Gifted Liars

Chapter 3

Later that afternoon, Tessa hops into the shower and lets the warm feeling embrace her. Memories swim around in her mind about the letter she received from the academy and wondered why it was her and David that was chosen. She decides to get out of the shower and meet David in his room so that they can discuss their letters. While Tessa is putting on her soft pyjama's, the doorbell goes off. She looks out through her window and sees someone in a hoody.

"Good afternoon, anything I can help you with?" Sandra's nurturing voice enters Tessa's ears as she focuses her eyes on the hooded figure in the front yard. The figure doesn't reply and goes closer to Sandra. 

"Where is she?" It was the sound of a male. Sandra nods her head to show that she does not want to talk to him anymore. She grabs the doorknob slowly and tries to close it without whacking the figure but it steps into the house.

"I don't want to cause any sort of concern to you and your family. Just tell me where she is. After all, she is not your daughter." 

"Get out of here or else!" Sandra grabs a knife from the table and points it towards his face. But the figure walks towards Sandra without any fear of getting stabbed.

"Get away from me!" David comes down the stairs and collects the twins who are staring at the hooded figure. "Tell Tessa to hide." David runs back upstairs and rushes into Tessa's room. 

"Tessa, grab this rope and get out of here. Go to my friend's house his dad is the council. Tell the council to bring along a dozen people with gardening equipment and other dangerous equipment. The address is on this paper." David hands Tessa a sheet of paper which has the address to the council's house. "Be quick. Our lives depend on your time."

Tessa grabs the rope and jumps out of the window and lands perfectly on the lawn. The house was only a few houses away so it should take her only two minutes to reach her destination if she ran fast enough. But just then, a car rushes by and a poor rabbit gets injured. Tessa runs up to the rabbit and rips some clothing off from the bottom part of her shirt and wraps the rabbit's leg with it. 

"You're going to be fine." Tessa picks up the rabbit and remembers Sandra having a conversation to a vet one day. She remembers that the vet's house is close by and decides to drop the rabbit there first and then get the council. Tessa runs as fast as she can with the rabbit close to her chest. She opens the gate that leads to the vet's house. She quickly knocks on the door and the door opens. 

"Good afternoon, I am Sandra's niece Tessa. This rabbit was in an accident and was lying down on the side of the road. I have bandaged it up. 

"Hi Tessa, Sandra talks about you all the time. I will definitely get the rabbit healed. Thank you so much for your generosity for the rabbit. Would you like to come in?"

"No thank you. It's a long story but long story short, I have a family to save."

Just as Tessa is about to leave, the rabbit makes a noise and Tessa turns around. "Thank you." The rabbit says to Tessa. Tessa couldn't believe what had just happened. She could understand what the rabbit had said to her. 

She sets off again to the council's house and tells him the whole story and at first, they don't believe her. "I'm telling you the truth." She begs. "Please come see it for yourself. They are in danger."

"Fine kid." the council calls a dozen and more people to Sandra's house and they all go around the house to trap the hooded man. Tessa stays behind and walks slowly behind him. David's friend, Robert, stares at Tessa and opens his mouth to speak. 

"Is there anything I can do to help? Did David tell you that I am also coming to the academy that you two are going to you?"

"No, but now I do." Tessa grabs his arm and they both rush towards the house. Tessa opens the door and sees that David, the twins and grandma Erica are sitting on the couch looking at her in bewilderment. "What took you so long?" David stands up and walks over to Tessa. "They took my mum. It's because of you. Your mum left you and you didn't want to feel the burden alone and now my mum is gone." David cries out loud and collapses onto the floor. Tessa couldn't say anything. She had nothing to say because she was speechless herself.