13 September 2021. 6:30 am.
6. Phanda Ave.
Inside, Adriana sat perched on a bar stool, one leg hooked around the rung. A mug of coffee steamed in her hand. Then Luis dragged himself into the living room; "Aw, man… another day stuck at home. Luckiest man in the world." he complained. "Quite moaning coño; you were furiously driving fast… for God knows what, and you nearly sent abuela to our maker." Adriana replied. "Yeah, whatever. You wouldn't understand. At least you get to breathe fresh air. Wanna know what I have to do?" Luis groaned. "You'll get used to it." she said as she rose from her seat. She took her coat from the wall rack and left for the front door. "How about you grab a snack from Johnny's Roti on your way home, por favor? I could kill for some Indian specials right now." he said.Adriana held her hand on the handle. "You need to get a job." she replied pityingly. "How am I meant to do that when I'm trapped here?" he gestured at the ankle monitor. "There's a thing called the internet. I don't know if you've heard of it, but it's packed with everything you need to know." she dissed. "Da igual, mana." he flipped her off. Adriana left without another word.
CRYSTAL AVENUE. 7:00 am.
Stephen nursed a cup of coffee as he sat in his office. Papers were stacked haphazardly on his desk. Bookshelves lined the walls, while a suede carpet softened the center of the room. The radio hummed in the background. "Goooood morning, ladies and gentlemen, and thanks for tuning in to the seven o'clock news… We've got a lot to cover today. Following the death of famous singer Jerald Drae, who was found dead alongside his family last weekend, authorities say the investigation is still ongoing, and suspects have yet to be located." said the man.
Stephen turned the knob on the radio. "Jesus… help us." he muttered. Then—the office door swung open. Tokyo rushed in, with Akira held in her arms tightly. "Dad—I've got to leave for school." Tokyo nudged Akira forward with an impatient look. "Here. I don't have time—my friend's about to pick me up." she said.He scooped Akira into his arms carefully. "Okay. Shh… Daddy's got you." Stephen whispered. Tokyo ran; she left behind nothing but the faint echo of her presence. Slowly, he made his way to the office couch and sank with Akira gently. He hummed a steady lullaby—Akira rested on his chest, and he sucked on his pacifier. "Looks like it's going to be a long day." he mumbled.
Lavender Hospital. 7:45 am.
Leeu straat.
The parking lot was eerily empty as Katherine pulled her SUV to a stop. She pressed her forehead against the steering wheel; a single tear slid down her cheek. "It's okay… everything's going to be alright." she whispered to herself. After a moment, she grabbed her backpack and made her way to the hospital. Inside, the place was already in motion. Co-workers moved briskly; their footsteps echoed off the sterile floors, while a few elderly patients in wheelchairs drifted along the corridors. "Mr. Sanchez, you shouldn't be at this terminal." Katherine said. "Ah, it's you young one… once you've lived a full life like us old people, words like 'terminal' hold no meaning for us. You'd live a better life if you catch on to it now." Sanchez replied. "Well, in this facility, you're expected to obey words like 'terminal'. Come on, let's go." She pushed his wheelchair down the corridor; the wheels squeaked softly against the polished floor. "Leave me alone! Let me die in peace! And don't tell me what to do, young one." Sanchez snapped. "Did you take your medication, Sir?" she asked. "What are you? my babysitter?" he argued. "Well, technically—I am." she replied.
They arrived at the elevator, and ascended to the third floor. "You know, when I was your age… I was fighting in the National Warfare, all the way in the Soviet Region." Sanchez began. "That day, I lost fifteen of my brothers—God bless their souls." He paused. "There was a lot of bloodshed, but their deaths weren't in vain… these days, we have ungrateful kids like you. You'll never know how rough it really was." They left the elevator and strolled down the corridor. Suddenly, "Katherine!" a voice called out. Katherine glanced back and saw one of her co-workers; urgency traced in her steps. "Oh, hey Caitlin." Katherine greeted. "Hey girl, where have you been?" Caitlin asked. "At home." she replied. "Ugh… tell me about it." Caitlin rolled her eyes. "Mr Sanchez— you can't just run off like that. You'll get us fired." Caitlin scolded him. "Good, that means you're not doing your job." he said. "Anyways, Kathrine—Doctor Michaelmas was looking for you earlier." Caitlin said. "Shit, am I in trouble?" Katherine muttered. "I don't know… are you?" she asked. "You should probably head to his office and see what he wants—he seemed pretty desperate to see you." Then,Katherine made her way toward the doctor's office; she ascended a flight of stairs and passed the bustling ward along the way.
