Kept In The Dark

Chapter Nine: Into the Shadows

The cafe closed at five o'clock in the evening, just like it did five days a week. As Tatty sorted the cats out downstairs, fed them, refilled their water bowls and cleaned out the litter trays with a few members of staff for assistance, Mia waited for Tatty to unlock the door to the flat upstairs.

"Come on Billy, Willy, Millie, Lillie-Bo, Big-Bear..." Tatty called as she shook a bowl of cat food from the kitchen part of the cafe which was around the back of the bar away from customers.

They followed Tatty like shadows in the night, one after the other. Their tails pointed straight up in the air and their pace quickened as Tatty walked closer to the cupboard where the food was kept. The sound of the bells that hang from their collars like a symphony of moggies, wailing and calling out as if they hadn't been fed for days. Mia couldn't remember when she last had something to laugh at, something fun that made her chuckle.

Instead of watching the scene unfold, Mia took herself upstairs to the flat above the cafè. She crossed the wide open-plan space and headed towards the kitchenette area. A deep ceramic butler sink sat close to the window. Mia poured herself a glass of water before looking around. Her stomach rumbled, sending strong gurgling sounds into the flat and her head began to feel light. She reached forward, and gripped onto the worktop to steady herself. Her legs felt as if they were made for jelly, and for a few seconds she couldn't seem to catch her breath. She waited for a moment, and carefully moved across the room. She fell backwards, as her weight was cushioned by a soft armchair. It wasn't the first time she'd felt like this, and she knew what she needed to do.

"Food." She said aloud to herself, "I need food."

Tatty was a vegan and had been for as long as Mia could remember. Meat was murder in her book, and like sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll was a gift from the devil, with alcohol being described as "Satans sap."  Mia knew what she wanted, her body craved meat. All she could think about was a thick juicy beef burger sandwiched in a glorious brioche bun, dripping with mayonnaise and a few slices of bacon. Her mouth watered at the thought of it. She took out her phone and ordered her favourite burger from the newest burger restaurant, Big Brad's, on the high street. As it had only been open for a few days, the half price deal was still on and at that price, she could just afford it.

***

A brown paper takeaway bag lay empty on the coffee table with the mouthwatering scent of burger and chips coating the air. When Mia awoke a few hours earlier, one of the first things she did was to open a window and let the fresh air chase away the unwelcoming smell of cats. She turned her phone on and put it on charge. Endless texts pinged her phone one by one, not surprisingly they were all from Donna, and it was clear from some of them that she sent them when drunk. The last thing Mia wanted to do was to read anymore of them, or even think about the woman who gave birth to her, who she began to see as nothing more than a traitor. A voice mail. Great, oh look, and there was another one.

Amelie Edward's

The name perked Mia's interest. It was one in twenty or so texts and voicemails that weren't from her mum. Or maybe it was? Perhaps Donna had somehow taken Amelie's phone to trick her into talking to her. Oh well ...

She pressed play, and listened carefully as her friend's voice was heard from the other end of the phone.

'Mi, it's Amz, what the hell is going on with you girl! Soz but my dads sick of your mum coming round to our house. She's banging on the door, screaming, I mean she's pissed out of her head, but even so. He's not having it. He's said if she does it again, grieving widow or not he's phoning the police. She actually pulled up some of his prize roses and chucked them at our front door. Your mums out of control and she's gonna get locked up if she carries on like this. Just warning you Mi. Wherever you are, come back and get her off our drive before my dad calls the police and gets her locked up for being drunk and disorderly!'