watch your back (cameron dallas)

3

3 stern knocks on the wooden door bring me out of my trance and I race to open it. I'm greeted by one officer though there are many more already searching around my front yard and brushing past me, entering my house.

"Rosetta Tanner? I'm Officer Preston."

"The officer my mother was on the phone to earlier." I nod as I fold my arms trying to keep myself calm.

Overreacting isn't going to help my mother, or anyone else.

"That's correct. Now I've come to an understanding that your mother has been taken by Ivy Reid's murderer." The officer states more as a question.

"Yes, otherwise you wouldn't be here. Now what are you going to do to find my mother?" I raise my voice, unable to keep my temper in check.

"Alright, well there are already officers-" Officer Preston stops short when there's a car pulling into the driveway; my mother's car.

My mother, who looks completely unharmed, comes rushing over to Officer Preston and I. By this time confusion and stupidity is an understatement of how I feel.

"Mother?" I ask with confusion laced through my every syllable.

"Rosetta Marie Tanner, what in the world is going on?" my mother asks worriedly.

"What the hell mother! Where were you? I thought you..." I trail off.

"Do not ever swear, Rosetta." my mother states sternly.

I roll my eyes, there are police surrounding my house and my mother is worried about me saying 'hell'.

"I was at the corner store! Now what is going on?" my mother demands.

"Your daughter called 911 reporting that her mother had been abducted." Officer Preston answers while furrowing his brows.

"Are you kidding me right now, Rosetta? Is this a senseless prank?" my mother sneers at me.

"What? No, of course not! You didn't even tell me you left, what was I supposed to think?" I pathetically defend.

"You were supposed to think I went somewhere considering the car was gone, did you not even think of calling me first? What made you think someone took me?" my mother rages.

"You could have told me you were going somewhere and I wouldn't have jumped to conclusions!" I rage right back, knowing that my defence is useless.

"Well you weren't exactly in the mood to talk to me, were you?"

I look away unable to answer my mother because she's right. What on earth have I done?

Officer Preston huffs and shakes his head, "Calling 911 and saying your mother has been taken by a murderer isn't something the police take lightly. There are already officers searching around town, do you know what that means?" I look away.

"This means there are less officers working on another case, a case such as finding out who murdered Ivy Reid, your best friend, right? Is that what you want?"

"Who do you think you are? Of course that's not what I want!"

"Rosetta." My mother scolds, though no one acknowledges it.

"Well, that's what's happened." Officer Preston replies.

"Isn't it better to be safe than sorry? Whatever happened to that?" I eye the officer.

"Alright. On the topic, where were you the night Ivy Reid was murdered?" Officer Preston ignores my last remark.

"What the hell are you trying to accuse me of?" I can feel my mother's glare though I couldn't give two damns what my mother thinks right now.

"Just protocol, that's all." The officer takes notice of glare, "It's a simple question."

"Rosetta was at home, I was out of town." My mother answers for me.

"So you were home alone, two doors down from Ivy Reid's body?" Officer Preston looks at me sceptically, just trying to get a reaction out of me - and I give it to him.

"Are you honestly that deluded that you're accusing me of murdering my own best friend?" I shout with rage burning in the pit of my stomach.

"I'm sorry for wasting your time Officer Preston." My mother says as she grabs my forearm and begins dragging me inside.

"I'm sure I'll be seeing you soon enough."

Minutes later all the police officers have left, though they don't leave before giving me a glare of annoyance.

I follow my mother cautiously, and am surprised that she hasn't screamed at me yet. That being said, I think I would prefer it.

My mother suddenly turns around, looking as if she has a whole speech prepared for me, though looks as if she decides against it. "Just tell me the truth Rosetta," she states calm, but in a rather exhausted way.

I look out the large window to my left, and contemplate my options here - if I tell my mother the whole truth, it could put her in danger. Though who says she's not already in danger? I just got a note threatening my mother's life, danger is probably an understatement. What have I got to lose?

"There's someone dangerous," I begin simply, "someone that's trying to..." I trail off mid-sentence as movement out the window catches my eye, something is in the bushes. How typical. My mind whirls and just as I begin to believe someone is out there; a raccoon barricades out of the bushes, making me jump out of my skin.

My mother notices my general distress, and puts her hands on both of my shoulders. "What is going on?" she almost shakes me desperately- desperate to know what's causing me to be so fragile.

I sigh, out of complete exhaustion and hopelessness and open my mouth to begin to explain everything. Just as I do so, I feel as if my ear drums have just burst and the only audio I can hear is ringing. The next thing I know I'm tearing my eyes open to realise my mother and I are on the ground, the window is shattered and glass is everywhere, and orange flames are the only thing to fill my vision.