Quiet Mornings And Loud Nights(Ghost Simon Riley)

39-Mystery

The nap lasted for an eternity and by the time Simon woke up the stars were out. Groaning, Simon turned to face his alarm clock. 22:23 it read. Jasper was still asleep, his fur soft against Simon's chest. Simon patted Jasper's head then rolled over to leave the bed. The night was young but Simon felt hunger overtake his need for sleep.

Rubbing his eyes and yawning he headed for the kitchen. He walked slowly trying to shake the sleepiness from his body. Once in the kitchen he filled a pot with tap water then set it on the stovetop. He planned on making some pasta then heading out for the night. It had been long enough and Simon needed money to stay on top of bills, so tonight he planned on going for a job as well. Easy. Quick. Silent. He would need to be more careful compared to his recklessness in the last job. Simon would never make the same mistake again.

As the water steadily climbed to a boil, Jasper sauntered into the kitchen. He stretched out and walked up to Simon's legs, rubbing against them with a meow.

"Hungry little man?" Simon walked over to Jasper's new bowl and reached into the bag the café gave him. He located some kibble and opened it, taking a healthy scoop and pouring it into the bowl. Jasper immediately dug into the meal and chowed down.

Simon sighed. He missed Rex dearly but it would be best to move on. How could he when his life and love were gone. Then he remembered the hooded figure he had seen and felt a tiny spark of hope. Maybe it was just his imagination but he hoped it was true. Snapping back into reality, Simon saw the pot of water had reached a rolling boil. He reached for his pantry and grabbed a box half full of pasta. He poured it into the water and threw out the box. Once the time was set, Simon went to his room and picked out some clothes. He would get dressed after eating, but set everything out in advance.

Opening his closet, Simon pushed past the clothes and opened the secret room. He selected a few knives and gear. Remembering his prior mistake, he decided to stick with a low profile and small pistol. It had a silencer and a few mods he purchased months prior. Nodding, he decided that would be enough. With everything ready Simon went to his bed and laid out the last few things. He smelled the pasta cooking and felt his empty stomach growl.

Walking back to the stove Simon noticed Jasper had fallen asleep beside the sliding door. He had been watching cars go by a few minutes before, a very important job. Cute. The timer went off a few seconds later leading Simon back into the kitchen where he drained the water from the pot. As it cooled on the dormant stovetop Simon reached for the fridge and dug around inside to find a jar of sauce. In the back corner he found a half full jar of marinara and pulled it out. After setting it on the countertop Simon retrieved some bread from his pantry. He liked to keep a loaf of cheap French bread and sliced bread for sandwiches.

Adding the sauce and a little Italian seasoning was all he needed as good smells filled the room. Leaving the pot to settle, Simon set a plate and some silverware on the small dining table in the center of the living space. All the noise must have woken Jasper up because by the time Simon had sat down to eat Jasper was ready to play.

Simon took his first bite and ate in silence until Jasper hopped onto the table with eyes filled with curiosity and playfulness. Breaking the silence Simon laughed and stood up, he walked over to the bag of toys from the café and chose a laser pointer. The jangling of the metal got Jasper even more excited as he jumped from the table to Simon's feet. Smiling brightly and returning to his chair, Simon turned on the laser. He directed it to a wall and watched Jasper. The little cat wiggled his hindquarters in anticipation and sprung to action.

The playing lasted for a half hour as Simon waved the laser around the room, up and down the walls, and across the floor. Jasper seemed to have unlimited energy because every time Simon would take a bite of food and turn off the laser he would meow until the little red dot returned. It made Simon smile, something that seemed to happen less often. Taking one last bite Simon finished his food. A good meal usually helped his mindset and Jasper's playful energy brought out a smidge of positivity.