I know I was supposed to update on Thursday but I had examinations. And 2 reviews….please? Just two reviews, come on people! 2 nice reviews…? It takes 4 hours to type a chapter because it's 90% thinking and 10% writing.

Enjoy the chapter!

Suspicion. Doubtful. When you feel like you can't trust anyone anymore. When you feel everything slipping out of your hands because of someone's actions. When you're not certain of someone else's motives anymore. Suspicions and doubts are everywhere you go. Suspicion is when you think thrice of someone's intentions before accepting their gifts. Suspicion is when you begin to doubt everything about a person. Suspicion often leads to hatred.

It was the year 2032. Long gone were the times of peace and harmony in the world of humans.

No, this was the era of violence, the era of treason, the era of suspicion, the era of pure selfishness. No one was sure of anything or anyone anymore. Everyone had a motive behind even the simplest of actions.

Melanie played with a strand of her hair idly, her thoughts far away, stuck on a pink-haired girl who happened to be her cousin, Sharon, as she leaned against her sofa in her living room. Three days. Three days since Sharon had almost gotten kidnapped by who knows who. Even though Melanie had saved her with help from Ian, Sharon was traumatized.

It was as if the whole episode had left her dear cousin scarred. Sharon had lost weight in the last two days alone. She had stopped eating, she was sensitive to the faintest of sounds and there seemed to be tears in her eyes that never seemed to vanish. Her gaze was empty and glassy, as if she were staring past someone into the empty future. Hopeless and broken.

Melanie had tried to talk to Sharon, of course. She tried to break the strong walls Sharon had unintentionally built around herself but she didn't know how.

She felt exhausted; emotionally drained. She wanted to sleep and take her mind off things for a while. She kept on singing Night Changes for some reason as she shuffled, half-asleep, to her room.

Melanie was roused by a loud bang that seemed to be coming from the kitchen. And the sound of someone snoring. Who the hell was snoring? She shifted in her bed, yawning and then propped herself on elbows

Ian was asleep on the couch that was positioned opposite to her bed in her room, snoring lightly.

He looked so innocent when he slept with the mischief wiped off his face. Ian actually looked younger when he slumbered though, somehow more vulnerable. Melanie smiled. Someday, when Ian would get married, she would tell his kids that. Though their mother eventually would. But Aunt Melanie would always know Father Ian better than their Mommy O'Shea.

Why was she thinking about Ian's kids? Yeah, she was definitely going crazy but then again, who wasn't crazy?

She glanced at the clock which indicated that it was currently four twenty-nine p.m. and thirty nine point six five seconds. Maybe she and Ian could grab something at McDonalds. She'd prefer fries and Fanta.

She crept silently out of her bed, tiptoeing to her couch. The back of her hand brushed Ian's face.

"O'Shea, wake up." Melanie whispered.

He didn't open his eyes.

Great, now he's going to sleep for as long as he wants to and it's going to take a hell lot of time. She paced to her closet and pulled it open, revealing her clothes and accessories.

Okay, blue ruffled tank top, skinny jeans and a black cardigan? Nah.

The purple tee is cute…but it reveals too much.

Maybe, that white tank top and ripped grey silver skinny jeans? Like, it doesn't reveal too much,, right? She looked through her closet a bit more, before deciding on the white tank top outfit.

She quickly changed into her white tank top and her grey skinny jeans, not really caring that Ian was sleeping right across the room because well, he slept like a baby. And babies sleep a lot and they sleep like dead. So basically, right now, Ian was sleeping like a dead…okay this analogy and philosophy thing is going too far.

Okay that peach cardigan would match with this.

So basically, Melanie was obsessed with cardigans, tank tops and skinny jeans.

She took out her make up kit and applied a few layers of makeup and then pulled her hair into a ponytail.

Well, she looked cute with a ponytail but…it wouldn't hurt to try a braid or a bun or straightening them….

Being a girl was not easy.

Melanie quickly finished her cup of regular black coffee.

"Ah, no boyfriend today?" The waitress remarked, raising her eyebrows wittily. The idea made Melanie want to laugh and chop the waitress's head off. Laugh because an impossible thing like that one was too ridiculous. Chop the head off because why the hell was the waitress so interested in her life and why was she smirking? Bitch, Imma wipe that smirk off your face.

She was facing a dilemma, should she laugh or should she put the waitress in her place? Naturally, her irritation overpowered her humor.

"What's it to you?" Melanie snapped at the smiling waitress. The waitress shook her head and continued smiling. Brenda Waters, the tag on her uniform read. Before she could leave, Melanie grabbed the tanned girl's hands.

"Are you going to tell me or not?" Melanie asked, rage blazing in her eyes. She gritted her teeth.

"Chill, I just asked you a question." The waitress said.

"Don't ever ask me about my personal life again!" Melanie spat. Melanie saw something shift in the waitress's black irises. The humor changed to fear. Good.

"You are a waitress. I am your customer that you live to serve." Melanie reminded her bitterly. "So, stay in your limits, and stay professional."

She was about to get lost when Melanie called her. Mel didn't know why but her instincts were screaming at her to run, to get out of this place.

"Hey!" The waitress turned around and made her way to Melanie again. Melanie took twenty dollars out of her wallet and handed it to her. "There. That's the bill."

The waitress's eyes widened. Is she crazy or is she just uneducated seemed to be the waitress's thoughts. "But ma-"

"Take it!"

"But that's against the rules of the –" The waitress was about to say when Melanie cut her off. "Look, my name's Melanie Stryder. Sign it however you want. Please, just do the billing process for me."

The waitress nodded.

Melanie exited the coffee shop, quickly getting into her car.

See, this was why Melanie needed Ian. His cool and calm nature kept her impulsive one under control. He calmed her down and usually Ian was the one who ordered everything for the two of them. What am I going to do when he moves to Washington; I can't survive a day without him? She thought, shaking her head.

Sharon. Her subconscious reminded her. Worry about Sharon.

Sometimes, she hated her subconscious. Her less selfish subconscious.

Why would anyone want to kidnap Sharon? Her family wasn't very rich, they were middle-class people. She wasn't drug dealing or into drugs or alcohol or at least, not that Mel knew about. She didn't owe anyone money. She had never stolen anyone's boyfriend.

Maybe the man was a serial killer on loose but Melanie had never seen him on the news or anything and besides a serial killer could not have possibly looked so remorseful or frightened.

Her phone screen lighted up. It was text message from an unknown number.

Hi, baby.
x J.

What the hell? What trick was fate playing on her? And why was everything happening this week? First, her cousin was almost kidnapped. Now, she gets a text message from a psycho,

Who is this? She replied.

The answer from the stranger came almost immediately;

Don't you know who I am, babe? You know me.

.

.

.

.

I'm watching you.

Melanie trembled. Chills went down her spine and all of a sudden everything was dizzy. Someone is watching me. She had a sudden urge to cry.

She bit her lip. She never really cried. And she would not cry because of a stupid text. She hastily blocked the stalker's number.

I need to get out of here. She thought as she started her car. She was about to push the pedal when a sight caught her eyes.

Sharon was there. Again. But this time, she was talking to the man who had been her almost-kidnapper. Apprehension colored their faces.

Sharon's eyes met Melanie's.

They were not pure green anymore.

There seemed to be glimmering silver rings behind them.

What the hell?