Part 3

I lay in bed that night, and I thought about that photo I had seen at Derrick’s house. No, Josh’s house I corrected myself. I mean, what was wrong with referring to it like that? I mean, since Josh lives there and I go there. Nah, maybe not. It’ll stay Derrick for now. I rolled over and tried counting sheep. I tossed and turned but I just couldn’t get comfortable enough to sleep. Feeling restless, I got up and dug through the pile of unfinished school assignments until I found my iphone. I turned it on. The room immediately lighted up with the glow of its screen, illuminating my face.

I scrolled through the list of music until I found a song I liked and plugged in my headphones. I leaned my head on the wall and looked out the window, music blaring in my ear. I sat there by myself for some time, before finally dozing off with my iphone still in my hand. The last thing I heard was some crashing and splintering sound, before an unusual drowsiness had washed over me, whisking me away from the world into a land full of dreams and nightmares.

I woke up with a start. Everything was still dark outside, so it could well be dusk, maybe even still the middle of the night. I rubbed my eyes, smudging my eyeliner on my face. Had I really been that careless to not rub off my eye make-up? I still felt really groggy, and my arms shook when I tried to lift them. What was wrong with me? Had I gained some hypnotised high fever? What had made me wake up in the first place?

I swivelled my head round and I gasped, my eyes as wide as saucers. What a mess! My curtains were torn and were hanging limp. And there was glass everywhere. I spotted a brick lying on the floor. Who had done this? Somebody had very obviously broke my window and climbed into my room without me seeing. Why? But then something came back to me. I suddenly remembered that strange woozy feeling that had taken over my body a couple of hours ago. How did that go along? Then it hit me. I stood up shakily and felt around the floor and my desk. My hand closed around a small, sharp object. I held it up to the faint light coming from my open curtains. A syringe. Someone had most likely stuck this syringe into me to put me to sleep for a couple of hours, so they could do whatever they had planned to.

What could they possibly want? I noticed that a few things were missing. For starters, my iphone and my pearl necklace were gone, and so were my strappy sandals and stiletto heels. I went through my bedside table drawer and discovered that all my diamond jewerlly was gone, and my wallet was empty. I think we have been robbed! Someone definitely stole them.

I threw open the door and hurried to dad's room. I shook him awake and started babbling the story. The whole time dad just looked at me with a bewildered expression. “Kat, Kat! What are you talking about? A robbery? Don’t' be silly!” I made him sit up properly and explained the whole story all over again, this time more slowly. I dragged him to my room and showed him what had happened. Dad gaped at my room. “Good lord! Your right! We need to call the police,” Dad put on his important-business voice and took charge. “Right, Kat. While I am calling, I want you to check the whole house from top to bottom to see if anything is missing. Please check on Angie too and make sure she is safe and asleep. Hurry along now!”

He picked up the phone and started dialling. I was panicking. I raced from room to room and pulled out all the drawers and opened closets. Nothing this serious, apart from the accident, had ever happened to us that involved the police! By the time I finished, I was exhausted. I had finally felt truly sleepy. But I wouldn't be going to bed anytime soon now! The only other things that were missing from the house were our special silverware set and all of Dad's watches and chains. But the only thing I had forgotten to do, was to check on Angie.

I flopped down into a chair and reported. Dad wrote it down on a piece of paper and said that the police were coming over in around ten minutes. I downed a glass of cold water and offered a glass to Dad as well. He sipped it and looked at the clock. “5:00am.” he said out loud. I nodded. The whole time we were waiting for a police car to pull up in our driveway was spent with me biting my hangnails till they were raw and dad taking tiny sips of his glass of water.

Finally, after what seemd like hours of anticipated waiting, a police car pulled up in the driveway. Two policemen jumped out and strode up to our front door. “What has been going on here?” The bald policeman demanded. I repeated my story for the third time. The policemen listened with interest and wrote notes. Dad also concluded what I had reported to him. The bald policeman mumbled as he wrote, “Stolen things... middle of night... drugging...” The other policeman, a relatively young blonde, scratched his head. This might be his first real case, by the looks of it.

