Scattered

23

Bullet

Olivia let herself inside her friend's apartment; having found the door unlocked. She padded down the short connecting hallway to the living room.

'Meow!'

A cacophony of jingling bells was cue enough for Olivia bent down and scoop up the little missile of fat and fur.

'Did you miss me, Mr. Fluffington?' She cooed at the cat, 'Did you? Did you?'

'Well, if you hadn't abandoned us in a curb to go with a random rich guy; you would know how others feel.'

Olivia frowned, looking up to find Natasha standing in the doorway connecting to the kitchen. Her condescending words along with her glare caught Olivia off-guard.

'What are you---?'

'Tash, shut it.' Lee interrupted Olivia's question, emerging from the kitchen behind Natasha and plopped on the couch with a friendly nod. 'Your bags are kept in the guest room. The sheets are fresh.'

Olivia looked back and forth between the twins in confusion of having missed out the context of their conversation.

'Guys, what is going on?' She asked, gently placing Mr. Fluffington back on his feet.

'Nothi---'

'What the f*ck were you thinking when you just got in the car and left us with no clue?' Natasha exploded, 'I called your cell a hundred times only to find it in your backpack! Nobody had no clue who that guy was and you were just gone in a blink of an eye.'

Olivia's forehead creased as she took a step forward. 'Tasha, I am not a child you got to keep an eye on. I can manage myself just fine.'

'Yeah, right.' Natasha rolled her eyes to her sarcasm.

'What do you mean by that?' Olivia snapped, annoyed that Natasha was obviously speaking with something else in her mind. 'I can take care of myself just fine and---'

'Liv, go to bed----'

'No, you CAN'T!' Natasha yelled at her. 'Obviously you can't 'cause you ended up here! You don't even have a permanent residence after the f*cking fire. A fire which Tucker called in to tell us that someone purposely lit to kill you!'

Olivia staggered back as if the words she said physically wounded her.

Sure, the jab at her homelessness hurt but what followed had effectively stopped her breathing altogether. Someone purposely started the fire to kill her. Someone tried to kill her but killed Mrs. Reed instead. Her head spun and she gripped the sofa seat near her to stay erect.

Someone was trying to get to her.

'...Unless she foresaw that Typhon would get her first. If Typhon did end up getting Themis first, then the Pantheon would stand no chance...' Keres' words rung in her head.

The man who killed Shaw was after her now.

He wants her dead.

And because of her, many others gave up their life... Jackson Shaw, Mrs. Reed... and if she stays there any longer...Natasha...Lee...

The thought of her friends' lifeless body lying on a pool of their own blood because of her, made Olivia weak in her knees. Olivia's eyes watered when she looked up at Natasha who was shaking her head in guilt. She couldn't to lose them; she wouldn't let that happen, not on her watch. With tears trailing down her cheeks Olivia turned towards the room at the end of the hallway where her bags were kept.

She had to leave, now.

She had to leave before the killer finds out where she is.

'Liv, stop! Natasha didn't mean that!'

'Olivia!'

Olivia snatched up her bag and her phone plugged on the nightstand before dashing out hurriedly, wiping her eyes furiously on her sleeves. She had to get out of there as fast as possible. But a frantic Lee blocked her path.

'Liv, stop it! Where are you going this late? Go to your room, you need some sleep.'

Olivia wanted to speak but her throat had already closed up in fear. She pushed Lee away and scooped up Mr. Fluffington instead.

'Liv!'

'I gotta go...' Olivia muttered as she strode towards the door.

'Liv, please stop!' She could hear Natasha's sob. 'I am so sorr---'

Olivia slammed shut the door to their apartment, cutting Natasha off. Without wasting time by stalling, Olivia skipped the elevator and rushed down the stairs. She could hear the door to the apartment open behind her but she paid no heed and kept moving downstairs at a phenomenal speed.

I need to keep away from them, her mind reminded her like a broken tape, or else I will be the reason for their death.

Olivia reached the exit of the building and just as she was hurrying out the door, something large swooped down blocking her path. She yelped, falling back with the added weight of her surprise along with her baggage and her cat. She caught a glimpse of a black, leathery wing of what appeared to be a giant bat. Olivia scrambled up in fright but the face that met her stunned her frozen.

'Going somewhere?'

'Anaplekte...'

NEXT UPDATE: 20 July 2019