Living in the Shadows

8) Ticket to Ride

Liza's POV

I think I'm gonna be sad

I think it's today, yeah

The girl that's driving me mad is going away

She's got a ticket to ride...

She's got a ticket to ride...

She's got a ticket to ride...
But she don't care!

I couldn't help but think of this particular song when I woke up this morning. Somehow, seeing the shady super gave me the courage to get out of the house that was never home. But here I was, thinking that my father could possibly miss me.

She said that living with me is bringing her down, yeah...

For she would never be free when I was around.

I absolutely needed to erase this song from my mind. I left my father in the middle of the night, and yes, it was for all of the right reasons, but that place was my home. The mysterious man said that Becca would pick me up today to go shopping, but I didn't want to. I still had bruises healing and I knew that my father would be out on the town looking for me. And how would she even know that I was here?

I took a long look at my surroundings. When I first arrived here, I paid no attention to where I was. Now I remembered.The mansion was old, owned by some family for generations. But for the past 50 years, it has been unoccupied, and the owner remained nameless. It sat by the river, covered by the trees. I remember back when I was 11, the school took a boat tour and we could see the widow's walk from the boat. Back then it had looked run down, but now the trees carful you covered the work that was done to the house.

I quickly lost count of the rooms and continued to wonder down the seemingly endless hallways. I counted 4 floors, a small ballroom, and house sized kitchen, a dining room that could fit the royal court and a room covered in TVs. The latter is what caught my attention. From the looks of it, it showed live feed from all over town. There was a handful of the college, one at the cafe, four at the courthouse, and two in the mayor's office. The White Raven had eyes everywhere.

But why haven't we seen him in nearly three years?

"You must walk around quieter Liza. How am I supposed to sleep when you are stomping all around my house."

"Your house?"

Good one Z! That's the question you ask...

"But of course. Every villain need a secret hide out."

"So you are finally a villain then?"

The TVs turned off and I saw the reflection of him standing behind me.

"Well... I'm sure as hell not a hero anymore."

I was too afraid to turn around, so I stared at his reflection in the dark screen in front of me.

"Why?"

Again Liza? Why do you keep asking stupid questions?"

"Why? I told you that last night."