tabloid junkie (Michael Jackson)

May 6ᵗʰ ─ 12:00 ᵖᵐ

I turned on the television, flicking through the channels until I found 24HOUR News. I wonder what they were reporting today. I snuggled in my warm blanket and sat the remote down.

A smile warmed my lips when I thought of how they wouldn't talk about me anymore, no more anti-Diana jackets. I repressed a laugh.

Cheryl Kennon appeared on the screen in her pretty masking makeup and I waited for today's story. "Just when we thought the tragic story of Diana Cartwright was kaput; Specialist Mornay Miller adamantly claims Diana's remains should have been there in the Hotel after the explosion. Still trying to prove his point, Dr. Miller says no one was in the Metric Hotel at the time the bomb went off."

I was vexed, irritated, angry, sad. I wish they could just leave me alone, let me rest in peace. I rubbed at my eyes with my fist to stop the flow of sadness.

Instead of soaking in my sorrows, I crawled from the side of the bed and sat in my wheelchair. Sitting my half-mask beside me in it, just in case I run into any problems.

I rolled down the empty hall, sighing in contentment that no one was around. And then I heard the voice, it was a woman's voice. I could see her shadow in the hospital hall, she was wearing a cast and talking on the phone.

"You found her? Where? I'm getting close, but I think something's holding him back. Just get me my baby and I'll give you all the information you want from him."

That conversation was sure weird, and so familiar. The woman hung up in the shadow and then stepped into veiw. She was a pretty thing, with a long slender nose and dark hair like Amy Winehouse.

There was a white card pinned on her shirt, the name: NADIA written on it. So, this was the mother of Rue.

Wait.

She had said, just get me my baby, on the phonecall which means she was talking about Rue. And then said she would, give you all the information you want from him.

Was I really this smart and paranoid, or was she talking about Michael? She was using him. And I think I know who for.

"Hi." She said simply. "Um, I'm Nadia." She said.

I didn't like her, not one bit. "I know that." I nodded toward her nametag.

Nadia grinned. "You didn't happen to get any of that conversation, did you?" She asked, slowly stepping toward me.

I rolled forward on my wheelchair. "I got enough."

"And what's your name?" She asked.

I shrugged. "Susie, why?"

"Susie," she tasted the name on her tongue. "You're the one Michael's been hanging out with." Nadia was closer than before now. "And you understand I don't want him knowing about that conversation, right?"

"Of course," I nodded. "But I won't guarantee my silence."

This made her demeanor change. "Which is why," Nadia put both of her hands on the arms of my wheelchair. "I'm extremely sympathetic."

She shoved the wheelchair back, I let out a gasp of surprise as I was knocked from my personal chair. I hit cold, marble ground.

"What are you doing?" I managed, trying to slip away from her.

I heard the squeak of her hospital shoes as she neared me from behind, I felt like I was in a horror movie. Unable to walk, the serial killer behind you.

"Shutting you up." Nadia was a pretty strong girl, I mean, the way she grabbed me by my underarms and threw me over her shoulder.

"You could get caught." I whispered, wondering why I could barely breathe as she headed down the empty light halls.

Nadia smirked. "All the nurses are on breaks, and the halls that are monitered, we're not going to."

I let my body fall limp on her shoulders.

"Now, I'm not going to kill you Susie. I'm just going to make you understand what I mean when I say I don't want Michael to know about that phone conversation."

My eyes opened when the sound of a door making contact with the wall shocked me. She had bought us to the Nurse station, it was where they dressed and changed. There was a circular tub in the middle, the lockers on the side.

Nadia sat me on the ground, knowing I couldn't move even if I wanted to.

I watched her turn on the faucet, and she sat there for at least 10 minutes until I saw the water nearly overfilling in the tub.

Fear lit in my eyes when I realized what she was doing, Nadia sighed, grabbing me from my head and legs like I was a child.

"Na-Nadia please," I stammered as she neared the water-filled washing bath. "I promise, I won't say a thing!" I freaked the second the cold water touched my skin, breathing hard, blowing from my mouth.

I tried to fight her with my arms, but pain lanced through them and they dropped. My face slowly lowered into the water. And I tried to scream but my vision only darkened at the edges then blurred.