"Hey Rose – you got room in here for another person?" Jack's smooth american voice asks though my door just as I settle in on my couch to watch tv with my comfortable blanket.

He opens the door to my bedroom and peers inside cautiously.

"Aaaaaah! Pervert!" I cry hiding under my blanket making him suddenly close the door embarrassed.

"S-sorry!" I hear him apologise through the door, sounding quite embarrassed and undoubtedly very red-faced.

I laugh after some silence, having just pulled a fast one on him.

"You were playing with him?" I hear a faintly english accented woman's voice question slightly confused as I sit up.

The door open's abruptly and Jack looks – no he glares at me unamused.

"That was not funny... Anyways Smartass. This lady here needs a place to stay while shes going through the intake. I figured you'd be the best bet and you do need help at work don't you?" he explains half-grumpily as I stand up calmly.

I look at the woman and smile pleasantly.

She is easily a foot and half taller then me.

Has short brown hair.

A well muscled build and despite her best efforts to hide it, I can tell immediately that this woman has no need of our group (which helps people who have either criminal or other unsavory backgrounds avoid the hubub of leaving their old lives behind to begin anew as normal civilians ).

But something compels me to keep quiet about all of this and learn more about her.

A strange familiarity I haven't felt since I last saw my semi-adoptive sister (my father didn't allow her family to adopt me).

"So'k with me." I look at him and smiles brightly.

Over the next few weeks living with the woman I only confirm she's a soldier.

But none that I've ever studied or could've dreamed of.

Too, professional.

Shes abit of a strange person. Though I'm really one to talk about others being strange when I obviously strike her as being a very odd person myself.

Considering my odd sixth senses and empathy of others emotions.

Despite our obvious differences, we seem to get along fairly well.

Even work at that trashy apartment complex I maintain the cleanliness of, is better and more fun with her around.

It's still abit unsettling to be the one being told what to do and not to do by my co-workers all the time due to my youth and 'simple' point of view.

Which earns me the nickname 'kid' or according treatment.

Its difficult to be heard or taken seriously when your treated like a dumb child.

A good example of this would be from three days ago when I walked into the underground parking just outside the office and walked in on the the four men we work with (3 maintenance guys and the landscaper) all chatting and complaining about the lack of supply's or tools to do their jobs.

I listen for a little while and finally speak the obvious and say "Well if our boss complains why not hand them the list -" I begin to say but the senior maintenance man – Gordon shoots me a glare then snaps harshly "Stay out of it!" his harsh words stun the others into silence and I close my mouth immediately regretting that I tried to help.

The others say nothing to either of us but its obvious to me Gordon knows he was abit harsh as he heads off to a maintenance 'closet'.

I hold myself together until I'm at the gate closest to my building before I can no longer hold the tears back.

I hide in my 'janitor's closet' and wait until I've somewhat collected myself then I go downstairs and begin sweeping the area around the parkade doors after running into Gordon in the laundry room when I opened the door to sweep in there after using the sink to wash my face with some cold water.

But since he's in there working I decide to go else ware and wait until hes done.

I listen to my music as I sweep and puff on a smoke to further calm myself – though it only marginally helps.

I worry about running across someone who wants to talk and due to my fragile emotional state, just bursting into tears, having them try to console me then having to makeup something to explain it.

Or being caught smoking in the parkade by the manager which may get me fired on the spot.

"Hell. Breathing could get you fired on the spot..." I think sourly as I continue smoking as I sweep.

Eventually I go back upstairs, wash my face then clean my entire building till I have to go meet the others at the third building to clean it.

The rest of the day goes normally though I can't help but kick myself for thinking I could impart some logic to the others that our bosses cant treat us like they have if we demand better, nor can they fire us.

But again I just can't put this across to anyone.

'Cept my roommate who understands but doesn't say anything either which I understand she cant draw too much attention to herself.

Outside what her physical appearance attracts.

One other note that adds to the misconception of my age is – that evening she and I went grocery shopping and a older woman practically patted me on the head as she commended me for helping 'my big sister' with shopping as if I were nothing but a small child despite the fact I'm almost 'my big sisters' height.

This made us look at one another before I stopped my roomie from correcting her and instead played along – thanking the woman as I did my best not to collapse into laughter right there.

Instead I poked 'my sister' playfully then darted off as if playing a game.

I sprinted to a quiet section of the store before bursting out laughing.

"Is that how your normally treated?" she asks.

I'm laughing so hard it takes me a good 60 seconds or more to collect myself enough to answer her as she watches me bemused.

"Yeah. Then if I act like an adult I'm treated like a delinquent teen." I pant still snickering.

