by your family therapist. They have decided to keep you in a hospital. That's why I came here this morning. To get to you before they do". May smiled painfully. "It must be Dad's idea. Even though I moved far away and I am clearly scared shitless, he still thinks am a problem and". She looked away. "He hates problems. He just wants to make sure I stop walking the streets it's the only way to solve me, the problem". "May don't say that", he touched her shoulder, she shoved it off. " if he wants me in an asylum, there's nothing that can be done about it. I will wait for them to come for me". She stood up, MJ's hand falling from her shoulder. "You should leave and you should stop meddling into my affairs before he thinks you are problem too". "Am a cop , Am use to being seen as a problem. Listen, they intend to have you go through an interrogation and they hope you will act up so their reasons for hospitalizing will be credible… I will help you escape that their trap but you gotta let me help. When they said you are likely to suffer a mental breakdown and certainly hurt others more, they were right and we both know it . You are absolutely incapable of fending them off. The Asylum is not going to be like that group home you spent a week in; They will lock you up and give you meds that will make you feel sick and insane. You will plummet into depression because you are sane but you cannot arrange your words and your self to say it. Even if you do, no one will believe you. Everything they will do to you will push you to a point where you might commit suicide".

Her eyes shut, her hands squeezed each other, her head turning back; her eyes stared at him.

…Impossible…

"What makes you so sure? Dad would never do that to me". "Your dad's enemies have this as one of their M.Os plus your death will not exactly make things worse for your father. But a lot of things will get easier for him". May's eyes reverted, her body moving Like a ghost heading for the bar. MJ watched her, uncertain about what she was doing until she stepped around the counter, propping herself up to grab a bottle. "May, what are doing?", he asked. May glanced at him, returning to her venture almost immediately. "May!", MJ spring form the couch bulleting towards her. Like no one was talking, like no one was there; may continued unlocking the bottle. But when she bent it to pour out the wine, MJ popped up behind the counter snatching it. The thirty thousand dollar MacLean Whiskey jerked to the side, drops of red wine spilling on the tiles. "Alcohol, is that the better solution you thought!", he yelled in low tones.

"Yes", she whispered. "I don't want to do anything. Am tired MJ. Am just twenty years old. I haven't had to suffer anything worse than a stub toe and the closest I have been to death is when I attended my grandfather's burial. I am not strong enough to handle any of this. I can't … I am so scared, I think am going to die…", she choked on her rushing tears. MJ just stared at her with burning sadness in his eyes. He dropped the bottle, slowly moving around the counter, moving to her. One hand reaching out, he pulled May into his warm embrace burning her face in the police suit on his sturdy chest.

"I know. I Know", that's all he said allowing the dead silence of the cake house to overwhelm them. Allowing his hold to suppress May's sobs. The little girl cried in his arms until weakness sealed her lips and closed her eyes. She wasn't asleep, just exhausted. It was the right moment now, MJ thought, his hands slipping underneath her to lift her up from the floor. He carried her into the living room and gently, lay her on the couch. There was a pillow close to her, he relaxed her head on top of it. He looked away from her, his eyes forward, his hands massaging each other on a sort of bid to calm down, to speak as worry less as possible. "I am sorry. You told me you needed familiar company that night but I didn't take you seriously and came late. If I came earlier…". Fingers squeezed her arm, cutting in. He looked… it was May's. He pressed his eyes shut in burning desire to cry although he held it back. "You are good girl, May. Although you did not know me much as of the first time we met you still treated me so warmly. I had a family for the first time in Ten years. You deserve all the goodness the world has to offer. You deserve all the love and care and affection some one needs to get over trauma. This bullshit your dad is doing, you don't deserve to suffer like that. I will never let you get hurt. Just please trust me and let me help you. I will make it work, I promise". May's fingers graced off his arm, her body turning to the side. The silence returned.