Chương 7: A NEW FACE

The Moon Way street smelled of whistling pine and natural vegetative flavors. Emma loved it.

She has been strolling for almost an hour, walking from one block to another, appraising the beautiful bungalowish houses she has been seeing; and completely liked the fact that she could breathe freely without inhaling a scent of coffee, or perfume, or a mixture of junk and fried foods. The air was very free.

As she strolled down the fifth block, she saw a row chair in front of a pale yellow house, which had the same design as her now house few blocks away; though this one was the neat version of hers.

Emma stopped walking, then mused at the thought. She has her own house, at 17.

'What a fast-trek', she thought.

She thought she would have to wait till 21 to live independently, but it seems fate has a something else in stock.

Well, she didn't care, she has always wanted to live independently, and this was a chance for it.

Fixing some strands of hair which has stealthily crept over her face, Emma took a deep breath and trudged over to the row chair. She had to rest, her limbs were already protesting in pain.

As she sat down, she threw her purse to the other end of the chair and breathed out in relief. She wondered how much longer she had to walk before she could see a restaurant. She was terribly hungry.

While Emma applied pressure on her knee cap which seemed to be hurting, a cat scurried past.

She shrinked back into the seat, till the seat shook itself backwards. She has always hated animals.

Hearing footsteps, She looked up and saw a little girl, about 3yrs old, running after the cat. The little girl with bright blonde hair didn't see her, and even if she had, she didn't show any indication that she did. Her whole focus was on the big black cat.

Emma wondered why there was no one looking after the girl, as she chased after the cat down the street.

Although the streets were clean and quiet at this time of the day, She still thought it wasn't safe for the little girl to run carefreely on the road.

"Don't she has a babysitter??" Emma asked herself loudly, getting annoyed at the thought of a lazy babysitter.

The growing annoyance brought to her remembrance of an incident that happened the last summer. An incident she would never forget in a hurry. She could still remember it vividly.

Last summer in Florida, She had been put up for babysitting service by her father for causing havoc in a mall. Thinking of the mall incident now, a smile appeared on Emma's face.

She had poured buckets of paint on the three most eligible bachelors in her state. They had insulted her friend, who was a cashier.

It was on a Tuesday, the trio had bought some goods, but had kept putting back and bringing out some goods at the cashier's point, feigning distaste at the products, while causing a jam on the queue. She had been on the queue too.

When the cashier, her friend in highschool, had complained, the trio started taunting and insulting her.

Nobody on the queue could say anything, because the trio were the most eligible bachelors in town. They only looked upon her friend with pity. Emma had gritted her teeth then, and had promised to deal with them for humiliating her friend.

Thinking of it now, She concluded that the newspapers and their editors were idiots.

"How could they classify those rude trio as eligible?? What's so eligible about them" She thought, resting her head on the row chair, as her mind continued to reel back in time.

The next Tuesday, she had waited for them. It was a known matter that the trio usually came to the mall on Tuesdays alone.

She had bought buckets of paint then, and took it to the maintenance room a day before; then hanged them up on the ceiling with long ropes, while pouring rubber pebbles on the floor.

When the trio had arrived, and were at the perfume slide, Emma ran up to them fake panting. Knowing she was beautiful, she had opened up her top bluose buttons, sprinkled some water on her face and cloth and applied a deep red lip stick.

When the trio saw her, they had been stuck.

"Why's a beautiful lady like you crying and panting" They had asked her. One of the trio, Jackson she thought, had even held her close to himself. She had snorted then in disgust.

But she had pretended that she couldn't speak out of fright. She only kept pointing at the maintenance room.

The trio thinking she was numb out of fright, had followed her as she led the way, like sheep after their shepherd.

When she reached the maintenance room, she had pretended to be scared, and had told them to go in first. They did.

Emma remembered smirking then. She had gone after them, but did stop by the door.

" Hey, why is here so dark" One of the trio had said, sounding suspicious.

She had pulled the long ropes then, which she stuck to pins near the door. The paint buckets had tumbled then, drenching the trio with different colours of paint. They had screamed, while she laughed loudly. As they tried grabbing her, they fell down ungracefully,the pebbles had tripped them.

Emma had locked them up in the room, and went home satisfied. But then she was found out. Her father had come home at night fuming.

Jackson, one of the trio was a business contact of Mr Jason, and had only helped her then because he knew her father. But then Emma didn't Know.

Her father had punished her by sending her to Aunt Marie's house to babysit Johnny. Johnny was a two year old troublesome boy with a troublesome puppy. Together, they caused havoc in the neighborhood. His babysitters all quitted before two weeks ran up because of his troubles. Emma had nicknamed him then, 'little demon'.

Despite her protests, she had still babysitted Johnny. But it was for only a day, and never again. She had almost killed him.

Emma's eyes twitched uncomfortably as she remembered what happened on that Thursday morning, while babysitting Johnny.

