I shook away the disappointment and walked down from the porch and made my way around to the side of the house. I tested the first window I came up against and found it to be locked tight.
Crap.
I pressed on through the snow, and found myself gasping for breath as it became increasingly difficult to walk through. I was so cold that I couldn't feel anything so maybe walking through the snow was hard because my legs were starting to give out. I quickly realised why walking through the snow suddenly became harder. It was because it was snowing very heavily. Each flake was large and thick and made my task even more energy consuming.
"G-give m-me a b-break!" I said to Mother Nature in the vain hope that she was listening.
A large gust of wind hit me seconds later, and I took it as her telling me to feck off.
What a bitch.
I hiked through the snow in my five-inch heels, and just when I thought I was at the back of Darcy's house and almost safe from the snow on his back decking, I tripped and fell. I think I screamed, but I wasn't sure. I had to quickly use my hands to push my body up so I could lift my head out of the snow because I couldn't breathe.
"T-this w-was a b-bad b-bloody id-dea," I said to myself as my body began to violently shake.
I stomped my way out of the snow, and when I reached Darcy's decking I walked as carefully as I could to his back door. I closed and eyes and prayed to God that the door would be unlocked. I opened my eyes and lifted my hand to the door handle and slowly pulled it down.
Click.
"Oh, m-m-my G-god," I whispered through chattering teeth when the lock clicked and the door opened.
I was in. I successfully broke into Darcy's house all on my own.
Yes!
I tried to control my breathing because it sped up dramatically in the last twenty seconds. I was scared, and now that I was inside Darcy's house I had to find the doll and not get caught. It was mission impossible in my current state. I was shaking from the cold weather, and I couldn't feel my body.
I gently closed the kitchen door and reached down and pried my high heels off and left them by the back door. Darcy's kitchen wasn't dark, but it wasn't bright either. The light on the fan above his stove was switched on so it meant the room was somewhat lit. I looked around the kitchen and nodded in approval. A high gloss cream kitchen with black granite counter tops.
Nice choice, Darcy.
Working in construction clearly paid off for him.
I didn't know why, but I searched the entire kitchen for the doll. I had to check everywhere just in case Darcy put it somewhere that most people wouldn't think to look. I wouldn't leave his house without the bloody doll, so I'd make sure to check every cupboard, drawer and wardrobe. Luckily, all the movement I was doing caused my shaking to ease, and it even gave me some feeling back in my body. Thank God.
I glanced to the door at the end of Darcy's kitchen, it wasn't a nice door that had glass in the frame like the other door in the room, so I guessed it to be some sort of storage room. I tiptoed my way over to the door, but a hiss from my right halted my steps.
What the heck was that?
The area of the kitchen where I was looking was darker than the rest of the room, so naturally, I stepped forward to see what the hissing was. I squinted my eyes at the dark blanket that was thrown over some sort of box that sat on a stand high up in the air. Everything in me told me not to pull on the cover to see what was under it so I turned and walked to the wooden door and opened it.
I was right, it was a small storage room.
I reached inside the dark room and placed my palm flat on the cold wall and moved my hand around in search for a light switch. I couldn't find one, and just as I was about to switch my hand to the other wall of the storage room, the low hissing came from behind me again. I jumped with fright and spun around.
"What is that?" I whispered.
I stepped closer to the dark cover and carefully reached out with my hand. I hesitated when I touched the cover, but without a seconds thought I pulled it and gasped when something began hissing and flapping about in a cage.
It made a noise that instantly identified the creature as a bird.
A memory hit me then of Sean telling my mother, Darcy bought an African Grey Parrot. The parrot continued to hiss at me and it freaked me out. I didn't know birds could bloody hiss.
"Shhh," I whispered. "Be quiet."
"Shut up," the bird said then hissed again.
I froze to the spot, and stared at the bird.
Was I loosing my mind or did that bird just say what I think it did?
"What did you just say?" I asked.
"Water... You want some waterrr, baby girl?" the bird chirped.
I narrowed my eyes. "That's not what you said before."
"Nealaaaaa."
I froze to the spot, and blinked my eyes.
The bird said my name, and sounded a bit like a man.
"How do you know me name?" I asked, freaked out.
"Fuck off, Neala!"
What the hell?
"Be quiet!" I hissed and pointed my finger at the bird.
The bird hissed, "Darcy, Darcy, Darcy."
Oh, my God.
The bird was ratting me out.
"Shhh, you little bollocks!" I snapped and thumped the cage.
It was a bad idea because the bird went fucking crazy and squawked like it was being murdered.
"I'm sorry," I pleaded in a whisper, "Please be-"
I froze mid-sentence when the light in the kitchen was suddenly flicked on.
"What are you doing, Clarke?"
Oh Christ.
I screamed with fright and stumbled backwards until I tripped and fell on my arse again. I groaned as I looked up and widened my eyes when Darcy's half naked body came into view.
"You know I heard you coming up the driveway, right? I unlocked the back door so you wouldn't freeze to death."
I couldn't believe it.
He knew I was here all along?
Darcy grinned. "Don't look so surprised, you weren't exactly quiet, Neala."
I shook my head and opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out.
Darcy chuckled, "Cat got your tongue? I'm sure an hour or two in here will change your mind."
What?
"What are you- Darcy!"
He closed the door of the storage room and turned the lock.
"Use this time to think about what you've done."
"Darcy!" I screamed. "Let me out or I'll fucking kill you!"