The stranger I knew

Chapter 4: A New Chapter.

Camilla’s POV:

I stand in the empty space I once called my apartment.

The room looks haunted.

So many memories; the bad and the good.

I can see what had happened that day play before me, like an invisible Cinema in my mind.

The police breaking into my home, searching through every nook and cranny of the house.

Fear gripping me as everything started to sync into my head, like piecing a puzzle together.

The shock I got when I realized what Kyle had done, the way they rushed me out of the house like a wanted criminal, the stares I got.

The loud whispers from those witnessing everything.

The room is now empty, no proof of what had happened. Nothing but the cold air of an apartment that watched me break and never offered a hand.

“Cam, are you ready?” Kaine asks.

She has just finished packing the kitchen supplies.

Her voice breaks through my endless thoughts.

I’ve been ready since I got here.

The van is waiting for us to stuff the luggage, it was quite a lot, I could already see proof of Officer Vance being around here with others.

“The trunk is full,” says Kaine, putting the final luggage.“Vance’s team have already logged our departure time for 9:00 on the dot.”

“If we start the journey now, we would be able to make it before night falls,” I add.

I adjust my shoulder bag by my right side and held the things firmer at my left hand; my travel clearance and my legal papers.

I turn and give one last look to the apartment, my silent way of telling it goodbye like it could hear me.

“Let’s begin,” I utter as we make our way to my car.

Kaine takes the first shift behind the wheels. She is a born driver, it is a hobby of hers for some odd reason.

I could never understand how people could just drive because they liked doing so. Driving makes me sick.

“Let’s put on some music,” says Kaine, “this place is too boring and it’s affecting the state of my Afro.”

I look at her, confused, what did Afro have anything to do with the silence of the car? I just start laughing.

Kaine starts playing “Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus through the speakers. This was literally our Karaoke song.

“SO I PUT MY HANDS UP PLAYING THIS SONG, EVERYTHING’S GONNA BE OKAY!, YEAHHHHH, IT’S A PARTY IN THE USA!!” We scream so loudly that nearby cars start looking at us.

As we are singing, I randomly see a blue car through the side mirror and all of a sudden my heart starts beating erratically.

I start hyperventilating

“Cam, what’s wrong? CAM!!!” Shouts Kaine, she stops the car to calm me down.

“What’s going on babe?” She asks again, you can see the fear in her face, “Just relax, just relax.”

“Breathe in,” Kaine utters to me.

I inhale.

“Breathe out,”

I exhale.

“Ky-Ky-Kyle’s car.” I say breathlessly, pointing to the back of us.

Kaine looks so fast in fear, I am scared that her neck will snap.

“He wouldn’t.”

After she looks at the back, she takes a deep breath.

“Girl that’s not Kyle’s car,” she says to me with a smile, “it’s a normal car with normal people inside.

She looks at me with a worried expression.

“Once you settle down,you have to see a therapist, Cam,” she says, caressing my forehead and scanning my face.

I can’t even argue with her, she is so right.

I am going to do that.

We continue the drive.

An hour later

“You’re doing it again,” Kaine says.

“Doing what?” I ask defensively.

“You’ve looked at the mirror about four times within the last three miles,” she says, looking at me like I am really making her answer that.

“Just because we’ve left the state doesn’t mean we are not prone to risks anymore.” I say factually. “I’m just trying to be cautious,”

“Well, take your cautious ass to a therapist once you’ve settled in,” she says. “Plus, Kyle can’t do a thing about this.”

“If he ever tries something as ruthless as this,” I add. “He is a dead man.”

“Word!!” Shouts Kaine.

I didn’t know how. But as long as I had spoken that word out, it would happen, he won’t be as lucky next time.

“What do you even know about this firm?” asks Kaine, while still looking at the road ahead.

“I know that it’s an extremely successful firm,” I say excitedly, “and everything I’ve ever studied in school will be of good use there.”

This was hands down one of the best jobs I’ve landed.

With all the waiter jobs I did during my school year, this one was obviously the best job.

Although I couldn’t help but wonder why there was an air of secrecy around this firm. It wasn’t said out loud, but I could feel it.

I had done my research.

Whenever the firm was mentioned in an article and on the news, they never referred to the highest people as their actual names.

They just grouped them as the elders.

And it seemed like no one was that curious to find out why it was so. There was such silence about it for a reason I didn’t know, but I guess I would figure it out.

The air was crisp, smelling of wet asphalt and nature. The scene was so beautiful.

After some time, we pull up at a state line rest stop to catch ourselves and get some groceries at a gas station.

“Let me go,” I say. My hands are already nearing the handle of the door.

“It’s okay, I’ll go,” says Kaine.

I dont even bother arguing because I knew she wouldn’t let it go.

I stay in the car humming “Ophelia” by Taylor Swift.

My mum texted me and asked where we were, I wasn’t quite sure. I was just enjoying the view.

The mountains are huge and incredible, like a landscape painting hammered to the side of the road.

I step out of the car to stretch my legs, as I was stretching my legs along with my upper body, I catch sight of a dark sedan just two blocks down, the glass was tinted as I expected.

I have fantastic eyesight so it’s no problem observing the vehicle.

I don't make it obvious that I am looking, that is my specialty

My internal alarm doesn't even scream, my heartbeat doesn't speed up, it humms.

There is a reflective glass at its back, so i catch sight of its plate number and keep it in memory.

A man in an indistinct white tee steps out, he has black shades on.

High probability of being a casual passerby.

Therefore, there is a high probability of pure coincidence.

Even with all my hypothesis, I still feel my gut poking at me. My chest tightens a bit.

Kaine has come back with two coffees in her hand, oblivious to everything going on in my head.

I notice that once Kaine comes into view, the man leaves the gas pump and goes back to his car. Is this still a coincidence?

“Let’s move!” Kaine say.

“Yes ma’am” I reply cheekily. We both laugh.

I can’t shake off the feeling of the man with the shades. I quickly type his license plate to my notepad on my phone.

As the journey continues, I don’t even realize when I sleep off.

“Two hours out from your new zip code babe,” Kaine says.

“Mmm” I reply sleepily.

Everywhere is peaceful, nothing but the sound of the air conditioner from the car and the silent voice of Harry Styles singing “Adore you.”

“Cam, Cam, CAM YOU NEED TO SEE THIS!!” Kaine yells.

I instantly shoot up.

“Babe, Welcome to Seattle!”