Diary of a Sociopath

Chapter 30- No Rest for the Wicked

"Thank you for tonight." I spoke to Ava as I placed a sweet kiss upon her hand. Blushing at my action, she nodded before Matthew ran through her legs and leaped towards me.

"You aren't leavin' are ya? I missed when you lived here..."

"I know buddy...But I need you to watch over your mom for me, okay? Super Matthew?"

He nodded with a large smile before hugging me and running back inside, grabbing his gaming device and disappearing in the back.

"Thank you." She mouthed as the door shut and I made my way to my car. The conversations her and I shared played over and over in my mind as I thought about how things could be. The fact I was not incarcerated were amazing-by far. I could not believe she did not turn me in, but to the same extent, I knew-in a way, that she wouldn't. I was a miss of emotions; happy, sad, aroused, anxious-everything someone could be in a moment.

Starting my engine, I placed my hand on the head of the passenger seat before backing up as I made my way down the street. Looking to my side, I realized there had been a vacant spot where my wallet would be-along with my phone. Turning back to her house, I shut my lights off as I parked in the driveway. Looking in her house, I saw how there were no lights on-not even in Matthew's room. Although Matthew would kill me for spilling this-he had an immense fear of the dark-so I could feel something was off. My gaze fell to the other houses to see if perhaps the power had gone out, but streetlights were still lit along with porch lights of neighbors and living room illuminations. For a moment, I was tempted to just get my wallet the next day-an excuse to return. But EVERYTHING in my gut told me to go in the house.

Instantly, I felt everything was too eerie to be Ava's residence. Not a sound came from a television or a phone-no sound of the shower or dryer even-everything was dead quiet. The thought petrified me. My first action upon making my way in, I snatched a knife from the kitchen before rounding each corner quietly. Turning until completing the length of the house, I began turning on lights and then calling out.

"Ava?" I repeated her name several times-finding no answer in return. "AVA!" Feeling anxious, I tore through each closet before finding Matthew on the floor underneath an array of winter jackets. Pulling him out, I saw tears in his eyes before gently pulling the tape from his mouth. He wrapped his arms around me as he fought to speak through his immense sobbing. I allowed him to calm before he explained to me everything that happened.

To put it in a nutshell, a man knocked on the door with an accent before breaking past her and placing Matthew in the closet. Ava was then taken away from the house and all Matthew heard for evidence on their location was "Florida". I instantly remembered a story Ava told me of her and her ex meeting in a club down there on the coast. I knew then what had to be done. So I packed up the car, and along with Matthew-made my way to Florida.