𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐆 𝐃𝐔𝐌𝐁 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐊𝐄|𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐊𝐒

𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲:𝗶 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁

"What the actual fuck am I supposed to do with this?" Esme whispered to herself, her brows furrowing in confusion as she flipped through the pages of information Topper had provided her. She had never seen herself as a sort of genius, but as the seconds passed she began to feel really stupid, for how hard was it to grasp simple names and concepts? The pages seemed endless as she skimmed through them, finding no sorts of information that could help with the mini investigation she had going on. God, Esme knew she should've never asked Topper for help. What good did this do her, except fill her mind with the fact that she would somehow have to find a way to pay back Topper for providing her with useless help?

Esme ran a hand through her hair, the frustration inside her bubbling up more and more. She considered calling Pope and asking for his assistance, for he was the only one she knew who would be able to decipher.......well, everything. But depending on her boyfriend wasn't going to solve her troubles, and so Esme was on her own with the mission she had quite literally dragged herself into. Perhaps she was being paranoid. Maybe there was no reason to investigate a van following her, and all of the fear that plagued her insides and turned her rotten was just a figment of her own sick imagination. Maybe this was all some nightmare her brain had managed to conjure up, forcing her to go through life with fearing weighing her down like a boulder on her shoulders.

Esme sucked in a deep breath, taking a sip of her warm water in order to calm her nerves, for a panic attack wasn't really going to make matters any better. After calming herself down she picked up the packet once more and flipped through the pages, hoping that with a clear mind she would finally be able to get something useful done. And finally, it happened. A wide grin spread across Esme's lips as she finally found a lead, something that would make this investigation all of the more easier and less of a headache for her. Hector Salazar. Topper had mentioned back at his house that Hector was the owner of the van that had been following her in the last couple of days, however she had chosen to tune out for that portion of the conversation which proved to be a huge mistake.

All Esme had to do now was go over to hectors house, demand why he was spying on her, and go back home to continue on with her day. Seemed easy enough, right? Esme placed the papers on her disheveled backpack before making her way down the street once more, a new sudden wave of confidence overflowing her as the smile on her face brightened. For once in her life, she was going to do something without the help of her friends. For once she was going to take a risk without worrying about hurting herself or others in the process.

Esme froze as she reached her destination, the stench of smoke and blood filling her nostrils within seconds. It most made her consider whether or not this was the wrong house, that was until she double checked the address Topper had given her. Yep, this was the right house alright. Esme hesitated before glancing around the property, taking notice of the glass bottles and other dangerous items scattered all across the dirty and clearly not take care of lawn. God, why did she keep doing this to herself? Esme sucked in one final breath before walking up to the house, her bow and arrow clutched tightly in her hand just in case trouble came her way. Silence consumed the area, indicating that whoever was inside the house had a talent of being ominous and stealthy or there was just no one home at all.

Esme crouched down in front of a window as she glanced inside, her suspicion of no one being home proved correct. There were two options at the moment. Either she could take the information she had and go home, or she could go inside and investigate. Eventually she chose the latter, using the strength remaining in her body to climb inside of the house through the broken window that cut and marked her already damaged skin. Esme collapsed onto the ground as soon as she managed to get inside the house, cursing under her breath at the glass that seemed to dig even deeper into her skin. Great. Just when she was preaching about not getting herself into situations that could hurt her she already had dozens of cuts on both her arms and legs. Note to self, wear jeans and hoodies a lot more often. Esme slowly lifted her head from the ground and allowed for her eyes to travel around the small house, the stench of blood and grime making her stomach twist and turn in unimaginable ways. This was no time to back down however. She picked herself from the ground as her eyes flickered around the dark area, the adrenaline mixed with curiosity coursing through her body at a rapid pace. Esme walked  throughout the narrow hallways,  cringing at both the pain in her arms and the stench that seemed to follow her wherever she went.