October 20th

Gloria is one strange Chiclet. I must have mentioned this before, but she gives me the creeps, in a way that The Man never did. Sure, he was evil incarnate, but he was more than up-front about it. This lady...she's hiding something. Being around her is like being around a timer on a switch.

Michael feels it too. Although, he hasn't voiced his concerns about Gloria aloud. Neither have I. I see the way he looks at her. Is it with disdain? Or is it caution, or both? All I know is that those women have been here for two days, and I wish they'd move on. Not True, but if her mom decided to leave us, I'd be able to breathe easier. Louise is either too thick or too kind to sense the strangeness of Gloria. Gloria's stories of life on The Outside have put Louise on her side.

What's even weirder about that woman is that True seems to hate her too. Whenever her mother moves to touch her, True draws back. She doesn't talk to Gloria (or anybody) from what I can tell.

Yesterday morning, I passed by their bedroom and heard whispering. There was two people whispering, one pleading for the other to,

"Don't. Please, don't. They're nice people, and ------".

"Shh!" the other person whispered. "Just shut the fuck up."

I hurried away down the hallway, hoping their door wouldn't open to discover me, the Part-Time Eavesdropper.

The door remained closed.

So True can and does talk. What was she pleading for, and why? What are these two ladies planning for us? Probably paranoid, but I'm gonna confer with Michael on all of this.

Better safe than----dead in a basement.

~*~

October 23nd

After our talk about Gloria, Michael has been acting strange around her. I know he doesn't like her, but he wasn't actively avoiding her before. Now, whenever they're in the same room, he makes an excuse to leave, or tries not to look at her. Louise is either not paying attention or she doesn't care. Most of her attentions are focused on making sure the girls feel comfortable here with us. She doesn't know that the very presence of the two strangers is making Michael and me the most uncomfortable.

His heightened state of anxiety could have to do with what I saw the other day. I was in my room getting dressed after a shower, and I looked out the window to the backyard. Michael was in the swimming pool doing laps in the late afternoon light. Gloria walked out onto the patio in a bathrobe. When she took it off, I saw that there was nothing on underneath. I really wanted to look away, but she was the first naked woman I had seen that didn't look like a Waster. Plus, I thought what a show would start if either True or Louise walked outside just then. But I remembered that they were on the east side of the property, tending to Louise's vegetable garden. Gloria must have known that she and Michael would have some alone time.

She dove into the water. Michael didn't stop in his swim until he got to the end of the pool. Gloria was hanging on the edge of the pool with a big smile. Of course, I couldn't hear anything, but I could see them talking to each other. After a few sentences, Gloria swam to Michael and put her arms and legs around him. Her big breasts floated on the surface of the water. Heck, I hate the lady, but I have to admit, those things look pretty nice. Michael was lookin' at 'em too, and he didn't push her away. They kissed and then she slipped under the water. Michael's head went back and I could see his eyes were closed. About two seconds passed and then he seemed to come to his senses. He reached under the water to bring her up. There was more talking, with Gloria looking pissed, and then Michael getting out of the water.

Gloria followed, not caring at how very naked she was. While Michael was patting himself dry with a towel, she tried to press herself against him for a second time. He pushed her away, and she slapped him. The crazy lady stalked off as if Michael was the one who had done the hitting.

God, adults are fricking weird.

~*~