5 Chapter 4

Have you ever had that feeling of dread, the human fight or flight response, and you have no clue why? That is how I would explain this moment, being a few blocks from home still, I look around me frantically trying to find out why.

Nothing suspicious right away, couples strolling up and down the sidewalks, shops closed for the night, and your random car driving down the one-way road. Maybe I shouldn't be walking home alone this late at night, but the self-defense classes combined with surviving the fights all the time in foster life, I figured I could handle myself.

With goosebumps and hyper-awareness, I continue walking home. Hearing a high-pitched laugh across the street, as a couple is walking the same direction as I am. Is that who I think it is?

I'm stuck between running away or calling out Gary's name as I remember the vision earlier that day. But I don't have time to think when I see him run into the alley alone. Oh no, this is real!

Running to see if I'm a lunatic with crazy issues or just going by pure instinct that I didn't know I had, A few seconds later I'm in the alley, staring at Gary′s back and the hooded figure from my vision! What is going on!

Yep, I'm going to the looney bin after this I just know it! Everything happened so fast but seemed like slow motion as I watched the startled eyes of the hooded figure, then the flash at Gary. Gary laying a few feet ahead of me dead with the same expression from my vision.

The hooded figure was gone, and Now in total meltdown mode I stifle a scream as I'm blacking out, falling, sure to hit my head and make the crazy case worse against me, as my eyes are about to go dark when I feel a set of strong arms catch me. Then nothing but darkness.

Feeling exhausted, I noticed I'm on something soft and not the pavement I figured I'd eventually hit with a thud, I start to open my eyes and see I'm definitely not on the ground, I'm in a huge four-poster bed with a beautiful black lace canopy over it, kind of like sleeping beauty I giggle to myself.

Hoping I'm not in some mental person's house, or worst yet in the bed with them, I turn my head around the room to see I'm alone, "thank the voodoo spirit" as Zaline says.

Oh shit, where's my phone? Did what happen last night really happen? Where's my shoes? As I spiral a dozen questions off in my head searching frantically for my stuff, I look over the room. Seeing my cell phone is on a nightstand beside the bed, and my shoes are set near the door.

Looking more at the room itself, I find this person has to have money with the sleek black dressers, white marble floors, and a few pieces of art on the wall. It's all super clean, as I spot a door on my right, I open it to the biggest bathroom I have ever seen, the dark stony tile on the walls, white marble floors still, a stand-up shower, and a claw foot tub, with a large mirror.

Of course, that's where I head first, looking at myself I see my clothes are fine, the little eyeliner I had on last night smudged under my eyes, and my hair in a few knots. Fixing myself up quickly still not knowing whose house I'm in, phone dead and still thinking of that looney bin I head out.

Slowly walking down the stairs still amazed at the size of this place, noticing it was day outside, thinking well that's the first time I've slept without nightmares in a long time. At the bottom of the stairs I hear muffled voices coming from a room with sliding doors, looking around I see no one else in the hall with me.

I lean in to hear who's the house I could be at or what they are planning on doing with me. "what happened last night should have been prevented" I hear a male voice say.

"We didn't have any information they were in town except the vision from her with not much to go on like the for the location, or we would have handled it, they know they are in our territory" a female voice, that sounds a lot like Zaline, is she here?

What's going on? Who are they talking about? "They could have harmed her, or worst could have taken her if they suspect the same thing we do. She needs to be more protected, from more than me and you now, he might have seen who she was last night, and come back for her" that male voice again says.

Taking the opportunity to figure out what's going on and who they are talking about I knock on the door. Sounds of low cursing under the breath and footsteps walking, the door swings open and there stands Zaline!

"Omg what is going on, how are you here? I'm glad it's you and not a creeper, but who were you talking to and about who? She steps in to hug me and calm me at the same time.

"Come in Arcadia, I'm sure you know your boss Buford, this is his house, he is the one who found you last night and called me" I look up at those green eyes of his like he is actually noticing me for the first time. What In the name of hell is going on!