That day was my birthday and coincidentally, the day I left this atrocious place. I was still unsure how I was able to survive a whopping three weeks here without going completely berserk and my joy would be full when I was entirely out of that hospital.

Earlier, Louisa had me undergo several elaborate tests to ascertain if I was in a family way. To say I was relieved when everything proved negative would be putting it lightly 'cause I didn't even know how I would handle the absurdity of the situation if I was pregnant.

Notwithstanding, with everything that had occurred, I couldn't say that I was in a good state of mind to stomach it if the tests had come out contrary to what it was, since, I found myself spacing out, detaching myself from the world—even the turbulent dreams that plagued my nights and this time, it wasn't just the fire, what happened that night also tormented me.

It always left me so exhausted, so broken and the more I sensed my sanity evaporating away, the more I was convinced that I needed help.

But nothing was stopping me from leaving, even if the tests turned out positive 'cause as far as I was concerned, my life with the McGregors was over. It was behind me.

Gabriel shared my opinion too; we'd spoken over the phone the week before and he admitted a lot of things, including anticipating that Jared was bound to do something like this, that he was capable of it. And to my greatest surprise, he had encouraged me and had given me advice.

Besides Louisa, he was the last person that I thought would care about my condition. So, the fact that he reached out, left me quite astounded. Of course, Louisa acted like she cared, a lot of times, but I knew with an unwavering perspicuity that she didn't.

Given that Jared was yet to be seen, I remained unbothered as we rode home. I was going to pack my stuff and then take a permanent leave of absence from their lives.

"I'll wait for you downstairs," were Mr. McGregor's words once we reached the foyer.

I nodded and proceeded up the stairs, stopping momentarily at Jared's room as a wave of painful memories hit me like a brick.

While I packed, I thought about my destination; I didn't have any in particular but I had a better knowledge of the city now.

Delivering those pizzas on the bike had  afforded me the time and chance to explore the city. Sometimes when I was done for the day, I didn't return directly. In lieu, I spent my time familiarizing myself with a lot of places and locations. By then, I could say that I knew about half the city.

Something dropped out of one of my shirts and a gasp left me upon realizing what it was. The pendant Nicholas gave me… I'd forgotten that I had this. It had this interloping shape, infinity.

My teacher once uttered its meaning. It had been drawn on the board, being part of a particular calculus problem and someone had raised a hand to ask what it meant.

"This depicts the limit of a value of a function," he had started. "When it tends to become numerically bigger than any preassigned finite number. However, in a literal sense, it simply means endless, boundless, foreverness…"

"...endless, boundless…"

I suddenly realized how much thought was put into the gift. It was a promise that he—they would always be there for me, no matter what. Always…

"Oh, Nick…"

Somehow, a tear freed itself and my hand immediately flew to wipe it away. Once I composed myself, I put on the pendant.

I hastened in my packing and found my way downstairs. Ezra held Faustina, seemingly lost in thought. Once the feline laid eyes on me, she practically leapt out of his grasp bounding towards me…

"Will you miss me, Tina?" I chuckled as she nuzzled her face into my side. I never thought we'd get along but surprisingly, we did. I would definitely miss her.

Mr. McGregor stood up, walking over to us. I reached into my jeans to pull out the envelope and handed him the letter. "Whenever he turns up, I want him to have this."

Once he clutched the envelope, he gave me a pensive glance before he opened it, having the medallion tumble out.

At another glance, he spotted the new jewelry piece adorning my neck and after a solemn shake of the head, he returned the item to the envelope.

"Ok then."

I was having mixed feelings as I watched the house receding, nostalgia kept hitting me in torrents and I found myself wishing that things could've ended any other way but this. I was grateful for all they'd done for me up to that point and I didn't think I'd ever say this, but for the sake of what was left of my sanity, I hoped I never saw Jared again.

On turning my attention to the road ahead once more, I sighed. Well, happy birthday to me.

                        *         *         *
                             *         *

"Ooh come on…" I pleaded, watching the screen worriedly.

Three…

Two…

One…

Then everything froze. The allotted time was up. I groaned, suddenly feeling sore from sitting in one place for so long.

Staring at blaring screens, and searching for convenient scholarship schemes online hadn't been easy and the cybercafé had been my abode for the past few weeks. But I was done for that day.

Taking one clandestine glance around, I got up and headed toward the exit.

Harriet had been encouraging but I saw it as an act and something just didn't add up. Since Ezra attested to her goodness, there were noticeable unruly traits. Her kind acts seemed fake and I had learnt to take everything she told me with every bit of sarcasm. My stay with her lasted for more than two months and the deadline was three.

When Ezra was to drop me off, he'd asked me about the actual plan I had, but my response wasn't perspicuous enough and that was when he introduced me to Harriet.

He had done so much for me and the last thing I wanted was to owe them any more than I already did. Nevertheless, I let him pay for my accommodation for three months only. By the end of the third, if nothing good had come out of my stay, then I would return home. Once and for all.

So, I might as well have been singing my swan song, given that two months had elapsed and with the way things were going, I was already seeing myself on the next bus ride home.