We finish our shopping without much more trouble 'cept when I pickup and carry the large sacks of potatoes and the 10kg bag of sugar on my shoulders – two men try to take and carry them insisting a girl shouldn't do such heavy lifting.

But I nimbly avoid their attempts, dancing circles around the two easily until my 'sister' tells them to stop bothering, we can handle them.

So they do and I thank them for the offer but "Imma big girl, and I can handle the bags." I smile lightly before the two of us head off.

I cook dinner as she is out for a long run and to pickup a ice cream cake on her way back for dessert.

I just finish putting the dishes of food on the table when she returns with the ice cream cake for dessert.

Though what catches my attention is her saying good-bye to someone outside.

"A friend?" I ask in my usual motherly manor as I head back into the kitchen, taking my apron off.

"Oh, an old friend I met on my run." she answers dismissively while bringing the ice cream cake into the kitchen then places it into the fridge's freezer.

"Oh. Okay. Well dinner is ready. I hope you like it." I smile warmly heading to the front where I lock the door and we begin dinner quietly.

6 months pass and my roommate and I grow to know one another fairly well though we have afew unspoken but understood secrets between us.

"Okay I'm off." I chime as I slide my black stylized boots on then I adjust my bag. "Okay so you will be home by 21:00?" she asks while reading one of my three copy's of 'The art of war', quietly reclined on the couch.

"No actually I may not be home till 23:00 or at the latest 03:00. Don't worry though I will phone if I'm going to be later then 23:00 and when I'm on my way home." I answer as I pick my keys up off their hook that I always hang them on by the door so I don't lose them.

"Wait. What are you doing tonight?" she asks concerned.

"See you later!" I chime already out the door, with it half closed.

"Rose!" she hollers after me concerned.

Throwing the door open seconds after I've closed it but I'm already gone.

Later that evening I wander the streets following the directions I had written down.

I've been searching for so long my feet ache and my stomachs complaints are so loud the saying 'my stomach thinks my throat's been cut' keeps reminding me I should eat soon. After another half hour of walking and putting off getting something to eat I sigh defeatedly, honestly abit frustrated.

"Damn..." I curse softly to myself as I stop at a busy street corner to look for a fast food joint.

I spot one just down the street and head to it.

After getting some food I head back out and spend the rest of the night wandering around looking for something but at 22:26 I sigh again hopelessly.

I sulk as I head back though some quiet streets to an old park in the city.

I sit on the edge of the fountain in the deserted park then sniffle as I watch the ripples on the water. "I'm never going to find her, maby I'm just going crazy and I really am the only one... I've really lost everyone.." I sniffle as I mutter to myself depressed before breaking down into tears.

For a good long while I just sit there sobbing hopelessly as the feeling of being utterly alone, having just lost everyone and everything I held dear crushes down upon me. When I finally calm down and check my watch I notice I'm ten minutes past when I should've called home.

"Aw shit!" I curse and fumble to pull my phone out.

"Rose?! Are you okay? Where are you?" my roomie asks obviously concerned.

"Yes I'm okay. I'm on my way now. Sorry things just took abit longer then I expected." I explain apologetically as I stand up then begins walking back to the transit station. "What took so long?" she inquires interested.

"Sorry I didn't catch that. I'm in the train station. I'll be home soon. I'll talk to you when I get in." I say in my best 'honest' tones before hanging up.

On my way home I cant help but feel like I'm being followed.

As I get closer to home I just brush it off as paranoia when I don't see anyone visibly watching or trying to follow me when I fake exit the train then at the last second jump back on like I realized I got off at the wrong station.

I head back home without any trouble and I just step into the door to the interrogation from my room mate on where I had been, what I was doing and why I was so late in calling.

After some time of talking and being busted on every 'lie' I tell her about where I had been, what I was really doing, etc.

I finally sigh as I stand up exhausted "Its like your secrets and meeting with your friend – don't want to talk about it... Please don't ask me anymore." I state depressed before heading off to bed exhausted.

That night I hear her getup and I roll over tiredly as she leaves the room quietly – my guess is to use the bathroom.

But a second or two after I hear the sound of an air compressor discharge.

Than there's an eerie silence.

"Sara?" I inquire curiously as I hear the bedroom door open slowly.

Shortly afterwards I feel someone pounce on me driving a needle into my leg, injecting a 'warm' fluid into my vein.

I immediately realize its a heavy sedative as it quickly begins relaxing me.

I do my best to resist the sedative and fight the person, but its no use they've got me pinned and my struggling is only making the sedative work faster, blurring my vision steadily.

As my vision begins to blur into unrecognizable shapes I notice Sara's shadow just in the hall, apparently perfectly fine.

"Damn.." I mutter softly then sigh, giving into the overwhelming tired feeling as my eyelids sink down then close.