𝐊𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐑𝐊Ö𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐈𝐍 ⌁ 𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 [𝟏]

XII. PIPES, PUNCHES & PATRIOTISM

therefore i am by billie eilish

"Don't talk 'bout me like how
you might know how I feel.
Top of the world, but your
world isn't real.
Your world's an ideal."

39.7392° N, 104.9903° W

          I walked down the sidewalk, wearing a navy blue hoodie under a black leather jacket, along with some dark jeans and sneakers. It's already been six months since I ran away, and it's managed to take me here.

Denver, Colorado.

Except the difference is that I've stayed here for almost two months now, instead of a week like the other states. I decided to lay low and settle here for a bit until I find the need to leave. I managed to steal someone laptop to hack into an apartment building's files and add myself into their database, "buying" myself an apartment. Well, buy Eliza Samson an apartment, and her daughter Amanda Samson, who is, you guessed it, me.

No one in the lobby seemed to suspect anything. Just a single mother and her daughter trying to get by. Of course, "Mom" had to work early mornings and late nights, so you would never actually get the chance to meet her. That just leaves her daughter all by herself most of the time.

The story was good enough for the receptionists to believe. But, I had to make sure there was absolutely zero suspicion. So, two weeks after I moved in, I managed to find a random woman willing to pretend to be my mother for five minutes and make small talk with the apartment building receptionists.

There's a certain kind of people who will do anything for the certain kind of money.

But, as I walked into the lobby, I noticed a dark skinned man sitting in the lounge, reading a magazine. He was wearing a cap and sunglasses, so it was hard to see his face. But I'm not stupid.

"Morning, Mike. Any mail come in today?" I asked in my American accent as I stepped closer to the reception desk. I had to remain subtle, as if I don't suspect a thing. I looked into the slightly blurry reflection of Mike's steel water bottle, only to see the man looking in my direction.

"Nothing new. But if anything comes in, I will give it to you." Mike smiled, standing behind the desk. I returned the smile as I tried to think of an inconspicuous way out of here.

I saw a stack of broken down cardboard boxes behind the desk that we're probably waiting to be thrown out. "Hey, Mike, I can just take those out to the recycling bin, if you want." I offered, gesturing to cardboard.