The Billionaire's Possession (Voted Best Reads for Cats)

Chapter 21/My book stash is discovered

Photo: No I didn't order any pizza. 

When I approached home, even from a distance I could see enough to make me a little freaked out. The lights were off, but the front door was open. Mom's car was in front but the car window was open. OK, I reassured myself this could happen. Mom got home and forgot to switch the light off. I went closer and noticed yellow and black tape over the porch door. Closer still was a sign 'do not cross. Homeland difference*' . I looked around for a bit.

Then I saw a couple of my books on the floor. CRAP. CRAP ON A STICK. They had found my books 

Breaking through the tape I rushed upstairs to my room. My bed had been pushed aside and my books all my books are been taken away. My heart felt like it had been turned into lead and dropped to the floor. Someone had found my books and reported the family to homeland defence. My books and my family were gone. I was so totally responsible for this!  What had I done? I had lost my family and the only things that kept me saying in this mad mad world. Guilt was wrapping a tightening noose around me. This was all my fault. My mother and my sister had been arrested for the things that I had done. How had they not turned up to arrest me? This was the mother, father and possibly grandparents of a global fuckup. 

"Hello," shouted a familiar man's voice.

I tried to keep the tears back.

"Mr. Smith is that you?" I asked.

"I don't know. Am I me?" said Mr. Smith. "What's a nice place like this doing in a trashy girl like you?"

I came downstairs and mumbled something about Mom and Eve.

Mr Smith looked at me and looked around. "I was putting my trash out." he said "The soldiers from homeland defence turned up just before your mother left to come to the school and the possession ceremony. It was a big truck full of soldiers. Took your mother and sister away. All legal like." said Mr. Smith.

I was slightly annoyed he had failed to mention this to me at school. It looked like Homeland defence had gone and left no one to watch for me.

"I reckon, you need a cleaner," said Mr. Smith looking around.

Scanning around the entrance hall. I searched for clues I could see Eve had left her school bag near the door. OK, she had got home. Looking around I could see everything had been opened and thrown on the floor. The place looked like Paris Hilton had a party here. Someone had searched the place for something, more books I guessed. I wasn't sure why. They had enough evidence in my room.

"You can come and sleep at my place while you sort yourself out, " said M. Smith.

"That's kind of you," I said. Not sure what to think.

"I only have the one bed," Mr. Smith said looking down on me.

"That's very kind of you but in that case no. I'll think of something" I said.

"You got to come back with me," said Mr. Smith leading down and picking a book up.

"Can I have my book, please? " I said.

M. Smith turned around holding a book.

"So you're possessed? You're the smart one? " said Mr. Smith rubbing the top of my hair "a nice girl like you?"

I was feeling rather insulted at this.

"Newsflash. Girls can be possessed as well." I said. Then I realized I didn't have to put up with this anymore. My secret was out, I didn't have to hide anymore. Suddenly five years of hiding and pretending to be dumb, five years of heading idiotic ideas and forcing myself to say nothing. I was building up pressure like Chernobyl about to go critical,  then all came out.

"Keep those eyes rolling you might spot your brain or even something useful," I added not stopping myself.

"You got a lot of sass in your mouth missy, " said M. Smith.

I looked at him.

"Nice attitude, shame you got it on sale from Wallmart, " I said oh I had wanted to say that to him for ages. "next time you want some opinions, take my advice and don't look in the discount returns bin. You can leave now."

"You'll come to me, " said M. Smith " You have nowhere else to go."

"Try making me," I said.

"On your own head be it," said Mr. Smith certainly.

 I saw him walked calmly away, back to his own house. That felt easy.. The confrontation was getting tense and I was glad it and he had disappeared like cheap aftershave in a strong easterly wind.

Going back inside I went to mom's bedroom. There on the mirror was a note. 'K. Try having a shower in my room' it said.

I wasn't sure what this meant. From the state of the room, she had been given a few minutes to get ready before going. Clothes flung on the bed like she had changed. Mom had her own shower attached to her bedroom. I went in and noticed the soap wasn't where she normally put it.

This confused me for a moment. I was just walking out when I had an idea and turned around. I turned the shower on hot. Steam quickly emerged from it. I noticed her toothbrush had gone. If Mom had been arrested they had allowed her to take her toothbrush and stuff. She had a small overnight bag which had gone. I guessed they had given her time to get ready to go. If she was being watched then she might want to leave a message but in secret. After a moment the steam from the shower hit the glass. 

There written in soap is the message 'it's in the hiding place'.

I wondered for a moment then went down to the porch and picked up the pot that sat over a small pit where we hid Mom's door keys. I move the pot reached into the hiding pit and pulled out what looked to be a test tube complete with some kind of yellow liquid in it. It smelt of disinfectant. There was a label on the test-tube it said serum 589. That second I had a hunch about something. As I went back to the bathroom and looked in the trash can. There I found two hypodermic needles with something smelling the same as the test-tube. Mom had injected herself with stuff before. Had she taken... be a second dose or...

I close my eyes and try to imagine for a second. Mom had come home early. She was going to school to wave me goodbye but she had a new serum to test. Eve got back early as well. Mom had injected herself. The bin had more rubbish after the first needle. Mom had injected herself and then injected Eve. The reason seemed obvious. The serum worked. She was moving around and suddenly felt it kick in. So she had tried it on Eve... it had worked. There had been a knock at the door. Someone from homeland defence? If it worked she would have phoned the lab to tell them word would have gone round quickly. Homeland defence would have been alerted.

Then I felt relief. This hadn't been homeland defence capturing a possessed. This was homeland defence finding they had a cure. Except Mom hadn't told them? Why? Surely Homeland defence had been as excited as they had been about finding a cure?

I projected back again. She had hidden the serum.  They had turned up, Mom had felt something was wrong. The serum was hidden and they had given her time to get ready. She had been smart enough to write a message in soap on the shower door. It seemed obvious that Mom had actually found a cure. A working cure. It must have been working because she was able to outsmart Homeland defence. Normally she couldn't outwit a revolving door.  I looked around Homeland defence had turned up she would be pleased to see them. This was the discovery of the century. She could walk away with a Nobel prize from this. 

Where next? I wondered where she would go? It took a minute but it seemed obvious that she would go back to the lab. I was wondering how to get there when Mr. Smith came back. He was carrying his shotgun. 

* deliberate miss-spelling