I halted in front of the café before giving the building a long terse look. After dropping my stuff upstairs, I went down to the café and donned an apron to join the workforce.

It was mostly students that frequented the place and there wasn't a day that I didn't stop to admire them. That was what prompted my online search, you know, just trying my luck. However, so far it seemed absolutely aimless…

Fingers snapped into my field of vision and for moments, I watched the movement mindlessly until the sounds started to register, jolting me out of oblivion.

I shook my head, quivering. The mug I held threatened to fall and I tightened my grasp on it.

"Girl, you gotta stop this sh*t you be doing, it's strange," Johnnyboy warned sternly.

He turned and got to putting the creamy concoction together, which is called 'the latté'. Until then, I didn't really understand what it entailed, much less the difference between a cappuccino and a latté.

Johnnyboy was a weird name and who was I to object to what he wanted to be called? He had been working here for some time and had admitted to noticing that strange things happened around there especially disappearing coworkers and it was only the females.

He had told me that when they initially disappeared, they would be reported missing but after a short time, the case would be dropped without any of them ever being found. That one had gotten me all riled up, especially when he mentioned suspecting that Harriet's hand was involved in the disappearances.

Since then, I had been secretly planning on disappearing from there.

Presently, we were all working to keep up with the insatiable customers with both of us behind the counter. I was cleaning utensils before I had spaced out again. It was one of the reasons why I seldom worked directly in front of customers. It was also because of that uncontrollable habit that no one really talked to me. And also, because of my hideous face.

Anyone brave enough to hold a conversation with me lost interest after a handful of my two or three-worded replies or maybe after I spaced out in the middle of it.

So, I was basically the socially inept girl to whom no one talked. It wasn't my fault that I had become closed off to others and much more reserved. This was one of the times I missed my old job, and less external contact while sheathed in a cocoon of loneliness…

I let my fingers graze the hair that partially covered my visage before stifling a yawn. Maybe this time around, I was just tired.

Johnnyboy cleared his throat audibly from the counter's forefront. "I need more glassware here!"

With that, I hastened.

"Sorry about the delay," I pacified, arranging mugs on the platform.

He simply shrugged in response.

"You should totally go get that condition of yours checked. Of all the weird people I've met, you take the cake." Margaret sat on a stool facing me. She was waiting for Johnnyboy to finish preparing the orders she'd given him and was always sending snide remarks my way.

Rolling my eyes at her comment, I turned to go get more supplies.

Johnny and I almost bumped into each other and he grabbed my arm to stabilize me. Though it was done with just that intent, that little touch had me feeling out of sorts. It wasn't the first time I felt this way and for some inexplicable reason, those ugly memories flashed before my psyche instantly.

Looking around the café, I squinted my eyes to see if I could spot those strange people that frequented the joint. They comprised only men and severally, and I noticed them ogling some of us. Harriet was the one who entertained them and I always wondered what made them so special.

"Hi again!"

The obnoxious voice was familiar, and he stood in front of me. He was from the eatery I also worked in—since I had two jobs—and he wouldn't leave me be. That person definitely had a few loose screws.

"You're stalking me?!" I asked, appalled. I was still behind the counter and as soon as he took a stool, I scooted back a bit.

"I shamelessly admit, I was stalking you but also, I am a regular customer here." He explained.

"That is true," Johnnyboy chirped and I watched them exchange a fist bump. The shock on my face was immense but couldn't be noticed but it was there. Johnny inched towards me. "Though he's a bit cuckoo."

"Oh," I nodded, a sense of understanding creeping in.

I remembered how many times that guy sprung up whilst I was in the eatery or the cyber, and how many times I'd run off in a panic. With his large glasses and obsolete dressing, I thought he was high on drugs or something. I guessed this time around, I have to face whatever...this was.

"Look if you're trying to scare me or something then it's not working." I crossed my hands over my chest, asserting.

Johnnyboy chuckled beside me whilst he worked with the coffee machine.

"Scare you? In fact you scare me." He stated. This loon reminded me of that other man that had approached me on the night of the day that I had been newly ejected from the estate, the one that had spoken so badly… Subconsciously, my lips quirked up and my hand flew to cover my mouth before I could burst out laughing.

"You see, I don't understand why many things about you are left to the imagination. But that's not what I'm here to talk about…" I left him to tattle on while my attention drifted somewhere behind him.

Amidst all the noise and customers sat this ominous man, his eyes were keen on me and I was just noticing.

"-and that is why you would make a perfect model."

Johnny was laughing hard by now, including some customers that were privileged to be regaled by this strange man's babbling.

"Are you trying to mock me?" I huffed. How could he possibly compare to those flawless women? However, I didn't bother waiting for a response 'cause I stormed off. I was done for that day.

As I was about to start toward the stairs to my temporary abode, I remembered something before I backtracked to duck into Harriet's office.

Being able to hear her voice from my position at the door, I inadvertently overheard her conversation. To say I was appalled afterwards would be putting it lightly.

Having been right about her all along, I was now convinced of her personality and more intent than I had ever been on leaving that place… For there was a looming disaster in store for me if I stayed.