The policemen started talking with dad, taking no notice of me. They walked around our house and investigated. The young one went outside and called us over. Even the backyard was somewhat scandalled. 

The grass looked trampled, buckets were all knocked over, even our fence was graffitied. I read something out loud, “You are dead.” It was written in a bright burgundy colour and was a bit smudged. The bald policeman came over and scribbled that on his pad. He also included the other scratchings on the fence. “This could help with the case and add a few more clues,” I looked around the yard and spotted a strange crumpled outline in the mud. It had all these random wrinkly lines in it. I called out to the police and they came over. One of the policmen leaned over and looked at it closely. “Looks like some sort of mark that a bag or a rucksack could make, somebody must have brought some sort of bag to carry all the stolen items, so its logical. But its not so wise to put it on the ground. Fortunate for us, unfortunate for the robber.” Dad huddled over with the two policemen and waved me away. “This is enough Kat, thanks forour help but go to bed now. Get some sleep.” I didn't argue. Trust them to figure it out by morning. I fell asleep before my head even hit the pillow.

A week later, as it turned out, the case of the 'robbery' was solved. It was in the newsper, and since the community knew about it, a couple of folks came and helped us clean up everything, paint the fence with new paint, they even had the kindness to do a few extra things for us. For those last few days there was always a tuna casserole or a sheperd pie on our doorstep, a little card in the post written by a wonky hand belonging to a little kid. As a think back to it, I find it quite amazing how some people can be to you.

How when someone offers a hand, it seems as though they are offering to pay you one hundred million dollars. How somebody wants to keep your head above that torrenting current, keeping a firm hand pressed on your shoulder, taking out a bit of their time for you. How they want to show you are loved and cared for. How they want you to know, how they want you to see and hear, how they want you to feel. How they want you to touch a warm spot overflowing with joy and love, like a ray of sunshine that your cold body can soak up.

Like God. He is more than everything, and we are more than anything to Him.

It turned out it was none other than Jeremiah Spikes, a very popular vandaliser at the moment, popular in a very bad way. I think I've heard his name somewhere before. Maybe one the news? School? Church? We haven't been the only ones to receive his precious visit. His last and final, precious visit. Which gleefully put him behind bars. As for the stolen things, turned out that Jeremiah's dog, a highly skilled canine, jumped through the window and seemingly grabbed the items in his mouth and had run back to his master, receiving his beloved pat and treat. Only all that for something so schemeful and risky. Sometimes I'm amazed at how faithful and loyal dogs can be to their owners.

But everything looks absolutely normal right now, as though nothing ever happened. Everything was neat and in order, back in usual place and appearance. We'd all pictched in together and left not a single trace. Well, all except for my heels and pearl necklace, still displaying teeth marks. No matter how much you rubbed at it, it wouldn't go away. It was to stay forever. I'm definitely more careful with my things now!

Things were all moving down slowly. To increase chance of more people knowing about me, I decided to get Dad to film a few videos of me singing. I knuckled down and got to work straight away, having this idea in mind. That very night I had worked a couple of cool dance moves to add to my songs (with the help of the Internet for ideas!) I was planning to go and ask my pastor from church tomorrow if I could borrow the stage. We had an awesome stage at church, with smoke and lighting effects, and a huge auditorium.

Our church was a two storey, complete with an underground parking system and roof (where teen church has water fights on!). There is even a bookshop selling heaps of cool stuff and a cafe that serves the best food I know of. Upstairs we have Teen church and Sunday school. So fingers crossed that my pastor will say yes. I'm pretty sure he will agree.

I also decided to make proper invitations on the computer for everyone. All I had to do was have as many people as I could on my contacts list and then I could just click the 'All' button and ta da! To let even more people know about it, I'm planning to post it on HEAPS of websites too, well before the date.

I'm gonna post my new 'music video' on Youtube. Derrick says its a great idea, and he even agreed to come and help us organise the event. Its going to be really cool, as Derrick is bringing his high-tech lighting and sound ecquipment. That reminds me, I was supposed call Derrick and let him know about the plan. He still doesn't quite know it might possibly be at my church. Hope he's ok with it.

