Fractured Memory - Book One

Chapter 2

Todrick and Charlie checked everything they'd need, replying to each other like playing a tennis match.

"Emergency tents?" asked Charlie, eyes glued to the checklist.

Instantly, Todrick replied "Check!", putting them aside.

"Money?"

"Check."

"How much?" interrupted Zayma.

"1000 dollars." responded Todrick sheepishly.

Zayma shot a glance at Maia.

"Yeah." said Maia, who was sitting on the desk, examining an old magazine. She put down the weekly, reached into her pocket, and pulled out a wad of bills. She slapped the money onto the bed, next to where the one hundred dollars sat.

"I highly doubt we'll need 1200 dollars." said Charlie after inspecting the wad.

"You never know. Especially not after..." began Zayma, with a burst of giggles obviously ready to erupt.

"The incident." they chorused. They burst out in laughs, all except Todrick who had no idea what was happening. The giggles died down like flames, showing ashes of vague, pointless explanation.

"Long story" was all that came from Charlie.

"Really?" asked Todrick. "Is it really that long?"

"Yup." replied Zayma

"Anyway. Train tickets?" questioned Charlie, going back to the list.

"Check." reported Charlie.

"First aid kit?"

"Check!"

The list went on, covering extra shoes, extra clothes, a GPS, a phone, and more. Charlie took a few seconds of his time to look at th clock that rested above the door. 15:20.

"NO MORE MADAM NICE! I'M COMING TO GET YOU!" reported a cry from below.

"Shit! She's coming." exclaimed Charlie.

"Todrick! Bat!" ordered Zayma. Yanking the baseball bat that Trevor had picked up, she smashed to window, and watched the glass shards pierce their way through the air. "Under the bed!" she commanded. They ducked down and squeezed their way to the gap between the mattress supporter and the floor. They heard the door swing open, followed by the expected.

"Through the window I hear? I'm coming right after you!" she shouted.

Being insane as she was, she jumped out, screaming "WAHOOO".

"What just happened?" whispered Todrick.

"She jumped out the window." disclosed Maia.

From a story below, you could hear the slight thud of her ungraceful landing, and a moan she expressed as she got up and limped as fast as she could.

"You two are related?" asked Maia.

Todrick ignored her. "Now?" he asked.

"Wait." said Charlie.

They sat there in the awkward silence, waiting for the screams to die down.

"Now." said Charlie.

They grabbed their belongings and ran down the stairs, forgetting to close the doors behind them. Finding themselves seconds later on a sidewalk, they began rethinking everything.

"We have no target destination." pointed out Zayma.

"Oddly enough, I've realised that by now." retorted Todrick, with a roll of his eyes, trying to make it obvious he was deep in thought about where to go.