C3 Possibly karma?

It’s been over a week since Frank’s rather unsettling visitation. And now I strongly believe he just needed money from me, money that I clearly don’t have if the pile of unpaid bills staring at me was any indication.

Even with my two jobs and Melly’s clerical job, we are barely grazing the surface of our bills. Glad that today is Sunday and I’d at least get some rest, I went to the sitting room to watch a movie with Melody.

“What are you watching Mel?” I asked her making my way over to the couch.

“I’m just rewatching the last few episodes of FRIENDS” she replies, her eyes still glued to the TV screen. I stretched over and grabbed the remote ready to change the Channel, having been watching FRIENDS so much that I could say each line by heart.

“Hey! I was watching that” she whines at me with a pout looking like I stole her puppy.

“Come on, there are better shows to watch than to keep on rewatching this all the time,” I said to her with an eye roll.

As I was flipping through the channels, a certain news headline captured my interest.

“LOCAL MAN FOUND DEAD: At the alleyway leading to Hyde Park, our very own London local going by the name Frank Peterson was found dead. The body was discovered by the local police on a routine morning rounds and he was seen to have been covered with a bullet hole to his head and chest region. An ongoing investigation is being conducted by the police.” The newscaster says droning on and on.

I swear my heart stopped beating for a second. I just stare at the TV frozen in place unable to believe the news I just heard, an audible gasp beside me diverted my gaze from the news channel.

“Layla, do you know what this means?” Melody asks me looking freaked out.

“We can’t know for sure, “ I said trying to sound convincing as dread filled up my body. I knew what she was referring to but I didn’t want to acknowledge it. I felt her preying gaze on me and ignored it as best as I could casually flipping through more channels.

Feeling a bit light headed, I started taking calming breaths until my chest didn’t feel like it was on fire anymore.

”Layla don’t you dare shut me out now, talk to me. What are we going to do now?” She asks sternly squatting to my eye level.

“We are going to do nothing because nothing has happened, Frank died, good riddance to him. Probably karma caught up with him” I tell her as calmly as I possibly could paying no attention to the war going on in my head.

“Fuck Lay, you know the likelihood of him ending up murdered a week after his warning is no coincidence, “ she says hotly.

“Even if it was the people he owed that murdered him, Melody, it is MY mess, not yours. Stop panicking.”I say trying to sound as disinterested as possible knowing my words would hurt her. I don’t want to get her involved in this, if it ends up being the dangerous people Frank warned about, I won’t drag her into this mess.

The realization of what I was trying to do dawns on her as she widens her eyes slightly. A determined look on her face.

“You can try pushing me out all you want Lay, just know I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be right here when you are ready to talk.” She says to me silently begging me to open up.

Having lost interest in watching anything anymore, I stand up from the couch, giving Mel a quick kiss on her cheeks and a small smile as I walk back into my room.

I start pacing, trying to gather my thoughts. I doubt I’d be in any real trouble right? I mean if they are as rich and dangerous as Frank said then they would do some findings and see I’m not related to Frank biologically and I just bear his last name for identity's sake— these thoughts seemed to calm me down— yes I don’t need to worry.

With that new resolve in mind, I try to slow down my thumping heart but something tells me danger lurks nearby.

****

Waking up for work on Mondays has to be the worst part of my day. Groaning dramatically, I stand to get set for my second job of babysitting.

After dressing up I go to the kitchen to get coffee and I see Melody already heading out for the day. I yell a quick goodbye to her as I get started with making my coffee. I toast two slices of bread to eat alongside my coffee and when that is done I go grab my phone from my bed along with my purse and sandals. Tieing my chestnut brown hair in a messy ponytail I head out to Patricia’s house on the other side of town.

I decided to walk there today, needing the fresh morning air to clear my head. I plug In my AirPods to play some soothing music. A few minutes in, I felt the hairs on my neck standing, a clear indication that someone was watching me. I turn around and see no one so I continue walking.

I noticed a black van driving behind me but thought nothing of it as it was still 9 in the morning. Still walking, I felt a presence behind me and before I could react a cool feeling passed through my body and I realized I’d be injected. The last thing I felt was being dragged into the black van before everything went black.