THE DARK TRUTH OF HIDDEN MINDS

FAMILIAR FACE

As Maya's surprised voice echoed with a "You,"
her mother's curious voice came from inside the house, asking, "Who's at the door, Maya?" In that moment, Maya became acutely aware of the loudness of her own voice. Trying to play down the situation, she quickly responded, "Nothing, Mom, just a delivery boy asking for an address."

Upon hearing these words, the cop couldn't help but express his disbelief, muttering,

"Excuse me, a delivery boy?"

Maya, realizing the need for discretion, turned her face toward the cop and, with a swift finger to her lips, whispered a hushed "Shhh," signaling him to remain silent for a moment. The delicate dance of secrecy unfolded in the hushed tones of their exchange, And she shut the door behind her, releasing a deep sigh as she turned to continue her conversation with the cop.

"I'm sorry, officer, for calling you a delivery boy, but may I ask what you're doing here and what business you have?"

Maya's tone carried a subtle sarcasm, her eyebrows arching inquisitively as she awaited the cop's response.

Cop carried a teasing tone as he remarked, "I should be the one asking this question – what are you doing here? But I guess I already know the answer. You just can't stay put, can you? Always finding your way to trouble. So, what is it this time? Did trouble send you an invitation, or did you personally RSVP to it? Oh, wait, it's practically the same thing, isn't it?"

As he spoke, he rubbed his forehead with his right hand, a smirk playing on his lips.

Maya chuckled, "Well, Officer, trouble does love my company. It's practically a package deal.

"The cop grinned, "A package deal, huh? You should consider getting that patented. Might be your ticket to fame.

"Maya rolled her eyes, "Fame and trouble – the dream team.

"He smirked, "They do say, 'If you can't beat them, join them.' Looks like you've taken that quite literally.

"Maya shot back, "Maybe I'm just giving trouble a run for its money."

He laughed, "You're a force to be dealt with, Maya."

Maya raised an eyebrow, "Is that a compliment, Officer, or an observation?"

He rested against the door frame, "Let's say it's both. You sure know how to make everyday things look exciting."

Maya grinned, "Life's too short for boring stuff, right?"

He nodded, "Absolutely. You've got a talent for making things interesting."

While conversing with the cop, Maya crossed her arms tightly over her chest.
A hint of seriousness in her tone, "I think for today, let's cut the taunting. Tell me seriously, what trouble are you talking about?"

The cop, maintaining a composed demeanor, replied, "Don't play dumb, Maya. You know very well why I'm here. I'm sure you've caught wind of the new sensation going viral on social media – the wonder woman."
As he spoke, he accompanied his words with subtle hand gestures, emphasizing the headlines that had stirred quite a buzz.

Maya asked, "So, you believe I'm this Wonder Woman?"

The cop replied with certainty, "It's not a belief; we operate on evidence. And right now, we have enough proof to bring me to your doorstep."

The cop scrolled through his phone, commenting, "Take a look at these comments on the video." He then turned the screen toward Maya, pointing out a particular comment, "Here, a guy claims, 'Hey, it's Maya. She's in my college, and sometimes we take the same MBA classes."