She had gone off to the kitchen to take Derren's call. Derren was her latest boyfriend. Derren with the thin pink lips and wonderful biceps. He was the captin of the football team, and had been chasing her for weeks.

As she talked with him over the phone, laughing and twirling her hair, she had heard a scream outside. It was Johnny's voice. She remembered trembling terribly as she recalled then that she had forgot to lock up the front door.

She had paused the call, and ran out of the kitchen.

Getting outside, she had seen people gathering around a point. She had gone towards them, making space within the crowd of people, till she saw Johnny's puppy licking up the wounds of Johnny as he laid sprawled on the floor breathing faintly.

From the mutterings of the people, she had deducted then that Johnny had pursued his puppy as it ran out of the house into the road.

Emma remembered screaming. She had screamed, and shouted at the people to call 911 already.

Later that evening, she was grounded by her father. Her phone was also confiscated. She had stayed in her room like a prisoner for two weeks, without coming out. She had only left her room if she wanted to eat or use the bathroom. Those days were the longest days of her life.

It was Amelia that had told her later, through the window that Johnny had survived, though their Father had taken charge of the expenses.

Thinking of it now, Emma thought that she was lucky the kid hadn't die. Apart from being charged by the police, she didn't think she would be able to live with the guilt.

A twig broke. Emma stopped thinking and listened, her eyes still closed. She heard some foot steps coming towards her, but she didn't think it was any of the boys. They couldn't be done cleaning by now.

Opening her eyes, while squinting a little, she saw a tall woman staring at her. A tall beautiful woman.

Emma had always prided herself on being beautiful, but she knew she didn't come close to the beauty of this stranger.

She wondered whether this part of the world had a beauty streak rushing through the inhabitants, or whether there was a magic water of beauty. She hoped to drink it daily, if there was.

Sitting up properly, while pushing her red hair back, she muttered a shy hello to the woman who stood staring at her.

"Hello" The woman replied, still staring at her. Emma was suprised. She didn't think that the woman would hear her muttered hello.

"Who are you, and what are you doing there." The woman continued, still staring at her with open curiousity.

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Chương 8: A NEW FACE II

Emma could see that gaze again. It was the same gaze she had seen in the eyes of the boys earlier when they had seen her at first; and she got really curious.

" Can't you talk or what.." The woman queried, seemingly getting tired of repeating her questions.

" I'm Emma, and I live down the street" Emma replied looking at the woman. But she couldn't keep the eye contact for long. Rubbing her hands together, she looked elsewhere, at the gmelina trees; because for some reasons, unknown to her, she felt cold under the woman's gaze.

"You live here??" The woman asked, her voice tinted with a note of confusion and suprise.

Emma grasping that, looked up at the stranger. She could see the widening of the woman's eyes in suprise, then in conflicting emotions.

"Yes, that's what I said the first time" She replied after few seconds. She didn't understand the woman emphasis on where she lived.

But then, Emma heard the woman scoff, and she almost slapped herself for sounding so rude. She sensed somehow, that she could learn a lot from the stranger if she wormed her way into her heart.

"I'm sorry,for sounding so rude" She apologized, putting up the puppy eye, which had never failed her for once. It seemed to work everytime, even on her father.

The woman smiled then, and looked at her again, though Emma could still see some conflicting emotions in her deep brown eyes. A mixture of suprise, confusion and awe.

"Could you adjust, let me sit?" The woman asked, pointing towards Emma's purse.

"Sure" Emma replied excitedly. She budged to the left part of the row chair, taking her purse with her.

The woman sat down then, putting her hands together on her laps, and looked straight ahead; her eye brows scrunched up like she was in deep thoughts.

Trailing her eyes over the woman, Emma thought the stranger looked and acted like a royal. Although thinking of it now, she could recall that she didn't see any castle, while coming down here with the taxi.

The taxi driver had even acted weird when she gave him the address of her father's place, but then, she didn't take it as anything. She thought that perhaps, the place was really far. And had paid him the amount he had requested for, even though she deliberated that the fare was too high.

"Tell me about you. How did you get here??" The woman asked her, breaking into her thoughts.

Emma didn't know why, buh she felt that she could tell the lady anything. But first she had to know her name, she concluded.

"Okay, but you have to tell me your name first" She said, keeping the eye contact this time around.

The woman smiled again, and Emma thought that she had the most beautiful smile, a motherly smile. She could tell the woman was married.

"Okay, if you wish so. My name is Melvina." The woman replied, still smiling.

"Melvina?! Wow, that's a beautiful name for a beautiful woman like you" Emma stated smilingly; then on a second thought, she covered her mouth in abashment. She hoped the woman didn't think she was interested in girls, because of her statement.

The woman, Melvina, laughed out loudly. She knew what the human girl was thinking. She actually found her interesting, and too beautiful. She also knew she was fiesty, and was a worthy opponent for her rude son.