She knocked lightly once she reached his door. 'Come in.' a voice invited her in. She stepped in; Doctor Michaelmas was busy. He rushed over paperwork like he was manning a call center. Then their eyes met. "Good morning, Kathy—how's it been, darling?" he greeted, his tone charming. "Michael… It's been… decent, you know, how about you?" she asked. "Uh—Rough, couldn't seem to get you off my mind." he replied. Katherine scoffed lightly. "Aw, you're too sweet." she cooed. Michaelmas closed the distance. "You know, I admire a girl like you—self-caring, strong, and beautiful." he said. "It's been a minute since we last spoke like this." he added. "Michael… I'm flattered…" she dismissed. He brushed her lips. "Shh." he whispered. Suddenly, he gripped her waist and pulled her closer—he leaned in, and their lips met, locked for a fleeting moment before she broke away. "I'm sorry." She retreated a step. "I'm just not in the right headspace right now." she admitted. "What do you mean?" he asked. "Michael… It's just… We can't keep doing this anymore." she stated. Michaelmas giggled nervously. "What?" hewas confused. "I'm sorry." Katherine replied. "OK, I'm sure you can find your headspace when you get back to work." he stated coldly. "Wha—"
"Get out, Mrs. Glover." Without another word, she left the office. Her day had only just begun. She made her way down the corridor toward the nursing station and prepared herself to start her shift.
ZUT Campus. 8:58 am.
Science Class.
Lucas sat at his desk in the auditorium. A handful of students were present, some hunched over their phones. Others stared at the professor. "Good morning, class." the professor greeted. "We've got a lot to cover from last week, so let's get started." A student raised his hand. "Yes, Jonathan?" the professor called. "Sir— I don't think I attended class last week. If you could, maybe you can give me a mini recap of what we learnt?" Johnathan asked. "Well, sure—all questions will be answered after class. But I'll go into more detail as the class progresses—time isn't on our side today. Ask a few classmates to help fill in the gaps. Because what we're covering now is something special." the professor stated.
"What is it?" a student asked from the back. "I'm sure y'all are already familiar with Newton's Law, and—" the professor started. 'Aw, man!'"Dang, I should've skipped class.', 'We bout' to learn from a man, that never got laid.' 'All of this… because of a stupid apple.' Chatter skidded across the auditorium.
"Alright guys, let's all calm down." the professor ordered. Lucas stared at the whiteboard; his mind was blank—except for Ashley's words, which replayed over and over in his head. He tried to push the thought aside, but he had bigger fish to fry.
Reservoir Bay. 10:00 am.
Sydney Street.
A tranquil neighborhood—one that looked like a dream to most. Mansions stood shoulder to shoulder along the coastline of Drakens Beach. The area was oddly quiet. In the backyard of one of the mansions, Jason and Sasha lay sprawled on the grass upon a mat, drinks in their hand while the ocean breeze drifted over them. "I miss little Ghost. When are we going to meet him?" Sasha asked. "I don't know. Even I couldn't get a hold of him—and that doesn't sit right." Jason replied.
"You think it was a good idea for Sam to tag along?" Sasha asked. "What's up with the interrogation?" Jason asked. "Well, that's because I—"
"You already know 'everything'." he cut in. "Ding; ding; ding" she said. "And no—I don't think it's a bad idea. Or a good one, either. Sam can be a little extra sometimes… but he understands us, plus he is useful." he answered. "Yeah. Couldn't we pull up to Little Ghost's place? I know you were there." she exposed. "We can't." he said. "There are cameras—and he's not dumb. He probably already saw the footage of me in his house." Sasha giggled lightly as she sipped from her wine glass. "You were always careless—messy and unaware. You should be grateful for a sister like me." she said. "What do you mean?" Jason swirled his glass. She pointed at the tattoo on his calf… a symbolic tattoo inked deep into his skin.
"You wonder why us Hollows get these tats?" she asked. "Not really. I just thought it was some kind of initiation." he shrugged. "Technically, you're not wrong. Though it has other uses… like tracking." she said. "I knew it. So, the reason we still can't find him is that—"
"He removed it—both of them. Probably tore through his skin too." She took another sip. "But it isn't a problem anymore. You paid him a visit… and that gave me access. I hacked into his system." she informed. "Huh? But how?" he asked. "A magician never reveals her secrets. Not that you'd understand—you've got muscles for brains." she mocked. "I'm not even going to complain, because you're right." Jason laughed.
Suddenly, a man in an expensive suit walked through the sliding door. Cash spilled from his pockets as he smoked a cigar. He tossed bills carelessly in their direction. "Sam… I thought you were busy with your 'stocks', or just can't stop feeling yourself?" Sasha asked, "You're one to talk. Anyways, when are we going to pay little ghost a visit?" he asked. "Sooner or later—probably later. For now, let's keep our eyes on him." Jason said. Sam tossed a hefty stack of cash in Jason's face. "Bro… this might be our only chance." he said. Sasha pulled out her cellphone. "As I said, it doesn't matter." The screen lit up with a live feed—Stephen sprawled on his office couch, and Akira draped over him. "The week's only just begun." Jason and Sam gazed at each other.