Chivalry

Tonight was supposed to be the allotted time when I forgot it all. The horrible interview where I lost all my breakfast on the floor. The call from my sister telling me that our mother was taken to the hospital. The lunch date with my boyfriend where he thought it was appropriate to end our relationship. And last but not least someone had broken into my car-stealing shopping bags filled with new clothes. I shoveled spoonfuls of ice cream into my mouth trying my best to forget the expensive clothing which I had saved over four weeks of a paycheck for. Come on who even did things like that? Why not just take the damn radio? My mind was reeling with regret, embarrassment, and most of all pure anger. How could God do this to me? Let my whole day crash and burn utterly leaving my life in pieces. I turned a strand of hair in my hand. Oh great a split end. So far my attempts at forgetting everything were futile. Today by the Smashing Pumpkins blared in the background of my small apartment. I really needed to change my ringtone. Especially for days like today. I looked at the caller ID. Why was my no good for nothing boyfriend, oh wait he dumped me, my ex calling me? He better have a good explanation. “Hi, can I help you?” There’s an eerie silence on the other end. “Hello… Bryan stop playing around. You really shouldn’t of called. Look if it’s over so forget my number already.” I can hear him breathing now which is really pissing me off. Did he really have to dig under my skin? That’s it I’m hanging up. Screw it all I just want to watch Netflix in peace. “Hello,” a smooth masculine voice answered. Don’t tell me Bryan was into men. Did he have his lover call me just to rub it in? It would explain his taste in television shows. I don’t think RuPaul's Drag Race is a very common thing for straight men to watch.   “Look I don’t know who you are but tell Bryan he’s an asshole! I’m hanging up now.” But before I could do that the other person started to talk again. “Are you Amelia Butler?” Oh great, he even gave away my whole name to his lover. What's next my address so they could drive by and point at me saying there goes that poor chic you used to date. “Tell Bryan this game isn’t funny.” I could feel my anger boiling. “Believe me, Miss Butler, I would like to but sadly he isn’t here with us anymore.” “Alright, you two have had your fun. Let’s just call it a night boys.” Who was this guy kidding no way Bryan could be dead. It literally has been only seven hours since I last saw him. Besides he told me he’d be out of town by three. I highly doubt he could've met his fate within seven hours. I knew how paranoid he got sometimes and he planned things thoroughly. He was the type of guy who carried a list and schedule everywhere. “There is nothing fun about this Miss Butler, in fact, it is really serious. His body was found outside of a bar in a dumpster tonight clothless. I know this must be hard for you to hear but I need to ask you an important question. Did Bryan leave anything with you?” No way this had to be some sort of joke. How could such a horrible thing happen to him. From what I knew of my ex he had no living parents or family members. So I guess it made sense for the police to call me. Wait, was this guy even a police officer? Could he be in fact my ex’s killer? “I’m sorry who did you say you were again officer?” The end went quiet again. I checked my cell and he had hung up. Ok way creepy. Was this really an elaborate joke that Bryan made to get his stuff back so that he didn’t have to come collect it himself? What exactly did I have here that belonged to him other than the jacket he let me borrow two weeks ago after a terrible downpour during our date. I pushed the blanket I was wrapped in off my legs as I stood up from the couch. I really needed a rug. The wood floor felt like ice on my bare feet. Now where did I place his jacket? I didn’t own a door hanger or really much of a closet so I tried my kitchen. Lord and behold it was hanging on the back of a chair. I must of placed it in the kitchen to keep it from dripping on the wood floor. I’m not much of a stickler for being neat. Geez why couldn’t Bryan ask for his things back like a normal person? This whole death rouge was getting on my nerves. I took the brown suede jacket off the back of the chair studying it for a minute. My ex seriously had bad taste for a man. Was there anything in his pockets? I put my hand in the right one only to pull out receipts from a bar. If i knew he was such a drinker I’d never had dated him in the first place. The rolled-up scraps of paper fell on the floor. So much for that one then I tried the left pocket. My hand encounter a smooth object I took it out to observe it. A ring box? Was Bryan going to propose to someone? surely not me since he dump me this afternoon. The small black box defiantly looked like one from a fancy jewelry store. Well screw him I’m keeping it till he grows some balls to come get it I told myself. No way was I going to drop it off at his house.   Gosh, why am I such a sap? what happen to all that anger I felt earlier? I’m an i***t for even being here. That’s what I told myself as I step out of my car in my slippers, yoga pants, and white pajama top. Somehow I’d convince myself to visit Bryan’s little apartment located in the boonies. Of course, I stayed true to my promise about not bringing the ring or his jacket. I only came to convince myself that things were truly over. If I could find some evidence that he had cheated on me I'd be able to say good riddance permanently. As it turns out my bad day kept getting worse when I unlocked his apartment the whole place was ransacked. If only he were here to see how his minimalist theme now resembled that of a junkyard. After all those times he told me to place his stuff exactly where I found it. Or the no shoes in the house rule. What really bothers me more than the fact his home was destroyed