The Other Way | Bonten

2

"How long have you known him?"

You explained to the police officer about how the man was the previous owner of the house and you thought you were given the only set of keys to the house.

Ethan Sawyer didn't look like a creep but he sure acted like it. You get chills every time you remember the way he stared at you as the cops took him away.

It's not safe for you to stay there anymore but you don't have money to move out yet. Luckily for you, he's gonna stay in jail for about ten years. He's already committed multiple crimes and that's the main reason why he was in your house that night.

Thinking he could do to you what you did to him, he chose to run back to his previous home in hopes of hiding himself from the police.

After thanking the officers, they finally left and you quickly made your way inside to lock the doors. What happened really scared you and even though he's technically already in jail by now, your paranoia continued as if someone else could easily get inside and murder you or something.

Mittens abandoned his own bed and laid next to you, sensing your discomfort. You immediately brought him into your arms and sighed, thankful for having a companion that actually cares for you.

It didn't take you long enough to finally get some sleep and you ended up sleeping until almost noon. Even though it was a weekend, you still had to get up in the morning to feed Mittens.

But surprisingly, Mittens wasn't meowing like a cat that hasn't been fed for days. He was unusually quiet. Maybe it's because he can sense your need for a longer time for sleep. Who knows? It's not like you can ask him directly.

"You're a good boy this morning.." You murmured as you pet him while he slowly eats his food, giving you a quick meow in between his chewing.

Pushing yourself back up, you made your way to the kitchen and prepared your own meal. You weren't even hungry but you knew you shouldn't skip meals. There's no one to take care of you if you get sick and there's also your baby to take care of. Ha, how funny is that? At your age, your only child is your kitten. Well, not everyone wants to be a mother and you're not sure if you're fit to be one.

What were you even thinking about? You don't even have a boyfriend yet you're thinking of being a mother.

That's why you shouldn't skip meals...

With no one to talk to other than your cat, you've almost lost your marbles by talking to yourself. Well, some say it's healthy but at this point....

knock knock knock

Your heart skipped a beat at the thought of that being the intruder last night. Well, if he is the one on the other side of the door, would he really knock? Maybe. Just to get you off guard or something.

Just for precaution, you grabbed your broom again and opened the door. Relief filled your features when you saw it was just your neighbor, Lisa. She's just a few years older than your own mother and she's very kind.

"I heard what happened, are you hurt?" She asked, obviously worried. "Oh my, you must be so shaken up."

"I'm fine, Lisa." You reassure her, smiling warmly at her. "I got him before he could do anything to me."

"I'm so glad you're safe!" She exclaimed, holding a hand to her chest. "The thought of that bastard laying his hands on you....thank goodness you're a clever girl!"

The two of you chatted for a bit and though she didn't really do much, her presence and concern made you feel a whole lot better.

After that, you waited for her to get to her own house and gave her a small wave before getting inside. You resumed making your meal and took a shower before eating. The food was still warm since you didn't take that much time. The only thing you wanted to do today was to eat and take a walk again.

Usually, you would just sleep the whole day but you didn't feel like it. The incident last night still made you feel uneasy and you knew you'd have trouble trying to sleep later as well.

Mittens was alright with being left alone in the house as long as there's food and water accessible to him. You want to take him out from time to time but he doesn't like it when you take him out of the house. Probably it's because he thinks you're gonna abandon him like what his previous owner most likely did.

Walking around the mall kept you entertained for a while. You bought a few things for Mittens, most were treats but some were cute clothes and toys. Just like any other fur parent, a good percentage of your money goes to Mittens. Not that you're complaining, you love spending money on him. He deserves the best.

You've caught him secretly taking some of his food from his bowl to give to one of your neighbor's cat as well. It's nice to know he's like that so you give him more food to share.

"I'm trying to help you!"

"Ahh! Don't yell at me!"

"Let me help you cross the street!"

"But I don't need to cross the street!"

Your eyebrows furrowed and you turn to the two arguing a few meters from you. The taller and younger man who had his back to you was trying to pull the old man to the other side of the street.

"Let go of me, you lunatic!"

A man who appears to be in his late 40's came up to them and talked to the man who was holding the old man. You walked on and went home. Mittens welcomed you when you got back, he purred as he circled your ankles.

"Did you miss me?" You cooed as you pet him before leading him to the kitchen. "I've got some treats for you!"

The rest of the day, you spent it with Mittens watching movies. First, you watched Nowhere. Then, Talk to Me. After that, you watched The Boogeyman. Then you took a break to prepare more snacks.

You watched a few more movies and sent a few emails, just another boring day.

All in all, you watched about six movies. You still had time to watch more but you were still searching. You don't usually watch new movies but you were curious always hearing them in people's conversations.

Tomorrow, you have to go to work anyway so might as well make the most out of your free time. People your age had a social life and you kind of envy them but you're too lazy to befriend people so it's ultimately your own fault that you're all alone.

The only highlight of your day was the argument between the old man and the younger man.

Later that night, you hear a couple of knocks from your door. You were nervous so you grabbed something to defend yourself with before slowly opening the door. To your relief, it was just Lisa again.

"Hey, dear. My nephew came to visit so I thought I'd introduce him to you! He's around your age and he's single." Lisa gave you a wink, making you chuckle and shake your head at her.

Stepping aside, you were met with familiar eyes. They were cold, sinister. Your smile immediately dropped.

How did he end up being Lisa's nephew?