TWENTY- SIX

Cameron didn't dare bother me after what happened and I became quite popular, I had a cool, handsome, rich hero as my little brother, I survived a kidnapping, was starved for two days and ran away.

School was quite a buzz. I went to the library for some me time.

I took a few books and began to read.

"Idiots! There are ten of you and you couldn't catch one man?! And you lost the kid!"

They were silent as Mr. Nelson reprimanded them. He fumed and sat on a desk—with pieces of paper holding writings and pictures—all taped to the wall with a red string connecting them.

Most of the pictures were of Mark and me, but the ones of me were either scribbled upon, cancelled or torn.

The cops interrogated me about all the information on them I had. I told them it was Mr. Clark Nelson and they had a hard time believing me, but I knew Lucy and Mark believed me, especially since Mark punched the wall, startling the cops.

I couldn't act the ad as the deadline was almost over and I still was recovering.

As I was resting, Mark kept taking me to his workplace, every Saturday and I loved it.

I could tell Lucy also liked me as she showered me with presents, ' Xs' and 'Os'.

Mark wasn't comfortable with how she was always lingering around me but remained silent since he knew I enjoyed her company and didn't want to mess with my joy.

I was in Mark's gym as he was teaching me to do a cartwheel, it was actually easier than I thought...I only crashed eight times!

Man I'm good.

He held my waist and told me to go down and raise my legs high. I did it and he rotated me then Voilà, I learnt it...after a week.

He told me if I wanted to be able to do his tricks, I needed to work out and it was hard!

He woke me up at three in the morning for us to go for a jog. I barely ran twelve meters when I stopped to breathe.

Also, he stopped getting me junk food and started giving me only organic and healthy foods.

Though it was hard, I didn't complain once, since I was the one who asked him to teach me.

Mark finished reading my bedtime story and left.

I closed my eyes then heard glass shatter.

I looked at the window, moments before Mark rushed in...

"Tommy, what happened?"

"I don't know, someone threw a rock through the window."

Mark picked it up and removed the paper tied to it. He read:

I will get you next time Hawkins...

I asked,"What does it say?"

"It doesn't matter, just go to bed, the mess will be cleaned immediately."

I closed my eyes and Mark went to his study. There had to be a clue on who threw it, then it hit him...

There's a wall with security all around the mansion so it couldn't be an outsider, it had to be one of the staff.

The writing is indented to the left, the person must be left handed, or ambidextrous.

There is no ambidextrous person working for me so the person is left-handed.

He gathered all the left-handed staff and had them interrogated.

I was at school but Mark stayed home.

One by one, the detective questioned them.

None of them were talking.

The cops searched the video camera feed and saw a woman, writing on a paper, thing it to a rock and throwing it at the window.

They enhanced the picture and saw her identity... Suzanne.

She was apprehended and interrogated, good cop, bad cop, until she gave up and spoke,"Mr. Nelson offered me a large sum of money to intimidate your family and I'm sorry, please don't take me to jail!"

Mark looked at me then said,"I press no charges."

Everyone was shocked including myself.

She thanked him dearly as she was freed.

"Why did you free her?!"A cop said.

"...so we could follow her."Mark said simply.

It was getting to Summer and schools were getting ready to close for three months.

I was sitting by the pool when Mark came to me and asked,"What's wrong?"

I looked into his eyes and said,"I'm scared."

"... don't worry, as long as I live, I won't let anyone hurt you."

I smiled, feeling better.

I asked,"Do you think you could play me a song?"

"Of course, violin or piano?"

"Violin."

He took me into his music studio and took a rosewood violin. Then began playing, it was beautiful, but also familiar, but why?

"What's the title of that song?"

"Love, mom used to sing it to us everytime we were crying."

No wonder it was so familiar!

I asked if he could play it again and he did.

As I listened to the melody, I closed my eyes and remembered, when mom sang to me when I fell, learning the skateboard, or when I fell off my bike, or when she made me a cake for my birthday since nobody came.

As I heard the song, the crystal clear images appeared in my mind, I could even smell the cake.

Mark stopped and I slowly opened my eyes and thanked him.