The Daylight Mirror

Chapter Eleven

I couldn't find much in the text books sitting on the coffee table now spread across my lap and also close by on the floor. My godparents liked to collect a lot of information text books on big cats and other wild animals. Several books held photos with the jewellery box, the book, and Maverick in them which twigged some doubt in my mind. Needing to get my hands back on them I close and stack the books back up on the coffee table.

Going around locking the locks and windows I collect the essentials and drove out of the driveway into town towards the bar. I parked the truck over on the next block away from the bar. Phone and keys shoved into the pockets of my trousers I jumped out the truck with one mission in mind. Scratching sounds inside the back of the truck caught my attention before I could get too far from the truck. Poking my head under the tarpaulin a baby tiger cub clawing its small sharp talons down the side of the truck. I cringed at the piercing sound of claws against metal.

"What are you doing baby boy? I can't have you getting into here all of the time now can I? Didn't think one bit that any of you cubs could get into the back of the truck. But hay ho I guess that task wasn't exactly impossible."

The baby tiger stopped all the scratching to cock its head at me in a curious manner. He didn't think that he was doing anything wrong when he continued to rake his claws up and down the side of the truck. Picking him up by the scruff of his neck, I cuddled the baby tiger in my arms as I walked across the road towards the direction of the bar. Going around the block to get to the bar I can see through the windows that some of the spotlights have been turned on. So it seems like my dear old brothers have decided to take refugee inside of my own bar for the time being.

However I can't hear any obvious signs that they are in the bar but the twins and Venus may have taken Salvatore and Noah up into the offices above for some much needed privacy. I took my sweet time to stand in front of doors just waiting to see if I can hear any shuffling of feet or maybe the movement of bottles of alcohol and glasses. When I can not hear any noise whatsoever from inside of the bar I take the chance to go in quietly as I could.

Up the stairs towards the offices I can hear the distant voices of Dom and Salvatore going at each other's throats arguing about something or rather. Changing the position of the tiger cub to underneath my arm where it should be temporarily comfortable I tiptoe to my office. Shutting the office door behind me I allow the tiger cub to run around on the floor picking up the different scents in here. Scurrying to the drawer in the desk I grab hold of the note and carefully place in the waistband of my trousers for safe keeping. Only needing to get the jewellery box and the book out of the bar I slipped back into the main part of the bar.

Still on the bar counter the jewellery box and the leather book are under one of the spotlights. With the cub under one arm I tuck the jewellery box and the leather book under the other arm. Carelessly running to the truck I plop the cub in the passenger's seat and gently lay down the jewellery box and the leather book within the footwell of that said passenger seat. Making a three point turn in the road loud yelling from an angry Venus blasted through the truck's open window. Looking into my right exterior mirror I can see Venus is running down the road yelling my name while waving his arms over his head.

Putting the car into third gear I put my foot down and the gas and went as fast as the speed limit would allow me to do so. Taking another look in the rear view mirror Venus has stopped running in the middle of the road with his arms lying over his head. The look on his face strikes me straight in the heart which added onto the deep hole already dug. A long guilt filled journey back to the farm my head is filled with unwanted thoughts. Shutting down the engine of the truck the cub jumped into my lap sticking half of his body out of the open window.

"Whoa boy slow down I can't have you jumping out of the window and hurting yourself in the process." I said.

Opening the driver's side door the cub jumped out of the truck scampering away to find his family and friends. Taking my time I took it upon myself I gazed upon the horizon filled with pretty colours such as reds, oranges, and purples. Beautiful as it is the pure guilt weighing heavily on my shoulders is blinding me away from truly enjoying all of its beauty. Sulking back into the house everything seemed too eerie and quiet not something that I really wanted at the moment. All the cats have retreated back into the farmhouse for the night giving me the feeling that I am more than just physically alone in this house that I now call me.