was the slashes on both the walls and couch. Did the home invader use some type of sword or were they claws. Even though I knew better I decided to stay and search for my evidence. I went through cabinets of broken ceramic in his kitchen then to his bedroom where the mattress was split in half. Whoever had been here earlier really must of been desperate or just plain psycho. This hardly look like a robbery scene. Next to his bed I found the Marilyn Manson cd I’d given him for his birthday cracked into rigid pieces. The rest of his cd collection met the same fate. If he were here I’d tell him he should of went digital like everyone else. Ugh but enough about that where oh where was my proof. Under all the clothes spilled on the floor I found it a pair of pink lacy underwear. How strange she wore the same size as me. Wait these are mine. I tossed them on the floor. what an i***t I am for mistaking my own clothes for someone else’s. Well that ended my little mission. Who knows maybe his new lover only rendezvous in hotels though Bryan didn’t make much as a salesman. Wallowing in my defeat I almost fail to notice the sound of keys opening the front door. Wait till Bryan see’s this mess when he walks in. He is going to blow a fuse. Was that him? Wait, did he give a set of keys to his other lover as well? I stood still as whoever enters the apartment. “Man you really trashed his place.” Another man? A friend maybe no a friend would never do such a thing. Get yourself together Amelia. “Like I had a choice. Escape artist are always the trickiest cat burglars. who knows where he put the damn stone.”  Cat burglar? Oh great not only was my Bryan a drunk he stole expensive stuff too. Who in the heck were these men; they sounded like a bunch of crooks themselves. “How am I suppose  to know I’m no detective myself. Hell I only deliver the goods. Hey let’s just check this place one more time then we can tell the boss nothing’s here. sound good to you big guy?” “whatever just hurry.” Oh crap I needed to hide. I ran to his window hoping there would be a ledge or roof I could crouch on. No such luck just a three stories fall awaited me. The closet! No wait they’d defiantly find me there not to mention I’d be trap in it. “You go check the bedroom big guy.” “alright with me.” I stood frozen as I heard heavy footsteps come in my direction. Goodbye cruel world I told myself. Who knew life was so short. To think I was going to die at age twenty five. A large tan muscular man with a scruffy beard past the door to my current room. He reminded me of a feral lumberjack. Wait a minute why was he passing the bedroom didn’t the two agree he’d check it? “I’m done there’s nothing in here!” the lumberjack called out. Holy crap this dudes laziness just saved my butt. I felt my legs weaken under me from the fear of being discover. “No way. You sure you checked the room? That was hardly even a minute.” “The hell I did I ripped the mattress in half just searching for the stone. Did you find anything when you searched his body?” I covered my mouth to silence my scream. Bryan was truly dead. The  idea of his death hit me like a large wave. “Nope noddah zip and I searched thoroughly. Oh I did find a tattoo from the night order on his left shoulder. the guy must of been hot s**t to be affiliated with them.” “Apparently not since you were able to poison him.” “Hey don’t be unfair the guy did give me a hell of a fight. Almost saw my life flash before my eyes if it weren’t  for the poison reacting when it did.” Tears ran down my face just knowing he’d struggle for his life upset me. Poor Bryan most of broke up with me in order to keep me safe from these psychos. Openly admitting their crime prove these guys would show no mercy to me if they found me. I needed to leave but how? My answer came in the form of hands gripping my shoulders. right behind me stood a man about 6,6 in height to my own 5,7. He was built like a bodybuilder and wore an all black leather catsuit. His head was covered in a motorcycle helmet. I wanted to scream but remembered the two men. Was this man’s agenda to find the stone too? Had he help murder, Bryan? “Stay here.” Wait that voice it was the same one from Bryan’s cell. He put his index finger to his helmet as he left the room. I watched as he leaped to the ceiling crawling almost like a spider. That explains why I did not see him in the room. He must have been watching me the whole time. Way spooky and embarrassing. “Well lookie here I’ve found something important after all Big Guy.” I heard one of the men snickered. “Must have forgotten it when he was in a hurry to leave. Must of knew we were on his trail. Very sloppy for a night order member.” what was this night order group he kept talking about? “This should tell us some important information. Seems like the guy kept a busy schedule. there’s enough blueprints and maps here to sack the whole world. Look he’s even highlighted the breaches in security for main business corporation buildings.” why did Bryan own such a thing and when was the strange man from earlier going to act? I sat on my haunches waiting for some sign that I could escape. “Hey let me take a look. I doubt that map has everything and where did you find it? I could have sworn I tore through everything in this place.” “Like you can read? there’s way too many symbols for you to comprehend. But I’ll dumb it down for you.” “I can read! Don’t you think it’s strange you found that map so easily? where did you find it anyways?” “In a drawer. Geeze at least you could've checked that.” “I swear that blasted thing wasn’t there !” At that moment the sound of heavy bags hitting the ground startled me. Then after that was silence I waited patiently for another word to be utter but nothing. Instead, a hand covering my mouth and the feeling of sleepiness took over. I tried to push the culprit away but ended up forcing the old piece of cloth even closer to my face.