48 The Absence: 02

On the way upstairs my eyes rushed through the furniture and walls. The windows were all closed and the curtains blocked most of the light before it could reach us. It was so dark only the kitchen lights were illuminating the rest of the house.

- This is gonna be one awkward lunch to say the least. - Louise let out near the top, not sounding excited or anxious.

- Lunch? - I raised my head as if looking at the speaker would give sense to the words.

- Don't tell me she's gonna stay longer…

For the remaining steps I held tight onto the handrail. In that moment it felt like the hardest material on Earth and I was the weakest being to have lived on it.

- I… She is leaving the Force. - maybe my expectations were off but Louise didn't manifest any reaction to my statement. I could hear the sound of her silence and feel the weight of her blunt eyes.

- Are you "sure"? - the enfasis she put on the word made me quiver. Downstairs a steady rhythm of iron pouding on wood drove me away from the conversation for an eternal second.

- She's here, ain't she? - my hand slipped from the handrail. - She had orders but instead of following them she chose to save us and take us to safety. There's no going back now.

Ever since we first met, I always felt like Louise could read my thoughts before they even became clear to me. She looked straight through my acts, unwrapping my deepest secrets while making me feel guilty and self-conscious of my feelings.

The brown eyes that had me in custody the whole time were the first ones to leave and gaze at the bottom of the stairs. At last I was able to breathe in. The rhythm from the kitchen stopped and Louise got back to me with a fresh new look that I knew was only a disguise.

- Go shower. Your smell is disorienting.

Turning around while waving her hand close to her face, the older woman entered the closest room on her left. I knew she had more to say but I was glad she didn't. I had no idea how to explain myself or the new person cooking our food.

Being alone under warm running water was comforting but also unsettling. An eminent feeling of exposure surrounded me. I tried to remind myself of Louise's and the officer's presence to make peace with my thoughts. They were right there, I said before closing my eyes to let the water wash my face. The relaxing sensation took over my body, making my shoulders drop the heavy weights it was carrying for who knows how long.

I picked up the shampoo and started to clean the toxins off my hair. Closing my eyes again I expected to feel the same calming sensation but instead bright flashes crossed my mind among a dark smoke curtain. Explosions were coming from all directions lightning up the space for a few seconds enough for me to see masked figures running towards me. I jumped and my back touched the cold tile. The sudden change of temperature brought me to reality. With the blink of an eye I rushed out half clean.

Once inside the cozy warm, good smelling shirt and jacket Louise had left for me, I felt safer and more comfortable than on my old clothes.

By the window I took my place to brush my hair while admiring the unobstructed view to the garden and the fields far away. I let myself enjoy the quiet. When my ears focused on the silence of the room the skin of my neck crawled instants before a hand grabbed my arm and covered my mouth with one hand.

- It's me. - the person whispered on my ear. - Don't speak, just listen.

Carefully as if she was putting down a newborn, the officer released me from her grip and moved to the nearest wall while signaling me to stay in place.

- There's a recognition drone above the house. - I nodded in affirmation. - You know about it? - once again I confirmed while a crawling shake started in my stomach. - Do you know why? - this time I signed negatively. Finding out more about that drone was the reason they went to the city in the first place which only got them in an even more dangerous situation.

- Louise… - the shy tremor would've affected my voice if I wasn't speaking so low. The officer held a finger to her lips and told me with a gesture to close the curtains.

- Where is she? - she pulled me away from the window so fast my tremor vanished.

- She didn't join you in the kitchen?

- No. - on her arm a radar scanned the area with a single tiny dot popping on and off at every cycle. - I've searched the interior of the house and couldn't find her.

She looked away towards the door and my heart crashed against my ribs making me shrink with the pain. The dot had disappeared. Officer Abrom dashed out of the room and I followed her closely. As we got to the top of the stairs and the cop was about to take the first step, Louise crossed the living room heading to the front door.

- Who the fuck… - we heard her grumbling while on her way. My first instinct was to call her out but before any sound came off me, I once again was dragged away into the next room and held against the wall.

- What're you doing?! - her left arm was pressing me so hard I questioned if it was truly her strength I was feeling. The weight was so strong it was difficult to breathe.

- We don't know who's there. Be quiet.

- Exactly! - she brought her head back to me as she noticed the fright in my voice. - Extra Cor-

- ...It will be just a cup of water, ma'am. - a man's voice spoke out loud, putting back in motion the shake in my stomach. - You won't mind, right?

- Sometimes it's good to have some visitors. - a different male voice said it this time. I was glued to the surface behind me and oddly grateful for the weight the officer was putting on my chest. It was preventing me from breaking down, keeping me awake. - It's not healthy to be all alone in this big state.

Meticulous steps traveled from the living room and into the rest of the house. They were big and most likely heavy men.

- The country can be a dangerous place for an elderly woman such as yourself. - the same man finished.

Inside the bedroom, officer Abrom raised her right arm with the same two barrels from earlier sticking out her sleeve.