Day 1 - 07:28 AM
Morning! Morning Sunshine! Good Morning Sunshi-
Zai grasped around blindly for her phone before finally reaching it and shutting off the alarm.
Peeling the thick blankets away from her body, she took the time to appreciate the soft covers of her old room. She leaned back and took a deep breath. Smells like cinnamon and honey...
After bringing the phone's screen back up to her face, she checked the time.
The RFA App had remained installed on her phone during all her resets, so she knew that Unknown could text her at any time and send her packing to Rika's apartment; meaning she had to get this part done fast.
Hastily throwing off the remaining covers, she bounced out of bed and began pulling on her most comfortable clothes. This time she'd at least have an extra outfit or two for excursions. She wouldn't be sitting idly inside that apartment like she'd done in the past.
After getting everything together, Zai paused at the door. Pulling out her phone once more, she made sure it was turned off before leaving the house that she knew she couldn't return to.
Standing at the gate and looking back towards the building she'd spent most of her life in, Zai felt a pang of remorse for so eagerly abandoning the life, and the person, she once was.
"I'm doing this for them. I have to remember this is all for them."
With that, she strode away.
Day 1 - 09:16 AM
Her first order of business was selling her old car. She'd always parked it in a structure several blocks away from the complex that Rika's apartment was located at, and never one to shy away from a short walk, Zai had never needed to use it very often, except for the few times she'd gone grocery shopping. Therefore, selling it was an important step in the next part of her plan.
She'd purchased an older model car for cheap with cash a little while later, and used it for the rest of the day. It was incredibly basic, lacking the features that most modern cars came equipped with, such as a built-in GPS system.
Next, she went about buying a few disposable phones, as well as a new smartphone for herself which she immediately synced to her old IM and HMail accounts. Ever since she had installed the RFA app, she hadn't been able to access her regular email or messaging programs. She wondered if anyone she knew had messaged her during those eleven repeating days she spent as a willing captive living in a deceased woman's apartment.
After she completed all of the tasks she had set out to do, Zai turned on her old phone and waited for the inevitable while checking the emails she'd received and consequently forgotten about after the whirlwind that was Rika's Fundraising Association came into her life.
Surprisingly, after sifting through the multiple token spam emails and texts from her parents (they'd moved to the UK after she became independent and had been living it up ever since), there was one left from her aunts. A pair of highly eccentric wildlife enthusiasts who had apparently retired and gone to Hawaii to spend the rest of their days among animals they'd never seen before. She wished them both the best, but the most interesting news was the fact that they had apparently left her a small estate about a three-hour drive away in the middle of the woods.
In their own words, it was "A minimalist hideaway that we spent many days in just watching the local fauna. The house fits in with the place so well that it's super easy to miss it, but we put up a few signs so that you can find your way there along with our directions". It was an incredibly generous gift by the two women, and considering her current situation, Zai wasn't about to waste it.
Turning off the GPS on her old phone, she emailed her aunts an enthusiastic 'thank you' before inputting the house's address on her new phone's navigation, and carefully driving to her destination.
Day 1 - 12:41 PM
Finally, she arrived at the spot where her aunts had said they'd placed the signs. Sure enough, there were a few picket stakes half buried into the ground painted a gaudy red color that anyone with a pair of semi-functioning eyes could see. She'd have to get rid of those later.
Coming up to the house, she could tell that they really weren't joking when talking about how well camouflaged the building was. The walls were made out of one-way glass that made the outside of the house reflect its surroundings, making it nearly impossible to detect by someone who didn't know what they were looking for.
The entrance to the house didn't seem to have a key, but a number pad similar to the one installed on the front door of Rika's apartment. She could only hope that this property didn't have a bomb buried under it either.
Bringing out her phone, she reread her aunt's email to double check if they had given her a number combination. No such luck. So what could they have used as a passcode? She stared at the numbers on the pad for a few seconds before automatically inputting a four digit code and almost jumping back when the door gave a positive sounding beep of approval and unlocking for her.
. . . My birthday? Well, way to be cliché.
The inside of the house was quite impressive if she was being honest. It was sparsely decorated, but the simple kitchen, living room, and fireplace were homey and comfortably spaced. She noticed the loft from outside, but now she felt like a kid again and was eager to explore.
Zai spent the next couple hours learning the ins and outs of the building. It turned out there was a garage covered in some incredibly convincing fake foliage, and she made a reminder to herself to park her car there when she came back. There were four bedrooms, each with a king size mattress, and enough bed covers to make a decent nest out of. All in all, it was the perfect place for her. Too bad she couldn't use it for almost two weeks.
Stepping outside and locking the door behind her, Zai was startled by the sound of crunching leaves and was that panting?
Reacting quickly, she avoided being almost knocked over by a huge furry black missile.
"What the hey? Jammin'!?" Said furry black missile spun around and barked at her before giving her a huge doggy smile. Zai's face split into a grin as she knelt on the doorstep of the house as the large canine barreled right into her open arms and began slathering her face with sloppy kisses. "Aw come on! I know it's been a while but that's no reason to get me all dirty!" She was still laughing even as she stood and brushed the dead leaves from her pants and gave the coal colored dog a generous pat on the head. Jammin' was her aunt's dog, so what was he doing here?
Zai pulled out her phone and opened the email once more while fending off Jammin's savage kisses with her other hand. It wasn't until she scrolled down to the very bottom of the email that she noticed the postscript.
"P.S. Zai, we couldn't bring Jammin' with us to Hawaii, so we left him with the estate. You've always wanted a dog of your own right?" She shook her head and knelt down to bury her fingers in the thick black coat.
"I'm sorry I left you here all alone before. Can you handle a few more days on your own? hm?" Jammin', who was still a dog, simply looked at her with regular doggy adoration before licking her face again. "Pfft! Down puppy!" She played with Jammin' while wandering around the exterior of the building and finally locating the small kennel situated behind the house itself. If she estimated correctly, it could have fit at least six dogs Jammin's size, or possibly more if they were smaller.
Apparently, there was a built-in food and water dispenser already installed within the building, and Jammin' was obviously trained well enough not to run away without any supervision if he was still here. She had no idea how long he'd been left on his own but he could clearly look after himself for at least a few days.
She refilled the dispensing mechanisms before washing up inside the house once more and packing away a few extra supplies, she had to get back soon or risk missing Unknown's text. Giving Jammin' one last loving pat, she departed.
On her way out, she pulled out the garish red stakes and threw them into the trunk of her car. She replaced them with a few reflective silver pins she'd found inside the house, embedding them in the trees that marked the entrance. Others probably wouldn't notice them, but she knew where they were in location to the house, so they would be easy to spot.
"Now that that's been taken care of...it's back to society with me." Zai dusted off her clothes and began the return drive to her former home.
Day 1 - 05:28 PM
She'd been a little over three-fourths of the way back when her old phone had buzzed ominously in her pocket. Pulling over to the side of the road, she took a deep breath and did her best to still her trembling fingers as she unlocked the screen and opened the RFA app. It was time for everything to start coming together.
/ Unknown: ...Hello...? /
/ Zai: ? /
/ Unknown: Can you see this? /
/ Zai: Yes I can. /