The Black Envelope

Chapter 7: Accusation

Chapter 7: Accusation

The drive home was bleak, a mess of emotions ranging from frustration to annoyance to anger to guilt, all in a span of seconds. Gage hadn’t even known he could feel that many emotions at once.

After the ten minute drive from Fay’s house to his apartment was over, he parked in the street and got out, slinging his bag over his shoulder as he strolled up the drive. Gage dug in his pocket for his keys as he walked upon the tree bark colored carpet, down the cracked, beige painted hallways, and into his sparsely furnished apartment. A small loveseat, two chairs, a reading lamp, a scratched coffee table, and a moderate sized television were the only things in the living room part of his apartment. He passed by all this, through the kitchen which sported a microwave oven, a refrigerator, and a couple cabinets stocked with food, past the small bathroom, to his bedroom. What took up the most space was his bed, the covers still rumpled from when he rolled out of it this morning. Next to that stood a small nightstand, dominated by stacks of books that spilled off the top and down into piles on the floor. It was a pretty nice apartment, considered what he had lived in before becoming a Messenger and gaining all the perks that came from it, including the paycheck.

Gage dropped his bag on the bed and threw his jacket down next to it. Ever since he moved out of his parents house when he graduated from high school he had been living alone, he preferred it that way. Especially when he became a Messenger. Having not told them about his career choice he thought it would be better if he didn’t have any contact with them at all.

Walking over to the nightstand he picked up a random paperback off a random pile and went back to the living room where he sat down on the couch and tried to read it while his mind raced.

He tried, and failed, to tell himself that it was out of his hands. There was nothing he could do now that she had refused to leave. It was Fay’s choice, and he should respect that. Gage’s stubborn mind goaded him into false fantasies of Fay and him hiding out in the forest with only each other for company. Or camping in abandoned buildings while the Unnoticed prowled the street, but by some stroke of luck, could not find them. They were both safe and would stay that way for a long time.

But that won’t happen now that she’s going to be murdered. His subconscious whispered to him.

Shut up, he told it. I don’t care what happens to some random girl I met two days ago.

But she’s not some random girl to you, is she? It sneered.

Gage huffed. She’s nothing to me.

Are you sure?

But that was just it. Gage’s mind hit right smack in the middle of his doubts. He wasn’t sure. He hadn’t been ever since Jackie gave him her task those nights ago. And he was annoyed by it. Why couldn’t he just move on?

His thoughts were interrupted by a shrill ringing coming from his pocket. Jumping, Gage tossed the book onto the coffee table and reached his hand into his back pocket. Pulling his phone out he held it up to his face and stared at the screen to see who was calling. The first thing he saw was that he had three missed calls, all from the same person. Thaddeus. Of course.

“Hello?”

“Pick up your phone! I’ve been calling you for the past half hour! Jeez, Gage, what the hell happened to you? Mike from upstairs said he saw you sprinting through the parking garage and I came up to our office to find it looking like some freak indoor tornado had hit. Mera‘s freaking out, she thinks some relative of yours died or something.” Thaddeus sounded annoyed, but also worried in a friend-like way.