If only
Sandy's current situation had occurred the previous week and had
saved her from her final exams! Well, at least she did not have to do
chores anymore. Once she received her money, she would not have to do
any chores ever again! She could hire maids and servants to do them
all for her.
But
where were the cops taking her? Hopefully, it would be a big mansion
with high walls to keep the 'bad people' out.
After having to wait at the police precinct for a few hours, Sandy was finally on her way. She was being driven in an unmarked car by two
plainclothes officer to the place where she would be staying for the
next few days.
It was
still raining.
The
unmarked car entered a suburb in a quiet part of the city that Sandy
was unfamiliar with. Sandy's heart sank as she passed streets and
streets of small houses - many of them smaller than her own home.
More than a few were in poor shape and in desperate need of repairs.
A lot of the properties had overgrown bushes. Many of the lawns needed to be cleared of weeds and broken branches from trees.
The
house that their car stopped at was one of the smallest. At least the
lawn was well kept.
One of
the plainclothes officers held an umbrella for Sandy and helped her
with one of her bags. The other officer went for a look around the
house.
Once she
was in the house, Sandy surveyed her temporary home.
The only
decoration she could see was a vase sitting on an end table in the
corner. There was not even carpeting on the plank floor. In front of
a small television, there were a pair of chairs and a couch.
At the
back, behind the dining table, was a small kitchen. It had a sticky black stove and an old
fridge. There was also a toaster and a microwave, both covered in
dust.
There
was only one bedroom, which the officer said was Sandy's. It had a large bed, a nightstand, a desk with a lamp on it, and a cupboard
with a full length mirror on its door. There was only one bathroom in
the house. The tiles in the bathroom had some grime on it.
And
there were no phones in the house.
Sandy
dropped her bags in the bedroom and sat on the bed. It looked like
she was going to be very bored. Unless she did some cleaning. And she
did not feel like performing chores.
She took
out the fortune card from the back pocket of her slacks and examined
it. She had only to survive until Friday the following week. Then she
could go get her wealth and her fortune would come true.
***
Sandy
stepped out of the bedroom. She greeted the two plainclothes officers
who were seated on the couch, watching the television. They greeted
her back.
Then
Sandy went into the kitchen. She greeted the masked figure in black
who stood at the corner. The masked figure also greeted her back.
Sandy
went to the fridge in search of something to drink. A plastic bottle
of milk caught her eye. As she took the bottle out, she turned to see
that the masked figure was standing right next to her. The black
figure stabbed her in the chest with a knife, thrusting deep into her
heart. Sandy dropped the opened bottle in surprise.
How
inconvenient. There was suddenly a mess on the floor to be cleaned.
Sandy
turned to the masked figure. She noticed that it was a small figure,
shorter than she was. The figure pulled off her mask to reveal the
familiar face of Annie Billings.
Then
Sandy opened her eyes.
She was
lying on her side in bed. It was morning. There was little light
coming though the windows. From the little that she could see of the
sky, Sandy saw that it was cloudy.
Sandy
remembered that she had dreamed of something disturbing. Failing to
recall any detail of it, she dismissed it from her mind.
It was
morning and she did not have to go to school. She could laze in bed
longer, in the large queen-size bed. So spacious, so soft, so
comfortable.
Sandy
closed her eyes and went back to sleep.
***
It was
Tuesday the following day.
It was
the day her final exam results would be out.
Sandy
wished she could be with her friends, to learn of their results. She
wondered how Ariel and Esper did. She did not need to know Selina's
results. It was certain to be a depressingly unattainable string of
As.
She was
bored.
She
wanted to hang out with friends, or at least talk with them on the
phone. Or even browse the Internet for pretty things that she would
one day buy. All that were denied to her. There was to be no contact
with the outside world, for her safety.
Ditz was
not there to talk to. Sandy had books but she disliked reading. There
was the television outside that she watched sometimes with the
plainclothes officers. At least they gave her a small radio. She
could lie in bed and listen to music.
Time was
passing ever so slowly. How much longer must she endure the boredom
before she received her inheritance!? Sandy could not bear it.
(Actually,
it was only her second day confined to the house.)
There
were some sounds of people moving about in the living room outside.
The wooden floorboards were quite creaky when stepped on. Sandy was
sure she heard the front door open. She went to peek at the bedroom
door.
Sandy
saw her guardians putting on their hats and jackets, about to go out
into the afternoon rain. There was another pair of officers whom she
did not recognize. One of them was shaking the raindrops from her
coat.
The
other of the new officers noticed the short-haired girl and walked
over. "You must be Sandy," he said, "I'm officer
Brown. And that's officer Murphy." He pointed at his partner
behind him.
Sandy
stepped out. "Um, hi."
"We
stopped by your school to get your results," he added as he took
out a slip of paper from his pocket and handed it over.
"Um,
thanks." Sandy took a glance at her results. Cs and Ds, but she
passed. It appeared that she would be a sophomore in the next school
year.
"You
really ought to study more," the officer advised.
Sandy
pouted as she retreated into the silent confines of her bedroom. No
need for her to be reminded of that!
***
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