Python

CHAPTER THREE

Chapter Three

{𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬*}

Starred words (*) are defined at the end of the story

𝐈𝐍𝐀 𝐒𝐋𝐀𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐃 the car door and walked up the steps to the apartment complex. A slider on the door opened to reveal tired red eyes. At the sight of a girl dressed in a black leather suit, the woman cowered. "Can I help you?" The old lady asked, trying to remain calm. "Are you Phillie Drae? Alison Drae's aunt and godmother?" Ina said innocently. The frail woman's brows rose, and she closed the slider before opening the door to reveal metal bars blocking the entrance. "How do you know Alison?" She asked with a delicate and calming yet concerned voice.

        "Your daughter died last night," she stated as though she wasn't the one admitting to her crime. Phillie's knees bent, and she covered her mouth with her wrinkly hand. She shook her head in disbelief and mumbled, "No." Ina took a deep breath and crossed her arms behind her back.

        "The news will be on in two minutes. Alison's face will be on one minute and thirteen seconds after it starts. They will announce her name along with the setting the murder took place. Her blonde hair and green eyes will be all you notice. The words from the news reporter will echo along with the sound of your stove going off as you sit shakily in your recliner. Not paying any attention to the sound of your smoke alarm, you will sit crying. Your tears will blur the screen as it moves to videos from helicopters above whatever remains of the metal house on Cowel Street.

        "As you wipe your tears, sounds will overwhelm you as your hearing will recover. You cry for help as the fire spreads to your heater. It's too late as the fire develops you. Flames will engulf the house and spew from the windows. The evidence of me telling you this, as well as you, will be erased." Not wanting to get too comfortable in the lady's depression, she turned to leave. As if the lady ignored everything Ina had stated, it happened like a movie scene. Refusing to turn around and become a witness, Ina drove away and gripped the wheel to remain emotionless. A yellow frowning face appeared in a hologram beside Ina, yet she faced forward.

        Yellow looked around and smiled at a thought. She moved into Ina's vision and made silly faces. Ina puffed her hair out of her face and turned to look out her window. Yellow's hologram sucked back into the car, and ringing echoed. Ina looked down at the screen and saw Yellow was calling her boss. The woman answered, and her face appeared in a colored hologram. "Ina! My dear agent! You never contacted me back last night to reveal your mission status." The boss began to snort, and she squinted her eyes. "I began to think you didn't fulfill and was too scared to call ma' back."

        The woman elbowed the hologram of Ina as if she was with her in person. Ina turned to look at the hologram, continuing to be emotionless before looking back at the road. "Mission completed at 11:13 P.M last night," Ina reported. The boss clapped and smiled. "That's my girl, Python! So, why did you not return last night to tell me in person as always?" She asked with furrowed brows. "I needed to do something before I came back." The boss sighed, knowing already. She walked down the stairs and opened the glass doors toward a hallway as the hologram followed her.