Short chapter I know but if you kill me you won't get any more chapters…ever.
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Olivia ran up to the front door, gun drawn. She hoped she could find a way into the house because there was no way she could bust down the door. She tested the door handle just to make sure it was locked and found that it swung open. She crept into the house pinpointing where the screams were coming from and approached cautiously.
And what she saw was not what she had expected at all…but she understood completely. It felt wrong for her to stand and watch but she didn't want to interrupt.
Shal slammed earphones into ears and blasted the music, in this moment she didn't care about damaging her hearing. Now was the time to unlock her emotions. Angry screams and snarls tore from her throat. She began obliterating the punching bag she had set up in the living room. Tears of anger and frustration streamed down her face blending with her sweat, she didn't know whether she cried for herself or the poor girl, Sarah. She didn't know if she screamed in rage because Jeremy James had held her hostage or a man named Kevin had beaten and raped a nine year old girl and her twenty two year old sitter. In reality she knew it was all those things and more, those dark scars on her soul a reminder that it was so much more. She collapsed to the ground, her emotions spent.
She turned off her music and took out her ear phones, "I'm gonna grab some ice cream, anybody want some?" She called out.
"Sure."
Shalimar jumped, "Christ!"
"Uh. No" Olivia replied.
Shalimar laughed, if a bit hysterically, in relief. It was a release from the raw emotions and the high of a hard workout.
Olivia looked at her worried as she gasped for air.
Shalimar composed herself and grinned, "For a moment I thought I was completely crazy. I thought for a second Akala was talking."
Olivia smiled and shook her head, "Just me, I stopped by to see if you wanted to go for drinks with Elliot and me."
Shalimar caught her reflection in a window, "Uh-"
"You can get yourself cleaned up of course" Olivia said recognizing the look on Shalimar's face.
"Okay" Shal said hesitantly and headed for her bathroom, "Make yourself at home" she called out.
Ten minutes later Shalimar entered the living room clean and changed. Olivia sat on the couch, Akala sprawled at feet and Cal curled in her lap.
"Ready?" Olivia said as picked Cal up off her lap, "We can carpool" Olivia offered. Shalimar nodded.
Olivia and Shalimar sat in silence the first few minutes of the car ride then Shal spoke up.
"I find it salutary and restorative" Shal said referring to her emotional tirade.
Olivia just nodded, she didn't expect to Shal to give an explanation.
"Screams plus cop instincts equals me standing in your living room entrance" Olivia said, justifying her presence in Shal's home uninvited.
"Thanks…" she said expressing her gratitude for Olivia's concern, "I'm just glad Akala doesn't speak." They giggled
"Actually…" Olivia said grinning as they pulled into the parking lot.
Fresh peals of laughter floated from the car.
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BTW… I'z IMMORTALZ!!!!!!!