[January 5, 2012]

    "Hello Investigator Grouchie," a woman said sing-song.

    "Fuck, you broke my train of thought. Ugh no, I shouldn't have, I'm sorry."

    "How long have you've been here?"

   "I dunno, nor do I really care,"

    "You should, you may end up killing yourself the way your letting things go. You're almost as obsessive and neglectful of yourself as your brother."

    "Speaking of, I should probably check on him, he's been awake longer."

    She reaches out her hand and slide it on his shoulder, "Ask a coworker to give us a lift to your place,"

"I can drive,"

"Yeah no, not with the overtime you did. You may as well have me behind the wheels," tapping on her sunglasses.

"Fine," Archie reluctantly obliged.

In the vehicle, he leaned on the window and drifted into a slumber

[Winter 1994]

*click* (flash of light)

Ugh

*Cough* *cough* *cough*

"Sorry,"

"You're waking up this early?" Dawn weakly mumbled.

"I'm just preparing before Mitch and I go out," Emma said.

"When are you coming back?"

"Maybe in a few hours, hopefully. Please go back to sleep so you can eventually be rid of your fever. Hm, I think you should get another spoon of medicine by now."

He wrinkled his nose in disgust but reluctantly took the 'grape' flavored syrup. She gave him a bottle of water to wash away the aftertaste and adjusted the blankets on her brothers.

She turned the nob, pushed it open, and stuck her head out. Loud snores rumbled across the hallway.

She went into the living room to dispose of some bottles and clean around the small table and couch. She went outside to wipe the windows, hood, and roof of truck along with shake the tarp then secure it back. Minutes after she finished Mitch came out begrudgingly, put in the keys and drove off. Mitch was dropped Emma at a strip mall's convenient store then drove a two blocks away. While there she decided to ask manager if there was an opening for a position.

"I'm sorry, we don't have any at the moment," is the response she received.

She said thank you, and then got a shopping basket. Emma frequented to the store so she didn't have to get a lot of food or products.

Shortly after she came back outside she heard her former boss, Gracie Finch, and a man that put her in awe. He wore fine clothes, have slacked jet-black hair, and stood taller and stronger than anyone she had ever met. Emma was intimidated, but also felt something else that made her pulse race to a very intensive degree. She followed two to albeit at a distance until they went into the building she uses to work. She looked inside, still not accustomed to the changes that were made over the past few months. A domain that had caramel-colored selves filled books and bean bags leisurely laid around on the floor became empty then made to contain an extravagant interior full of lavish decorations, handsome suits and beautiful dresses. Emma was semi-lost in thought until she was scared into a mode of flight by the sight of two pale blue eyes that caught her near the entrance.