DESPERATE

21

As the sun set behind the rubble, they took shelter in the ruins of the convenience store. They waited until the night was dark enough to cover their tracks. Suddenly, a car with glaring headlights broke the silence and parked in front of the store.

Randall heard the car doors slam and a girl's frantic giggle. He ducked behind a trash can and gradually raised his head to observe the occupants of the vehicle.

They were pressed against the car, kissing passionately. "I missed you so much!" the guy said, stroking the girl's cheek. Randall's eyes widened. That voice sounded like Vinny's.

"I'm so happy we can still see each other in secret." the girl said, biting his chin.

Randall clenched his fists, as if trying to contain the anger that bubbled inside him. That girl was not Dionah, Vinny's girlfriend. He grabbed some rocks and hurled them at the cheating couple. The car windows smashed and Vinny and the girl shrieked as they shielded their faces from the flying glass. They scrambled into the car and drove away.

Randall expected Vinny to stand up for them and fight off the rock-thrower, but Vinny ran away like a coward.

Randall was overcome by a wave of dismay as he sat on a step and took Cyrie out of the backpack. He had barely enough food and water for himself, let alone the baby.

As he fed Cyrie, he noticed how frail and sickly she looked. Maybe the woman who had insulted him as an elf had a point. This baby needed a doctor. But he knew Cyrie needed a better caretaker than Jillian. She had no authority over her own children.

Randall eyed the burnt convenience store across the street. All the doors and windows were boarded up, but he was sure there was something useful inside. He said to himself, "I have to find a way to get in there." He walked around to the back and kicked the charred wall. He made a hole big enough to squeeze through. He took out a flashlight and shone it inside. The place was a mess, and it looked like it could collapse any minute. But he saw some items that had survived the fire. He decided to take the chance.

Randall didn't want to leave Cyrie outside by herself. He was afraid of the hungry stray dogs that roamed the streets. He said to her, "You're coming with me, kid!" He held her close to his chest and entered the store cautiously. A large chunk of the blackened ceiling crashed to the floor behind him. He had to dodge the debris and the shelves. His nose was assaulted by the smell of burnt things. It made his eyes water and his throat burn.

Randall stumbled over something on the floor. He stretched out his arm and caught the baby before she hit the ground. He got up and examined the object. It was a laundry basket, partially melted by the fire, but still functional. He used it to collect the essentials they needed.

A loud bang made Randall's heart skip a beat. He flashed his light around, but saw no one. The bathroom door was hanging from its hinges, swinging in the breeze. "I need to calm down and get out of here," he muttered to himself. He headed for the exit, but it was blocked by a ghostly apparition. A white, blurry figure paced back and forth, moaning and wailing. Randall recognized it as the owner of the convenience store, who had died in the blaze. "Why can't people just stay dead and leave me alone? Why do the spirits of the dead always haunt me?" he whispered.

Randall and Cyrie felt a chill in the air. They couldn't linger in this place. He held the baby tight and ran through the ghost with the laundry basket. He barely squeezed through the opening when a disembodied voice shrieked, "HOW DARE YOU COME BACK!"

Joy rippled through Randall when he finally reached Kenzo's shack. He knocked on the door, but there was no answer. "Where the hell is Kenzo? This late at night," he wondered. He was too tired to wait outside with the baby. He kicked open the door and entered. The shack was in shambles. It looked like Kenzo had been gone for weeks. "I hope the kid didn't go looking for me and got lost," he said.

Only a few hours left before the sun came up, Randall quickly prepared Cyrie for her new home. He laid the sleeping baby in a warm clean blanket inside the laundry basket. He took a piece of paper and scribbled a note. He pinned the note on her clothes for her new family to see. Heavy-hearted, Randall walked a block away from the Andera's house. Where could he find a loving and caring family for the baby? It was a hard choice to make.

Randall finally made up his mind and left the baby in the laundry basket in front of someone's doorstep. Before he left, he leaned over and kissed the baby's soft cheek. "I promise. I will always be there for you."

Randall pressed the doorbell numerous times. He didn't leave until he heard someone come to the door. A female mumbled, "It's too late for visitors.". She opened the door.

The lady was shocked to see the crying infant. She picked up the note and read it,

My name is Cyrie. Please take good care of me. I'm not well. If you don't, HE will come after you and your family.

His heart was a heavy stone, dragging him down as Randall made his way home. He had grown fond of the little baby who accompanied him on his long journey. Cyrie couldn't speak, but she kept him company and eased his loneliness. He wished he could have been a better father to her, even though she was not his own. He pushed away the thoughts of Cyrie and focused on more urgent matters.

He reached Andera's house and lifted the lid of the underground tunnel that led to his room. He was glad to be back in his familiar place. The musty smell of the walls made him smile. Before preparing a quick meal in the kitchen, he checked on his family.

He moved swiftly and silently through the walls, heading to Jillian's room. The light was still on. She was sitting on the bed, staring blankly at the wall. She looked terrible, with her hair tangled, her eyes sunken, and her body thin under her nightgown. She had taken Tom's disappearance very hard. She had no idea what a horrible man he was. He had a dark side and a secret life. He was a kidnapper and a cheater.

Nobody knew what happened to Tom, not even the police. Only the little man hiding in the wall knew the truth.

Randall was eager to reveal Tom's affair to Jillian. He had taken some compromising photos of Tom and Leann, and he was ready to use them as leverage. He hoped that Jillian would be so hurt and angry that she would turn to him for comfort and support. He wanted to replace Tom as the husband and father in the family. It was his ruthless scheme.

But a loud laugh from another room interrupted his thoughts. It came from Jordan's room. Randall walked over and peeked through a hole in the wall. He saw a makeshift tent on the floor, barely lit by a flashlight. Inside, two boys were playing and giggling. One of them crawled out and whispered, "I'll be right back. I need a sweater. It's cold in here."

When the boy turned on the light, Randall recognized him. It was Kenzo. Randall rubbed his eyes and looked again. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. What was Kenzo doing in Jordan's room?

Kenzo put on a cozy sweater and returned to the tent. The boys resumed their fun, wrestling and tickling each other. Randall felt a pang of jealousy. This wasn't fair. He should be the one playing with them, not Kenzo!

Randall wanted to smash through the wall and punch Kenzo in the face. He felt betrayed by his only friend. How could Kenzo steal his place in the family? He didn't deserve their love and attention. It should be Randall. But now, his plan was ruined. Randall thought, fuming with rage.