13 Freedom finally!

Giving up on trying to find ways to send messages out to Darren or her friends on her laptop, she shut the machine down. She kicked the table leg in frustration. Then she got up and kicked her chair. It fell over with a crash.

"Auggghhh! Stupid old dragon!" she shouted. She kicked the chair again, imagining it as Thorin's legs or nuts or any of his body part.

She left the "storeroom" and went back outside. Her fake home's "front door" leads back to a warren to passageways and hallways that branch off into different rooms and areas. She walked around aimlessly, opening doors, peeking in and then closing it. It was like a maze and she was sure that the hallways changed and morphed the moment she walked past it.

Soon, she found that she was lost. She didn't know how to get back to her fake home the "storeroom". She didn't know where she was anymore. Everything looked the same. The same white walls. Same marble floor. There were even similar chandeliers in some of the living rooms she walked past.

Finally, she came back to the living room that she had sat with Thorin earlier. At least it looked like the one they were in. She collapsed on one of the armchairs gratefully to rest her feet. She didn't know how long she took to explore the place but it felt like hours. She looked out the window, it was still light out though the sky had darkened considerably.

Storm clouds had gathered in the distance. She guessed it is probably late afternoon or maybe early evening now. She was beginning to feel hungry. All that walking around was one good exercise. She is certain she must have walked more than 10,000 steps from just walking around aimlessly looking for a way out.

She stared out the window and looked at the storm clouds moving across the sky. It fits her dark mood perfectly. She felt hopeless. She is trapped. She has no way of escaping. She tried to console herself that at least the old dragon is good looking and fit. And he didn't look a day over 30. She sighed, feeling sorry for herself. Then she heard the click clack of high heels walking towards her.

She turned around. It was Jessica. The other woman walked to her silently and then handed her something. She looked at it. It was her phone! She grabbed it gratefully.

"Thank you, thank you!" she gushed. She tapped on it. It worked fine. She noticed there were at least 30 missed calls and hundreds of messages. Her friends must have been worried sick. She looked at Jessica. The woman was studying her with a cold expression.

"You are free to go but make sure you come back by night time, there is no curfew but you are not allowed to stay overnight anywhere else," she told her.

Zi Mei gasped. Is she dreaming? They are finally releasing her?

"Really?" she asked.

Jessica rolled her eyes and patiently repeated what she said.

"No, I heard you the first time!" she interrupted. "It's just that I can't believe it because Thorin was quite adamant that I was not allowed to go out,"

"Anyway, a bodyguard will be close behind you as protection but you won't notice him and if you can't find your way back, he will bring you back," Jessica said.

With that, she turned and walked away, her heels click clacking on the smooth marble floor.

"Wait a minute!" Zi Mei chased after her. "How do I get out of here?" she asked.

Jessica gestured to her right. Zi Mei noticed an elevator door there for the first time. So, the whole place is magicked.

"Thanks!" she shouted as she ran to the elevator and jabbed at the button. It's doors slide open and she went inside. There were no buttons in side. The door slide close and she could them descending, fast. Then it came to a stop and the door slid open. She stepped outside.

She is back at the street near the cafe where she worked, just a few blocks from her home. Her former home. She turned around. There was nothing behind her. Not tall building. Nothing. It was as if she stepped out of thin air.

She shrugged. Her entire experience with Thorin and his place was beyond strange so this fits nicely with the whole magical dragon shapeshifter narrative. She skipped to the cafe and called Darren.

He picked up after a few rings.

"Hello?" he sounded strange. She wondered if she caught him at a wrong time.

"Darren! I am so sorry I made you worry," she said. "Come meet me at N Cafe, I have so much to tell you,"

"Who is this?" came his puzzled voice.

She looked at the name on the screen. She definitely dialled the right number.It was Darren's number.

"Darren! It's me, Zi Mei!" she said.

"Sorry…I don't know a Zi Mei," he replied cautiously. "Look, if this is a scam, I am not interested, don't call me again," then he hung up.

She stared at her phone in shock. What had just happened? Was Darren pulling her leg? Maybe he's pranking her.

She called him back.

"Darren, okay, fine, you got me…" she started to say but he interrupted her with an exasperated "stop this".

"Look here, Ji Mi, or whatever your name is, I am not interested in what you are selling, please stop calling me," he hung up again.

What is going on? Is he mad at her for going missing and now it's pay back time? She decided to call Sheena instead.

Sheena picked up after a long time. She was panting when she answered the phone.

"Yes!?" she barked into the phone.

"Sheena! It's me, Zi Mei, look, sorry to interrupt your workout but…"

"Look, Vimay, I am not interested, I don't need insurance or personal loans, thank you," Sheena cut her off and then hang up abruptly.

She stared at Sheena's number. It was the right one. She checked her messages. It was the same number as the one where Sheena had sent her numerous messages asking her if she was okay. She checked messages from Darren. It was the same number too. Maybe they were both angry with her and have made a pact to prank and ignore her if she ever calls them back?

She decided to try Jazzmine. Jazzmine hated pranks and would never be involved in pranking her. Even if Jazzmine got angry, she would not resort to a prank that obviously Darren and Sheena have cooked up.

Jazzmine picked up on the first ring.

"Hello, Jazzmine here!" she sounded cheerful.

"Oh thank god, Jazzmine! I don't know what's wrong with Sheena and Darren, they were pretending that they don't know me," she blurted out.

There was a brief silence on the line.

"Er, who is this?" Jazzmine asked warily.

"For fucks' sake…not you too Jazzy! It's me, Zi Mei!" she exclaimed, almost shouting.

"I am sorry…I don't know who you are…wait, did Darren and Sheena set me up by asking you to call me?" her friend asked.

"Ugh. I can't believe them! Bad enough that they suddenly hooked up and become a couple and now they are pranking me," Jazzmine added.

"Wait what? Darren and Sheena hooked up?" Zi Mei couldn't believe it. This has to be the most elaborate prank her friends had ever pulled on her. Darren and Sheena couldn't stand each other. They were always at each other's throat and they had only called a truce because of her, Zi Mei.

"Come on, that can't be true. I mean, if you guys want to prank me, think of something more believable," she said.

"Look here, I don't know who you are but you are really bad at playing the part to prank me," Jazzmine said.

"Anyway, tell the sappy couple that I did not fall for their elaborate prank, bye!" she added and then she hung up.

Zi Mei stared at her phone aghast. Did she just fell into an alternate universe where everyone here live different lives? She concluded that her friends must have been so pissed off with her that he decided to ignore her by pretending not to know her. It figures. They probably thought she had ghosted them and now they are doing the same. Although, she didn't understand the reason why they didn't just ignore her calls.

She walked into the cafe. Alfie was at the counter. She waved to him and he waved back. She heaved a sigh of relief. At least Alfie wasn't in on the prank. She walked up to him.

"Hey Alfie! It's been a crazy two days for me," she told him.

"Oh hello! Sounds like you need some strong coffee, miss. What would you like? A latte? A long black?" he asked her politely.

No. It can't be. Not Alfie too!