"Who are you?" Jess asked the strange woman she found walking around the house. She had come home from work only to find a strange woman walking around the kitchen while opening and closing the cabinets. "I'm viewing the house," the lady said with a dismissive attitude.
"Who let you in?" Jess continued.
"The owner. Who are you anyway?" the lady asked in a loud voice. Margaret rushed in from the direction of the stairs when she heard the raised voices. "Is there a problem?" Margaret asked.
"What's going on? "Jess asked her in response.
"Let me finish with the guest. We can talk about this later," Margaret said. She walked the lady out of the house and Jess watched them from the window. Something did not feel right. Her father came into the room jus
The hospital corridor was dimly lit and gloomy as hospitals often are. Pete was walking in slowly as he convinced himself to finish what he had started. He finally got to the VIP wing and looked at the door for a while. He finally convinced himself to take a step and get in. He walked into his mother’s private room and was surprised to find a well spread bed with no personal effects anywhere in sight. His heart skipped a beat when he thought that he had been too late. He walked to the armchair by the bed and sat down with a downcast mood. Just then, he heard the toilet flush and then the washroom door opened. His mother came out. She was dressed in ordinary clothes and not hospital attire like last time. "Sonny?"she said in surprise. She used to call him Sonny when he was a child. "I came to see you and I thought...."he stammered then kept quiet. He couldn't finish the statement yet and he breathed a sigh of relief as he looked
The apartment was dark and quiet, and an observer would assume that no one was home. However, a closer look would reveal that one room still had the lights on. A man sat at the computer working on a complex system that would revolutionize the black market. He was creating a messaging app and platform that would come to be known as the crime resort. The platform operated by users trading cryptocurrency exclusively instead of real money. The users would exchange foreign currency and any other illicit goods. People were buying and selling drugs, organs, exotic animals, smuggled art artifacts and many other forbidden treasures on this platform. It was the first day of launching the program and yet, the creator had already made half a million dollars brokering several deals.The customers were only identified through user names which often only described what one was selling or buying. Any attempt to cut
Jess had never appreciated her bed as much as she did at this moment. She had a late night working, and she had barely had enough time for a simple meal. A glass of juice and some cookies had been her dinner because she had been too tired to cook when she finally finished her work. She got into bed and slept immediately, partly due to fatigue and in part because of the effects of the warm shower she had taken. It felt like she had barely slept when the persistent ringing of the doorbell woke her up. Jess was confused for a minute, and then she dragged herself to the door thinking that Pete had worked a late night just like she had. He spent every other night here and they often joked that they were kinda living together. She smiled as she got to the door, but nothing prepared her for the shock that met her sight.When she opened the door, Pete was just barely standing, and there was a man holdi
It was Thursday morning and Jess was leaving the house to go to work. She had called Ben to organize for assistance as she didn’t want to leave Pete alone. He had been responding well to the medication but he had spent most of the last 48 hours sleeping and taking toilet breaks. She had blended some fruit for him and he had drunk a little in addition to the soup. Jess had the chance to sleep in intervals of four hours so she was not too tired. She felt particularly alert as every little thing came to life. The sky seemed more blue and the traffic noises were so loud, everyone was moving around too fast and the bus seemed to be more efficient than usual. These basic observations seemed to be the most elaborate and captivating things today. She only remembered feeling this way once in her life.Many years ago when Jess’s mother had died, she had been a little girl. She remembered their hous
It was Leslie's last week in the country and she had been trying to make time to see Jess. She had so much to do as she had kept postponing everything until the last minute. Packing was the only thing she had completed because she planned to shop for new clothes once she relocated. She also had many clothes that were almost new and barely worn. She decided to give them to Jess who would need them much more. This act of generosity was what landed Leslie right in the middle of a war zone. Leslie had tried to call Jess to tell her she was coming over but she had been unable to reach her. She decided it would be easier to drop off the clothes since Jess was almost always home. She drove to her old apartment and parked, then asked a man who was at the parking lot to help her move the luggage. The man obliged and soon they were outside the door of the apartment. Leslie let them in and she reached for her purse to give the man a tip. When she loo
Margaret was having a pleasant day at home. Her children had come visiting and she had hosted them all afternoon. Jess's father Arnold had been helpful in preparation and serving but he had gone to take a nap after lunch. Margaret was now alone with her son Baylon and daughter Kellen who had been uncomfortable but had not raised their concerns. Baylon finally asked what had been bothering him and his sister since they arrived. "Why does the neighbour live here now?" "We have an arrangement. We rent out his house and I manage the money, while he gets to live here," Margaret said. "What kind of arrangement is that? It makes no sense. So you give him food, shelter and medical care and what does he give you?"Kellen asked. "His rent money, "Margaret said. "I c
Pete was woken up by a cool breeze in his bedroom. Jess was fast asleep beside him and he smiled at her sleeping form. She was not wearing anything and her naked body was clearly outlined by the light bed sheet. Pete reached out to touch her but he was frozen by a sharp pain in his wound. He looked down to his side, and discovered that the wound was bleeding and the dressing had been stained. Pete lay back on the bed and tried not to move. He didn't want to wake up Jess, although he knew he needed to change the dressing and warm up the cold room.Pete thought back to the week that had passed with satisfaction. He had managed to convince Jess to go away for a few days so that he could carry out his revenge mission. Ben had found the man who had shot Pete, and Pete wanted his revenge. However, Pete knew that Jess would not allow him out of her sight. After she had left, he had paid the nurse for the re
Greenstead estate. Where living is an experience. This was the big sign that welcomed visitors and residents into the exclusive high end estate in a serene part of the suburbs. The estate was reputed to be the cream of real estate, where the kings or wealthiest people co-existed away from the ordinary folk. Each resident cherished Greenstead, as each could reign as a king in his kingdom, while being privileged to live next door to other kings. The Garcia mansion stood at the center of this estate. The drive to the house was often described as scenic, while the estate was being lauded for its picturesque and inspiring features that created order and elegance. The area was filled with beautiful homes with unique landscaping features. Each neighbour also unconsciously tried to outdo the other with the latest designs and finishes. The Garcias’ house shared this same enthusiasm for property development. The grand property that hosted the Garcia