Imperium

Chapter 8

"They kidnapped me one morning with my friend Josh, they knocked me out and the next thing I remember, I'm in the ocean, 2 weeks later," I recite out loud. That's all the information I can give them, there's nothing more I can say.

"This really doesn't sound believable," I sigh as I shake my head, but they have nothing else to believe. At least once the case is closed, that's one less case to solve. I am saving them their precious time and money.

I enter the bathroom and take a bath. I spend most of my time in the bath just looking at the water. My mind drifting to places it shouldn't, I occasionally shake off some thoughts that had crept into my mind.

The time I take on this bath is more or less equal to the previous ones before it. Time seems to fly whenever my body is under soap and water.

I am now done bathing, and I get dressed, I put on my white kicks, some sweatpants, a white t-shirt and my black hoodie. When I am done, I go downstairs just to relax.

I place a bowl with cereal poured into it on the table, milk is on one side of the bowl. Upon closer inspection I now find that the bowl is mine, my mother has prepared breakfast for me.

I place my hand on stomach, it still hasn't given me any sign that it wants food. I grab the cereal from the kitchen table. I don't want to seem rude or anything.

"Hi, mom."

"Hello Shaun, come on, sit down and eat. Remember, I told you we have to go close to your missing person's case today."

"Yes, I remember."

"Well eat up, I hope you've already taken a shower."

"I bathed instead."

"Good, well don't be afraid, the people there might ask too many questions, just relax and tell them everything you told me," Mara soothes, her voice calm and sweet.

After I do all that we get into her car and start leaving. On the way there, we hear only the sound of the tires on the road. I take brief glances at my mother; I keep looking at her as if I want to say something.

My mother keeps her eyes on the road, but I can tell she wants to look at my direction. She might be afraid that I'll tell the cops about what she used to do to me. She keeps taking little peeks at me and checking the road again.

I dismissed any thoughts of reporting her the moment I got back from my kidnapping unless she does it again, that is. This time though she won't lay a finger on me, I am not the same nerd who got pushed around by everybody. I stop noticing the silence as I go deep into thought.

I have told my mother the same story I will tell the police. If they separate us and ask us questions, our stories and answers will be the same.

I don't want to raise any suspicions. Especially now that they'll think it was the Controller who took me. They have linked every kidnapping to the Controller.

I bet they have seen some people who were reported missing destroying the city of Mac. The videos are everywhere; they don't shoot down the helicopter that takes the whole video.

Their intention is to be seen, they want to show the world that no-one can stop them when they are terrorizing the town of Mac. It's a lucky thing that the helicopter arrived after we left the premises. I wouldn't like to have my face all around the internet.

The Controller hasn't posted another video to boast about the destruction he has caused. Boast about how all the police couldn't stop him. He should have posted something by now.

The car stops, interrupting my train of thoughts. I look around before my eyes land on the police station in front of me. We exit the car and close the doors. We walk into the police station, and a blonde woman attends us.

She has a smile that would drive millions of men crazy. To top off the look, she has a small cute dimple that appears every time she smiles. Tall and slender, the woman you'd expect to be a model, her age still allows it.

"How can we help you?" The blonde asks.

"We would like to close a missing person's case," my mother says.

The blond yells out loudly, "Michael, this is your type of case."

Michael comes over with his eyebrows raised as if asking what the case is.

"We have got a missing person who has now been found," the blonde retells.

My mom tells him the story about how his son went to school and he never came back. I keep looking around at the people walking around. Everyone busy doing their own thing, no one really paying attention to each other.

"What's your name, boy?"

As I look at him, I notice that I have seen this guy somewhere, but I don't remember where. I just look at the guy and don't answer his question. He then looks at me, and recognition fills his face. His eyebrows shoot up at the sight of me.

He tries to hide it quickly by looking back down at what he was writing, I could see a smile draw on his face. I don't know where I know him from, but I know him, and I'm sure he knows me.

He asks for my surname and initials, he then takes out a file written S. McGee on it. After this, he asks me to take off my hoodie so he can get a proper look at me. The moment I do so, and the cop looks at me, his smile widens a little.

Why is he shocked and intrigued to see me, this guy doesn't even know me, unless he does? The cop looks at me again; he takes off his glasses and puts them back on.

"What did you say your name was?"

"Shaun, Shaun McGee."

Why would he be so shocked after seeing me? He shouldn't even know me. Something weird is happening around here. These are the thoughts of running through my mind, paranoia quickly creeps up as I try to maintain it.

They separate Mara and me for questioning. Gladly, I know that I am properly prepared for this little stunt. I know that our stories will be the same unless my mother changes her story.

The cop stands there with his hand on his head. The blonde walks over to him, "What's the matter, Mike, you look like you've seen a ghost," she nudges him jokingly.

"I believe I have," Mike whispers, so low that even the blonde next to him doesn't hear him say a word.

Apparently, our stories match, and the case is finally closed. One thing I still ask myself is why the guy was so shocked to see me.

Where do I know him from? This is the question I ask myself as we leave the police station. I look at the cop as we leave; he returns a gaze. I still don't know where I know him from.

I have a terrible feeling about this, and I have a feeling I will regret coming here. We make our way to the car as I keep turning to look at the cop.

The cop now shares an intense glare. My mother looks at the man with the same fury she used to look at me with when she was beating me to a pulp.

The cop looks back at my mother with disgust and hatred.

"Mom, do you know him?"

"No honey, I just don't like him looking at you like that."

I didn't know that my mother noticed how the man was looking at me. I do however get the feeling that there's more to it than my mother is telling me.

We make it to the car and she drives away from the police station.