_Parted blinds and mouths

LSR

~~

Panic had settled upon him ever since he saw that tape and Sheriff Blair has declared a stronger alibi than the burnt haven owner's. Also, when the sheriff mad mention of the punishment he would be made to face in court for falsely testifying, he almost peed his pants.

Zakariah would toss his belongings out of the house no doubt if he hears about what happened.

Now that he was being driven home by the officers, prayers for the CCTV camera to have the footage of Old Mrs. John delivering the fried chicken was all that was swirling across his mind.

The car had just been packed and his wheelchair has been taken from the car's booth. On the verge of settling him upon it did they see the burnt haven owners they had left in the precinct arrive in front of their gate.

" What the..?" The officer that was holding the handle of his wheelchair gasped.

As if they heard the sound, the burnt haven owners halted, took one glance at them then went into the gate of their house nonchalantly.

" I could have sworn there was no cab around this late. Not after the case between Ink and the civilian in court. How on earth did those people get here as fast as a car without a ride at all?" the officer who had gasped finally finished his statement.

The other officer seemed to not take too seriously the matter. " Maybe they found or lift or something. Goodnight boy" he shrugged and without question, the other wheeled LSR to their front door, helped him in ringing the bell then gave a goodnight pat to him on the shoulder.

LSR had his back turned to them but he could hear their car zoom off. It was Kate who came to get the door.

" If not the trouble maker" she beamed as she opened the door widely for him to wheel himself in not bothering to help him out like Duncan and everyone else does.

Not that he liked to be wheeled anyway. He could handle himself just fine.

He didn't like that she was calling him that. If Zakariah heard about his getting summoned to the police station again, he was dead meat for sure.

" Can you not call me that?!" he hollered as he got into the sitting room to find Duncan already fast asleep, snoring and all over the poor sofa like weeds. " You should have helped him or even order him in instead of watching him drool on the sofa" he admonished the bratty girl.

" It's none of my business where he sleeps. You can help him in yourself" he heard her tiny voice spout in arrogance.

Oh, she was rude. She was way too rude he wanted to hit the TV remote that had almost fallen from Duncan's hand on her tiny head.

She looked so small yet the words that comes out of her equally small mouth carried a weight that was heavier than the world itself.

" How can I help him when I can barely help myself in!" he roared, unable to believe her rudeness.

He was older than her, she ought to accord him some respect!

She was already dressed in pajamas and an indoor flip-flop. The type that had kitten furs over it. It made him wonder just how comfortable she has gotten in their house within the range of two days.

" How about I make a phone call to your brother and inform him to come to help you out since you can not help yourself and your friend in as you are just arriving from the precinct" He heard her say, her hands were already on the landline.

What she-devil did Zakariah send to him for the love of the lord?!

He was surprised at the speed and pitch of his own voice. " Stop, okay just stop!" his hand was already in the air, pointing at her to stop dialing.

She did with sheer pretense of cluelessness which he could see but chose to ignore. He wouldn't take any chances with the pest. Only God knows just how far she would be willing to go to provoke his annoyance the more.

" Why should I stop?" she turned a side of her face to him, one of her hands on the phone, the other holding it.

He had to sigh, suppressing the flicker of irritation he was feeling. " I will help myself and Duncan inside. Satisfied witch?" he hissed.

" No"

What the?!

" No?!" his face crept into an ugly frown.

Kate's hands were still on the landline. " Yes," she shook her head vigorously.

" What do you want?" he spat in disgust.

He saw the smile that circulated on her face. As though the wish she made for the shooting star was coming to pass. " Good" she blinked. " I am the boss of this house and whatever I say goes" she blurted.

What? Boss?

A silly seventeen or maybe eighteen-year-old girl boss him up?

" Never!" he fired.

Her fingers returned to dialing the numbers. " Then, I guess Zakariah has to come to help you out"

" Wait!" he yelled again, biting hard his upper lip to suppress his fury. " You are the boss" he whispered, his voice barely making any sound.

" I didn't get that..?" she turned her face to him again but he ignored it and wheeled himself into his room.

If she thought she was going to use him as a puppet and humiliate him more by playing ' I didn't get that' game so he could repeat the words again, she was wrong.

Duncan can drool on the sofa all he wants.

He made sure to shut the door of his room as soon as he stepped inside. He does not trust that she-devil, she might come peep on him while he's bathing.

After a hard battle of getting out of his clothes and into something casual for the night, he decided to go sit behind his drawing desk and sketch a little. He hadn't gotten out of his wheelchair just yet. He would need a nice cup of cold milk before he retired for the night. Getting off his wheelchair and getting on it again would be stressful and stress was the least he wanted now.

.

As he pondered on what to draw, only picture that came to mind was the new girl. The one with the white hair and silver eyeballs. The one with clear watery cat eyes, Rune.

He smiled to himself as he recollected every contour of her face. The smile remained as he sketched until he thought he heard some noises from outside.

It was faint, almost like an animal's sound.

But the sound wasn't coming from one animal. It was echoing around the street.

It was late and most people must be sleeping now but his drawing kept him awake and he was glad.

He wheeled closer to his window and parted the blinds slightly. Like the blinds, his mouth parted at the sight of what his eyes met with.

Cats, in numbers, multiple numbers, too many than all the cats he had ever come across all his life. They were running, climbing, and meowing right into Old Mrs. John's window.

Stepping over one another but making way for a figure that jumped down the house the same way the cats jumped on the window.

Who or what in the hell was that figure?

He saw the black hair and attire and he was sure he had seen it somewhere. Somewhere close, somewhere not too far away.

It was when the figure jumped over the fence of the building did he get to see it clearly. His eyes had synced with his mouth in a widening game.

It was Rune's twin sister and she was walking unaffected by the number of cats that were still rushing into old Mrs. John's house. How she jumped from such a height and was able to jump the fence sprang his suspicion to life and at the same time, he was frightened.

His heart was thumping and threatening to fly out of his chest as he watched her, totally horrified.

She walked into the gate of burnt haven's den and that was the last he saw of her that night.

His shaky hands dropped the blinds and his head began to calculate.