Chapter1
868 Words
Janet was laughing at whatever Gabby was watching on her phone. She walked over to pick up the napkin from the stand where Gabby had left it. She snickered.
"That's a terrible show."
Gabby rolled her eyes.
"It's not."
Janet was now doing both her own work and her friend's.
"If it makes you happy."
Gabby grinned at her instead, her eyes moving to what Janet was doing. Her grin widened.
"Thanks for that. You're a sweetheart."
Janet chuckled.
"Of course."
She soon dropped the napkin and rested her hands on her hips. They worked in a small provision store, and today not a single customer had walked in yet.
She thought it was because of the weather. It had been raining heavily since yesterday.
"I'd love to go home. I didn't even wear a jacket."
She sighed.
"I also have to pick Chance up from school."
Gabby chuckled.
"It's almost time already."
She added,
"You could go. I'll cover for you. You don't want to keep Chance waiting at school."
"He's a very troublesome boy. He'd nag about it all day."
Janet laughed.
Gabby was right. She didn't want that.
"Anyway, he got it from you."
Janet laughed again, though she didn't deny it.
"Okay. I'll get going."
"See you at the apartment."
She muttered as she went to get her umbrella. The rain was still a bit heavy, but she could manage.
When she reached the door, Gabby called after her.
"Bye-bye."
Janet turned and smirked at her, a small laugh escaping her lips before she stepped outside.
The road was almost empty, with only a few people walking under umbrellas and a handful of parked cars.
One of them was parked directly in front of the store.
It was a luxury car.
It had been there all morning.
Its windows were tinted, and with the rain pouring down, she could barely see inside.
Her phone rang.
She stopped staring at the car.
"Hello?"
It was Chance's principal.
"Hi, Ms. Janet. Chance is sick. He's with the school nurse right now. Could you come and pick him up?"
Her eyes widened.
"What?"
"I'm... on my way."
Her voice came out shaky as she quickly searched for a cab.
Twenty minutes later, she was at the school.
After picking Chance up, she didn't have to take him to the hospital. It was only a mild fever, and he was already feeling better.
So they took a cab back to the apartment.
They were unlocking the gate when Chance pointed at a car.
"Mummy, look. That car looks like the one from the show I watched with Aunty Gabby."
Twelve-year-old Chance muttered, and Janet turned to look.
It was the same luxury car from earlier.
It looked even more ridiculous and out of place in their shabby neighborhood.
Her lips pressed together.
Why was it here again?
She quickly ushered Chance inside before entering herself. Then she locked the gate.
"You stay away from cars like that, honey. We aren't from the same world."
She muttered to him.
Chance stepped through the front door ahead of her.
"Why, Mummy?"
"...Because people like that are cunning, and we are not."
She opened the windows for ventilation.
Through one of them, she could still see the car parked outside.
With the tinted windows, she couldn't see a thing.
"We're honest people, Chance."
"Okay."
Janet smiled faintly.
"I'll go make some food. I have the night shift later today."
She added,
"Gabby will be home later."
Chance soon disappeared upstairs to play video games.
Janet chuckled as she watched him go.
***
They were out of supplies again.
She groaned.
She always hated going to the supermarket because there was never enough money to buy everything she wanted. She always had to improvise.
Picking up her bags, she called upstairs,
"Be a good boy. Don't go outside. I've gone to the supermarket."
When she stepped outside and saw the car still there, she became uneasy.
Mostly because it was parked directly opposite her house.
She didn't realize how long she had been staring until one of the tinted windows rolled down slightly.
Not enough for her to see inside.
Just enough to let her know that whoever was in there could see her.
And they wanted her to know it.
She shivered.
A mixture of nervousness and embarrassment washed over her.
Her fingers tightened around her bag as she hurried toward the supermarket.
She arrived within minutes.
As usual, she spotted the familiar face of the cashier and breathed a sigh of relief after stepping inside.
She didn't know why that luxury car unsettled her so much, but at least it wasn't here.
Chance was safe in his room.
She could shop in peace.
She began gathering seasoning and everything else she needed to prepare meals for the week.
A little while later, she finished shopping, paid, and headed back home.
The closer she got to the apartment, the more uneasy she felt.
She was just about to unlock the gate when a door from the luxury car suddenly swung open.
"Excuse me, Miss?"
A voice called from behind.
Her fingers tightened around the gate in fear.
Slowly, she turned around.
- Writer
