My Husband's Girl

2.24 - Let the Game Begin.

Playlist :
     She wants revenge - Up in Flames.

Alison/Sapphire

     A grocery shopping mart size building came in my view making me halt my marathon. The walls were painted in black with red paint splashed on it, in a blood dripping kind of way. I cringed at the sight as it reminded me the haunting image of the deer I saw earlier. A neon twisted lighting was placed on the top, forming the word 'Spook House' with a scary, mechanical clown's face placed beside it that opened and closed its mouth. The clown itself gave me the chills, no wonder the kids were scared the other day.

Suddenly, I realized something. Removing the torn yellow balloon from my pocket I glanced at the drawing of a small cottage with black ink on it and then back at the Spooky House. This two were different. Am I in the right place?

"Of course I am. Do I really expect her to draw the exact structure of the Spooky House? Maybe her plan was this, make her doubt her actions and waste time." I thought to myself while glancing at my wristwatch and noticing the time. It was half-past seven. I shrugged away all the doubts and began walking towards the booth where they give you a band and a map of the house, in case you get lost.  I took my band and map before walking towards the entrance where there was a big queue. I stood behind a woman and began waiting impatiently. People grunted in front of me as a loud wailing of a baby filled their ears. Standing on my tiptoes I looked in front and found a woman, around my age, maybe a little younger than me, rocking a baby back and forth in her arms to hush her but the baby continued to cry and struggle in her arms.  

Don't this people have humanity in them? Can't they go and help her instead of grunting. What surprised me the most was the reply of a teenage guy standing in front of her, "Take her away and hush her up." He hissed. A girl in front of him added "You are embarrassing us." while looking around. The lady looked around and nodded her head, before breaking the queue and walking away. I just can't take it, so I too break the queue and follow her. 

"Excuse me!" I called out when she stopped in a secluded part of the carnival. The blonde lady turned around and looked at me with a confused frown. " Can I help?" I asked and pointed my finger at the struggling baby in her arms. She hesitantly looked at me and then at the baby. Reluctantly she nodded before handing me the baby. An unconscious smile graced my lips when I held the baby in my arms. The moment transported me back to the time when I used to rock Raine and Ryker and lul them to sleep. Humming a lullaby I rocked the baby while pacing around. The baby's cry turned to sniffles and finally into soft snores. I continued rocking the baby for few more moments before handing the baby back to the lady whose face showed nothing but relief an gratitude. She adjusted the baby in her arms and smiled at me gratefully. "Thank you!" She said to which I just smiled at her in reply. 

"New to motherhood?" I asked and brushed my hand over the baby's head. The lady nodded in reply. "How do you do it?" She asked after a while of silence. "The key to it is patience. Be patient and loving. That's all a baby needs." I said. The lady nodded. "Do you mind me asking, why was he crying?" I asked. She replied with "When we were driving to the carnival, we saw a house which is rumoured to be haunted. The kids wanted to check it out. So they went in with Adam. Connor told me to stay in the car and that's what I did. Adam was happy while going inside but I don't know what happened inside when they returned Adam was quiet, extremely quiet." She said and looked at the baby, Adam. "They?" I questioned. "My stepchildren." She answered and glanced at the teenagers from earlier who told her to walk away because Adam was crying. 

My mouth formed an 'o' shape at that. Suddenly I realized something. "What cottage?" I asked. She turned around and looked at me "The haunted cottage outside the town." She answered with a frown, probably thinking I'm some gone case as she has already said it earlier. I hurriedly removed the balloon from my pocket and showed her the picture. "Did it look like this?" I asked, tucking the annoying strand of hair behind my ear, I looked at her expectantly. She looked at the picture and nodded. All the adrenaline was back making me jump into action. "Which way is it?" I asked impatiently. "That way." She pointed towards the woods. "After you cross the woods the house is in plain view." She said. I glanced at my watch and cursed. Only ten minutes left to eight. "I'm sorry but I gotta go," I said to her in a rush and began running towards the direction of the woods but before I could run far I stopped and turned my head around to look at the lady who was still watching me with a look of pure confusion. "I can see you are trying to be good to your stepchildren so one day they'll see your good side and accept you, but the truth is, they won't accept you as their motherly figure until you don't start acting like one." I  gave her a quick smile and resumed my run.