My first album is slowly coming into place. We have five songs recorded, and I am going for my final recording this afternoon. Who would've thought there would be so much work just for one teeny weeny album! How do today's celebrities survive? Maybe my Dad was right, after all. But then again, it's part of life, isn't it? No one ever can get anything easy. You have to work toward your goal and never ever give up.

My album is called 'Blooming'. The songs are all based on new life. My six songs are 'New You', 'Whatever May Come', 'Captured', 'Wonderin', 'Me and You' and 'Going Blue'. I'm pretty excited. I can't wait until my album will come out! The front cover is going to have a beautiful picture of me in a flowing white dress, staring up at the sunrise. A 'unicorn', (which was really a plain white horse but they airbrushed it and added the rainbow horn and sparkly effect and stuff) was standing next to me, my hand resting on its neck. You should see it! It look so much better when you see it rather then just hearing it in words. The name Kat McKenzy was printed on the front in swirling writing.

I hugged myself tightly, letting my thoughts drift off, carrying me on a fluffy cloud and floating away and away... “Kat! Back to earth! Did you hear what I just said?” I sat up with a jolt and saw my Dad leaning against the doorway, arms crossed. I hadn't even realised he'd come in. Me and my daydreaming! “Oh, sorry Dad! Could you repeat what you just said?” Dad rolled his eyes. “What I said, is have you rung Derrick like you were supposed to? You should have given him a call by now. We need to start getting ready for your final recording.” Snap! I totally had forgotten about that. Suppose I had to do it know. “Of course, Dad. Don't worry about a thing! I've got it all under control.”

“Hmm, I won't be surprised if you do, Kat.” Dad said with a bemused expression. “Don't be long now. It's your turn to pick Angie up from school, remember?” I groaned, so many things to do!

As soon as the door shut, I sprang into action. I called Derrick and had the quickest chat with him I've ever had. “Are you in a rush, Kat? It's only three o'clock!” But I'd already slammed the receiver back down before I could answer. A new record! Only 30 seconds! Wait, what did Derrick mean by three o'clock? It was five o'clock not three! I glanced at my clock. Yes, it definitely was. The recording section was at half past. I dressed quickly, slicked on some lip gloss and threw on some shoes. I dashed down the stairs and landed right in front of a very surprised father.

“Kat! What are you doing, dressed like that? We're do you think you're going? School for Angie ends in a whole half hour!” Was my Dad mad? “NO, it ended one hour and a half ago!!! And the recording session is in half an hour!” Dad stared at me in disbelief. He grabbed my arm and pulled me into the living room. He pointed at the clock. 3: 10! All that stress for nothing. My clock must have stopped at five o'clock yesterday, and then started again from there. No wonder.

This day was turning out quite unlucky. Was it because I ate WeetBix for breakfast instead of Cheerios? Oh bother! I huffed and stormed up the stairs. I was so annoyed I stomped right past my door, then huffed and stomped around a bit more. Dad called up the stairs. I ignored him and barged into my room. There was no use taking off my outfit now! I plopped onto my chair and turned on my laptop. I tapped my fingers impatiently as my laptop screen lighted up with a hum.

I examined a fingernail. Gah! A broken fingernail! Perfect, just perfect. Could this day get any worse? You bet. Some pesky pigeon had just started cooing away at my window, at the same time a swallow twittered loudly outside my other window. I sprang up in a fury and pounded my fists on the windows. The birds screeched and ran away. I yelled at Ginger, our cat. He shrinked away.

I yelled at my laptop. I even yelled at the mess in my room.

I clutched my head. What was wrong with me? Was I going through some major depression phase? A brain tumor? Migraine? INSANITY?

Just as I was about to practically rip my hair out, there was a loud beep. A new message in my Inbox. I gasped as I saw who the sender was. No way! My earlier problem immediately forgotten, I pinched myself. Was it real? I squealed. It couldn't be true! I forced myself to click on it.

Hey Kat!

Wat r ya up 2? just found out u had a little muddle with the time! ;) lol imm glad u didnt come that early- I was out at band practice

Anyways, guess I'll see u round.

Josh