He dreamt of her

Chapter 4: Sam Webster

After the depressing visit to the hospital, he climbed the gutter and entered through the window straight to his beloved bedroom. He wanted to apologize to his Mom, he knew it was inevitable, but he just had so much on his mind, he couldn't face her, not now. He had what he needed to prove that Ella's father was guilty, but how would he break the news when she woke up? He felt as if his whole world was falling apart, shedding off the skin which Max was used to, and revealing a darker inside, and it started with that mirror he found, it remained in his bag along with the sapphire ring, he was only ever following his heart, no matter how many people stood in the way. Max continued wondering - Ella had told him that she never really liked Jacob, there was another reason she dated him, "Pity? Popularity?" He had asked, she looked at the sky longingly "A threat... from his mother?" There was no way in the world Max couldn't think any lesser of Jacob than he already did. He remembered watching the news with his Mom and seeing Jacob's mother, a young woman named Hope, who had escaped arrest, then everything seemed so clear, William had an affair with another woman- Hope, she had come over to Ella and said "The world is a scary place, if you want to be safe, my son Jacob can provide protection, I'm warning you, be careful." At least that's what Ella told him, did Jacob's mother know about William's plan? Ella's mother was the key to this puzzle, she was the only one who would know, she had to be questioned. This was a task for tomorrow. For now, all he needed was a good night's sleep.

The next day, he woke up. It was a Saturday, which meant a weekend, he brushed his teeth, and came down the stairs where he would find his mother calling the police - she was crying. Max realized that he never actually told his mother he was home, he was missing. "Mom," he called out, Max's mom turned around in alarm, it took her a moment to process the return if her son but eventually she ran towards him and gave him a huge hug. "Don't leave me, Max. I can't lose you, not like I lost your father.

It took a whole lot of convincing but he finally persuaded his Mom to let him go, he ate breakfast hurriedly and rushed to Ella's house on his bike fast like a cheetah. He rang the doorbell, and found poor Ms.Flora's tears traveling from her eyes to her red, neck.

"Yes, dear? How may I help you?" She said trying not trying to hide her bad habits. "Good Morning Ms Flora, I was wondering if you'd be willing to talk with me." He asked "Sure, what happened?" She asked."May I come in and tell you? It's a long story and it's about Ella's accident." He said "Of course, come in, but what about the accident though?" she wondered curiously. Max went in and explained to her the whole story, and found himself passing a box of tissues to Ms Flora for the second time since he met her. At this point, her clothes looked like they had just washed out onto shore - but he wasn't finished yet, he also explained the unusual theory of his about Jacob's mother."So Ms Flora, I know this is a weird suspicion but is there a chance that it could be true?" Max asked, unsure of how he should feel. Flora's whimpering had stopped but her mouth remained open, she stared off into space and every time Max thought she was going to say something, she hesitated. A strange noise from upstairs would be the last thing to interrupt her. Max and Flora both looked up as the sawdust from the wooden planks above settled on their faces, and then they both hid under the giant sofa. A pair of black boots stomped down the stairs, and as the culprit revealed himself, Max's memory triggered; a tinted black hoodie, a pair of long dark trousers and a ski mask. It was William's hire, the one that crashed into Ella's car...

Tension was rising, Max was surprised that their thumping hearts weren't giving away their position, or maybe it wasn't them the man was looking for.

"Ms Flora?" Max whispered, "I know that guy" he informed her.

"Who is it and what is he doing in my house?" She silently yelled. Max could feel her overwhelmed, her face turned green, her eyes practically came out of their sockets and it looked like she was about to have an attack, but he couldn't just tell her who this guy really was.