Next Door

Twenty-Two

Sienne's POV

           I can't help but to fall back to sleep. I finally wake up and I believe I slept the entire night seeing the sun peak threw the blinds.

Looking out the window I'm brought back to my reality. My head is throbbing and I shakily get the courage to touch the back of my head.

My fingers don't feel hair but a gauze-like material. I get confused, maybe Dean or Mark decided to wrap up my injury for me last night. I throw the covers off of me and see that my skin is glistening with sweat, I didn't sleep well at all.

I had so many nightmares, but none with familiar faces. I get out of the bed and my head spins, the room feels as if it's spinning all around me. I close my eyes tight and I grab the wall before I fall. Steadying myself i try to catch my breath.

After a couple minutes pass I open my eyes and look down at the bed, I slowly walk back over to where I got up from and pull the covers back. Once the bed is made I start to feel a nervous pit in my stomach. I remember the two men from yesterday.

Who are these men? Should I trust what they say? I think to myself as I walk over to the window and spread the blinds.

I look out the window and see a quaint neighborhood, looking out onto the street there are a line of cars. I see some Hispanic people walking and some getting in cars. It looks like it could be a funeral procession which makes me really sad, I hate death.

My stomach starts to grumble really hard and I realize I can't stay in this room forever. Closing the blinds I look down at what I'm wearing, a spaghetti strap shirt with no bra and some cotton short shorts, I feel so exposed. I look over and see a wardrobe, I walk over and open it.

Looking around and sifting through the clothes it's not what I expected at all, I expected to see men's clothes but they were all women's. Pushing some of the hangers around I find an oversized sweater that says 'Georgia Tech' on it.

I grab it and close the wardrobe. I put it on and it fits perfectly giving me a little bit more security than I had early. I walk over to the far side of the room where a floor length mirror stands and look at myself.

My hair was up in a nice ponytail and my face, to my surprise, looked perfectly fine. Down at the base of the mirror sits some house shoes and I slip them on.

I walk over to the door of the room and reach out to feel the cold knob, I start to get anxious all over again.  I bite my lip and turn the knob walking out into the long hallway. I hear a voice further into the house and I keep walking. I can't place the voice but when the room opens up I see the older man of the two.

"It's Mark right?" I say softly looking up at the him.

"Yes it is" he says with a big smile and a laugh.

My cheeks start to get hot and I nibble on the inside of my lip.

"You want to come into the kitchen with me?" He asks looking my face over.

"Yes I would like that" I say nervously.

He smiles at me and turns and walks into the kitchen.

"I got this for you last night, but you were sleeping so I decided to let you sleep" he says walking over and putting a bowl on the table.

I walk over to the table and sit down and scoot up to the table. It looks like it's some kind of burrito bowl which makes me smile.

"You like it?" Mark asks looking down at me and I smile nodding.

I start eating and looking around the kitchen taking everything in. I watch as Mark walks over to a window over the sink, he opens the blinds letting some light in, and stares out. I watch as he runs his fingers through his hair.

I take another bite of the food "Do you know what's going on outside?" I ask trying to make conversation.

I hear him clear his throat and he looks over at me with a pained expression.

"Um one of the neighbors died" he says getting back to washing some dishes in the sink.

"Oh my gosh, that's what I was thinking it was, that's so sad" I say my chest feeling low.

Mark looks over at me with a weird look "what do you mean that's what you were thinking?"

"Oh I had seen so many people out on the street it looked like some sort of funeral procession" I say continuing to eat.

"Do you know who it was? Did you know them?" I ask looking up at him. I see him drying off his hands and he leans his hip up against the counter.

"Um" he says walking over to me.

"Maria Iglesias" I hear but it wasn't Mark's voice who said it. Looking up the guy Dean from yesterday stands in the doorway of the kitchen.

We stare at each other for a second and I remember what he did last night. There's an air about him that I can't place and I swallow hard.

"We didn't know her well, she was a sweet old lady" he says walking over to the refrigerator getting some things out.

I look at Mark and I see him looking over to Dean with a look of concern. Witch makes me think Dean must be hurt over her death and he's just stifling his emotions.

It becomes a little silent in the kitchen and I can't hold the one question in any longer, the one that's been burning me the most.

"So who am I to y'all?" I ask and they both turn to look at me at the same time.