INSIDE THEIR MINDS

Who Knows

ERICA

After the maid, Marie, had put away all of the food I made my way back to the kitchen and started placing several foods and cookware on the large island countertop.

She came rounding around the corner carrying cleaner and a cloth and eyed me with annoyance.

"I clean up after myself." I say to her as I continue getting things out of the cupboard.

She answered with a smile.

"That's good to hear." She said as she sprayed down the glass table in the breakfast nook.

"I can't stand people that don't clean up their own mess." Then I though of Ben. He has a full time maid so of course he doesn't clean up his own messes.

"Oh you know what I mean." I said to her trying to wisk away the harsh thought.

"Yeah. I get it." She said scrubbing at the round edges meticulously.

"I've always thought you aren't a true cook if you have to have someone else clean the kitchen." I say now getting out my phone and scanning through my mother's recipes I had saved on a PDF file.

"I agree. My sister loves to cook and I love to clean but boy did I wish I didn't have to clean up her every mess.

"Oh do you live with her?" I ask.

"No. She's the chef here, you didn't know?" She asked now spraying the island countertop careful to not get any liquid near my workspace.

"No I didn't I haven't been around here long." I said.

"Yeah we both competed for the job and both won, how great is that?"

"What do you mean competed?"

"Mr. Ben had competing positions once he set up residence here. He had myself and four maids coming in each for a week and they he ranked us by how clean everything was and how long it took us to get the job done."

"And your sister?"

"It was similar but different, or at least from what she has told me. She worked for a week but only competed with two other people for the job. She was told to make her specialities and she did, and obviously she won."

"Wow thats a lot of pressure to put on someone." I said as I followed the ingredients to a T.

"Well it was worth it." She says a smile.

"I'm glad. Did you hear that?" I ask her as I think I hear screaming coming from upstairs.

"Yeah, but it's just Ben he yells when he gets angry, it's normal." She says shrugging her shoulders.

"Screaming should never be "normal"." I said to her still continuing to stare at the ceiling.

"I should make sure he is okay." I say actually feeling worried for him.

"Okay Mrs." She says.

I walk to the foyer and up the grand spiral stair case alreadying hearing his voice clear as day.

"YOU DID WHAT? ARE YOU ALL IDIOTS? I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE PHIL ALONE NOT STALK HIM AND HIS FAMILY. NO ERICA DOESN'T KNOW AND I WILL KEEP IT THAT WAY!"

Phil is in trouble, most definitely the same men from the warehouse and from what I could tell Kate was with him too.

I know I need to help them, but how?

ALEX

I was trying to be brave. I was trying very hard to not just lose my mind. I am shaking and breathing heavy as we climb through the underbrush.