Keep your eyes out for the <>!

I woke up early again a couple of days later. With a heavy heart, I changed into a little black dress that I got at a shop yesterday in town. Today was the day that I came here for. I was dreading it to be honest. I wish I could skip this day or even run away all together. But I knew I had to see her and say goodbye for the last time.

I walked into the kitchen and saw that Walter and Ameila were already dressed in black. They were both sitting at the kitchen table whispering about, for what I could hear, me.

"Morning," I said as I walked in, signaling to them I was here and could hear them.

"Oh, morning. We thought you were asleep still," Walter said as he blushed, knowing I caught him red-handed.

I shook my head and said, "can't."

"How do you feel?" Ameila asked with a frown.

I felt terrible, but, being here going to this funeral was like it was taking some weight off my chest. Now, I didn't have to worry about how my Nan was doing, or if I wrote her, or if she was getting enough money. I knew that where ever she was; she would be fine. I was now free from anything that could tie me down. However, did I really want that? The void I felt without her here was painful. I wasn't sure if I would be able to fully cope with the loss. I felt like a rag that had been hung out to dry, flying around in the wind. "Don't know."

"Well, we don't have to leave for another hour, so you can do what you want. We'll give space," Walter said.

I nodded, always the thoughtful one out of the bunch he was. I hope Ameila knew what she had. There were few people in the world like Walter, she was lucky. "Thank you."

The rest of the day went by in a blur until I looked at the newly buried grave sight of my Nan. I stood there for a minute staring at it, holding back every emotion that was in me. When I looked around and saw that I was finally alone, I then gave up and let tears fall. I couldn't believe I wasn't there in her last minutes. I felt like a terrible granddaughter for not being there for her.

"You look cute when you cry like that. It's like you're actually vulnerable." A woman said from behind me.

In a second I stopped crying turned to face her. She had short blonde hair and green eyes, she was dressed in a short tight black dress like she was here for the funeral too.

"Who are you?" I said as I wiped my nose, trying to regain myself.

"Someone that cares to know where you go," she said with a tone of boredom to her voice as she picked her nails.

"Why?" I asked, fearing that Scotland Yard hired her to bring me back to London.

"Because your unique Rori and I want to add you to my collection of white-collar criminals."

I shook my head. No, there was a reason no one stayed with me, I was not a team person. "I'm not interested." I brushed her off, not even thinking about how she found me.

"Mmm, Kale said you would do this," she said and smiled, waiting for my reaction.

It was like she knew me so well. The sound of his name felt like a punch to the stomach. Here out of all days, she comes to find me, and taunt me? She had no right. "Where is he?"

"I don't know. I would tell you if I knew, but I think he ran off," she said, flaunting another smile at me. She was teasing me. This was the group Kale was running from and now I had her right in front of me.

"I'm not going to join your 'team'," I said firmly as I walked away, not willing to throw the first punch at the cemetery. I was too emotionally drained to deal with this, but that was why she was here. She already knew that this would be when I was at the weakest.

"Ah, I wouldn't do that. Your grandmother was the first one to go. An easy one to get rid of really, no one ever asks questions with old people. They just thought it was old age. I'll give you one more month till the deaths start again." She tossed a card on the ground close to my feet. I looked at it but didn't pick it up. "And that's me being nice. Call me sometime. I would love to talk to work out a deal," she said calmly as walked away.

It took all that I had to not go after her. She was expecting me to do that. I knew it. Instead, I had to control myself. She wanted a reaction, but I would not give it to her even though I was clenching my fists and gritting my teeth. A million thoughts went through my head. Without help from Scotland Yard or Sherlock, I didn't know how to get out of this. Instead of thinking about my next plan, I just sank to my knees and stared into space.

As soon as I got to Walter's and Ameila's house, I walked into my room and shut the door. I thought about the lady. She was the one that owned the group, I was sure of it. They found me, but I had to stop them. I would not join her team, but I didn't want anyone else to die. But I was now on the run and Scotland Yard would never help me now. She probably planned that, too. I was trapped and I couldn't think straight. But I needed to think straight. I needed a plan, but nothing was coming.

"Maire? Are you in there?" Walter's voice said softly through the door.

"Yes I'm here," I said softly back to him.

"I am really sorry about everything. We have dinner out here if you want some."

"Thanks," I said stiffly, having no plans to go out and join them. I wasn't hungry. I walked over to a cabinet by the window and saw there was a bottle of scotch half full. I was never much of a drinker since it didn't allow me to think straight, but this was an exception. My mom was a heavy drinker, and I hated what she became when she drank. All this pain I had, I just wanted it to go away. Without thinking more about it, I grabbed the bottle and downed it in a matter of minutes.

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I grabbed someone's drink on the table at a mansion house party I wasn't invited to and I downed it. Whatever the drink was, it burnt going down. It was the good stuff. I stumbled into the hall to get some fresh air. This would mess me up tomorrow, but I didn't care anymore. I was done; I had no direction, and I told myself that it didn't bother me.

"What are you doing?" Walter said as he walked up to me.

I was sure they did not invite him to this party, but yet he found me here. He was more resourceful than I thought he was. I hadn't been to their house in a couple days, sleeping at random people's houses. I thought Walter and Amelia wouldn't look for me. "Partying. What are you doing?" I said, as I danced around him.

"You're out of control," Walter said, grabbing my arm to make me stop.

I stopped to look at him, then gave him a death glare. He had no right to tell me what to do. "Let go of me."

"No, I'm going to take you home."

That wasn't possible because I had no home anymore. "No you're not." I felt my words slur in my mouth.

"Ever since after the funeral, you've been wild. You have had no direction and I can see it in your eyes. You're lost and hurt and I understand that, but this is no way to behave," Walter lectured me like I was a child.

I frowned at him. "I don't want to hear this right now," I said as I tried to shake out of his grip as he pulled me out the front door. Walter was always good at reading me and he was right, I just didn't want to hear it.

I didn't want to think about the lady I met and I couldn't go back to London. I already burnt that bridge, but also I couldn't stay here. I was lost and drinking was the only easy way out of my problems. So that is what I did. Every other night, some random party in the evening and sleeping all day afterwards, this was how I was living my life ever since my Nan died.

"It's been five weeks, Maire. Pull yourself together."

"What if I don't want too? I like the way things are right now," I snapped at him as he pushed me into his crappy car.

"You're drunk. You don't mean this."

"No, I mean every word. I can't stand this town, this life, these people around me! I screwed up and I don't even know why I came back!"

"I don't know that either," Walter said under his breath.

Even though I was way past being tipsy, that still hurt like a deep cut. It made me really think about what I was doing. Walter was an old as I was and yet he was being the adult. For the longest time, I felt like I was the adult. I was going to say something sharp, but before I knew it, everything went dark.

OOOH! what do you think?!?! pretty good? well sorry this is late. you know the saying homework goes first. it's the truth and I'm taking 16 credits and it's kind of crazy right now but hopefully it will get slower.

well I have to go and study for a French test for tomorrow so I'll let you go.

Darla H