"I'm sorry, buh..."Emma tried talking. She thought the woman was laughing at her perceived sexual orientation.

"No, it's okay, I know what you're are thinking" Melvina said, still smiling.

" So I've told you my name, now tell me about you. How did you come to be here?, I've never seen your face around." She continued.

At Melvina's statement, Emma wondered whether everyone knew everyone here, she hoped not. Although she was quite social, she liked her privacy.

"Okay, I'm Emma" She said, hesitatingly.

" Yeah, You have already told me that." Melvina said, as she chuckled at the look on the teenager's face.

"Okay okay, I'm from Florida." Emma stated, wiping imaginary sweat from her face.

"Florida ?? So what are you doing here." Melvina asked, getting really curious.

"My father sent me here" Emma replied monotonely.

"Your father???" Melvina queried.

"No, my mother." Emma replied annoyingly, while stopping herself from snapping at the woman, at her repitition again.

Melvina, now sensing that the human girl was getting irritated, knew she had to communicate properly to really know her.

"I'm sorry, but I still don't understand how your father could send you here, from Florida. It's quite unheard of. Did you tell him to??" She questioned gently.

"No!" Emma shouted, as her predicament came upon her thoughts again.

"So what happened?" Melvina asked.

" A punishment." Emma replied. She didn't want to elaborate on what really happened.

Melvina sensing that the human didn't want to talk about it, changed the topic.

" Okay, it's alright. Where do you stay?" She asked.

"Two blocks down the street." Emma replied.

"No name??" Melvina queried.

"13 moonway street, I think." Emma said, rubbing her forehead as she tried recalling her house number. It was written on the front door, on a silver plate.

Melvina gasped. That was the house of Sheila, her closest friend who had disappeared mysteriously, after the last pack war.

" You mean the white house?" She questioned worriedly.

"Yes yes, do you know about it??" Emma asked excitedly. She was right. The woman really knew something about this place. At least she could tell her why the house looked like an abadoned drug house now.

"Not really. Who's your father?" Melvina inquired.

"Mr Jason" Emma stated tiredly. She had hoped the woman would tell her some stories about the place.

Melvina racked her head for a Mr Jason, but to no avail. She wondered who he was, and his relationship to Sheila. He couldn't have bought the house, because humans weren't allowed to buy the house or even live here. But they were allowed to visit.

"Tell me about your father" She said to Emma.

Emma bit her lips as she wondered why the woman was interested in knowing her father all of a sudden. She knew that that she had to say something if she really wanted answers too.

"My father is a business man. He deals with construction issues" She replied.

"Okay, do you know who is Shelia?" Melvina asked.

'Shelia?' Emma thought widely. The only Sheila she knew was her one year old neighbor, and she had a feeling that the woman in front of her, wasn't talking about that Sheila.

"No I don't". She replied.

"Okay, well…." Melvina was saying before Emma cut in.

"Why are you asking all these questions?, Is the house haunted??" Emma asked, now scared as she thought of it.

After all, the house was very near to the forest.

'But so is the others', her mind said to her.

'Yeah, but mine is the last on the street.'She mused to herself. There is always something about the last houses on the street, she thought.

" Not at all dear. Just that this area is reserved for some special people." Melvina said, smiling.

"Oh , what kind of special people?, Is Sheila special.?

Emma asked, getting more curious.

'Is she not special?. Is it money special or what.' She wondered.

" Yeah,she is." Melvina said, skipping the first question. "But she has been missing for more than 16yrs now."

"16yrs??!" Emma screamed, her mouth agape.

"Yes" Melvina said quietly.

Emma could see the sad look on the woman's face, and she concluded that the Sheila must be someone important to her.

"Who is she to you?" She asked.

"My closest friend." Melvina replied.

"So what are you doing here?, shouldn't you be at your place?. Melvina asked, changing the topic. She knew the young lady was too inquisitive.

"I'm going for a stroll." Emma said, shaking her legs.

"A stroll?" Melvina queried, forgetting for a second, that the teen hated repitition.

"Yeah. Some people are cleaning up my house. I just arrived today." Emma replied.

"Oh"Melvina said.

And for a moment, she wondered whether it was the same place her son was cleaning up. She had called him earlier today, and he had complained that he was cleaning up a house on moonway park.

"Uhmmm..." Melvina heard Emma stutter while she played with her hair.

"What is it dear?" She asked, while trying to move Emma's hair back.

Emma looked up at the beautiful lady she had come to like, and knew she could actually tell her the problem, without feeling embarrassed.

"Is there a place I could get something to eat?." She asked, hoping that the lady would answer in affirmative, as she was very hungry already. She hadn't eaten since she left home. She also wanted to get something for the boys. She knew that she had some money with her, her money had given her some bundles of money.

" For upkeep." She had said.

"Yes of course, follow me". Melvina said, standing up.

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