Pondbell: Coldblooded (Ongoing)

Caput Octavum

VIII

Naira lays in her bed, listening to the faint moans and groans of the mansion. Her phone rests on her stomach as she listens to music. She tosses and turns as she wonders about Credence, her friends, and Cole. She can't help but feel a thousand miles away from them despite only being forty minutes away. Her time and energy have been so consumed by this job that she fears she may be disconnected from her life back at home. With no way to check in on the progress others have had in locating Cole and with Credence's abrupt departure, her mind spins.

"Wonder what he's been up to. Can't believe it's already been a week," Naira says quietly while looking at the old pictures she had taken with her friends and Credence. She drops her hand to her side, letting out an exhausted sigh.

She increases the volume on her phone to drown out the uneasiness swirling in her head while she gets dressed. Something feels wrong. Far too many things are out of place for her to put a finger on it. Her friends were typically the ones to clue her in on these matters, but in their absence, she resorts to her old habit of dissociation rather than putting the pieces together. While humming along, she's interrupted by a loud popping noise. Startled, she hesitantly inspects the source of the noise. She catches sight of a small crack in her window, and as she studies it, "NA-...CA-...WE-...TROU-" bursts into her thoughts. "Addy?" she thinks and notices it; indeed, it is her friend. Confused as to why she'd reach out this way, rather than texting, she focuses on what her friend is saying. Unable to make out the words, she picks up her phone. This communication is far less pellucid than what she's familiarized herself with. It's as though Addy were fighting against a force for occupation of Naira's mental space. The torrent of fractured sentences and blurred images cause Naira to squint desperately, hoping to pull any coherent piece of information from Addy. Exhausting all options, she pulls her phone from the bed.

Ayo?

You ok?

Are you fuckin with me? 🤔

She texts, yet it won't send. "This shitty Wi-Fi!" she exclaims, and her friend's voice dies down until the only voice that occupies her mind is her own. "It's alright. I'll see her later," she briefly scowls before continuing to get dressed.

She starts performing her daily duties. Sweeping the floors, cleaning the windows, and taking out the trash. After a few hours had flown by, she wiped the sweat from her brow after finishing her daily routine and heading to the waiting room. "My dogs are barkin'. Can't wait to sit down finally," Naira complains as she sluggishly pulls herself up the stairs. This time, equipped with Bluetooth earphones, she stealthily tucked in one ear and a podcast she was sure would last her the entire shift. Naira steps into her vestibule and sits at her desk.

As she tries to get comfortable, her head turns when a muffled voice interrupts her podcast. She was sure it was coming from Asha's office. Pausing her true-crime podcast, she can see that the red light above her door was lit.

"Must've forgotten to shut it; I'll get it," Naira thinks. Carefully, she steps toward the door and presses her ear against its cold surface. "Right after some snoopin', of course," she thinks again with a mischievous grin.

"How do you expect me... There are three people-" Sure that the voice belongs to Kiran, she stands confused as she isn't used to hearing her so upset.

"Keep your voice down. I know you may... but I am sure you understood what..." a voice that could only be Asha's speaks up. "What?" She mouths. Naira's eyes dart in every direction as she places both hands on the door for better support.

The second her palms met the door, a creak filled the room. She was sure there was no way they could have both heard such an insignificant noise during such a heated argument.