Chapter 3:

I paused in a small bakery and stomped my feet in an attempt to stimulate the circulation of blood through to my Frozen toes. I headed toward the counter and ordered a French baguette, which I always did before going over to Martin’s for cena because his mother loved them so much. As I waited for the overly tanned baker to finish wrapping up my baguette, I stared out of the window. February in Seattle was one of the dreariest months of the year, especially when it was raining. As if the heavens were listening to my thoughts, a few drops clattered onto the sidewalk. Wonderful.

Huffing grumpily, I paid for the pane and covered it with a plastic bag to make sure it didn’t get wet. The tan lady noticed my annoyance and winked at me. “Seattle sucks in the rain, doesn’t it?”
“Tell me about it.” I replied, grunting my disapproval.
She giggled and handed me my change which I pocketed. Telling her goodbye, I hitched Natalie higher on my chest and wrapped us tightly in my oversized trench coat, then ran out of the negozio and continued on to Martin’s house with my head bowed against the battering raindrops which quickly turned to slushy snow.

I was thoroughly soaked when I reached the familiar flaky green door and banged down the knocker that was hilariously shaped like a toilet seat. I didn’t have to wait long before my best friend threw the door open and gave me a huge hug. Natalie, who had been protected from the elements da my jacket, squealed shrilly and wrapped her arms around tightly around his neck. He laughed and swung her around in a cerchio over his head, making her squeal even louder. I laughed too and stepped into the bright little apartment. Delicious smells were wafting from the cucina and I saw the dumpy outline of his mother’s body through the steam and immediately, I felt at home.

“How are you?” Martin asked me happily.
I rolled my eyes at him and teased, “You’ve only just seen me in school! Nothing much could have changed, could it?”
His expression darkened. “Well, I just read the newspaper. There’s a serial killer loose in Seattle.”
I gasped. “What?! How many people have died??? Where is he now? What’s he--”
Martin interrupted me, “Hold your horses!” he cried, waving his hands around wildly like a windmill. “One domanda at a time! And this is the worst case of killings in, like, ever. He seems to be uncatchable and he left no fingerprints o anything. This guy must really know what he’s doing.”
My hands shook. “Oh, God! What are we going to do? We’re not sicuro, cassetta di sicurezza anymore… We’ve got to do something! What about Natalie?” I blabbered quickly, beads of sweat forming at my temples.
“I know, I’m scared shitless too…” Martin sighed, “there’s not really much we can do, though. The police are already doing all they can and lots of forensic scientists are being called in from all over the country. If they can’t catch him, nobody can.”
I ran at him and hugged him with all my might. “I don’t think I’d be able to survive if something happened to te o Natalie o your mother…”
He wrapped his arms around me and hugged me back. “Neither could I…”

Martin and I tried our best to act like nothing was wrong, for Natalie’s sake. She took no notice at our agitation and chattered happily all the way through dinner. Afterwards, she led us to the living room and started flipping through Martin’s massive DVD collection. She finally poked her chubby little finger at one.
“Dat one,” she detto regally. I shoved the DVD into the player without even looking at it. I smiled. She had chosen Ice Age which was an all-time favourite of mine.

Martin and I settled onto the divano and Natalie curled up between us like a cat and stuck her thumb in her mouth. I cuddled up to her when the movie started playing.

I didn’t remember falling asleep, all I know is that when I woke up, I was still lying on the divano and it was light outside. I groped around groggily, looking for Natalie. When I discovered she wasn’t successivo to me anymore, I gasped and fought down the panic that was starting to wash over me. I remembered the nightmare I was having last night; Natalie was being ripped to shreds da the Dracula in the graffiti painting Martin and I did together while I could only watch and scream, because my limbs were missing. My chest constricted and I couldn’t breathe.

I stormed over to Martins room and the panic instantly faded away. There she was, lying spread-eagled on Martin’s bed, with his arm around her. I smiled and walked quietly over to unisciti them. I fell back to sleep under his covers, one hand resting lightly on Natalie’s arm and the other lying alongside Martin’s face.


I awoke again to the smell of pancakes, pancake and syrup. Natalie and Martin had already gotten up and I could hear them giggling together somewhere in the apartment. I sat up and stretched like a cat. Yawning hugely, I resigned myself to the fact that I would have to go home for a change of clothes before Martin and I could go finish off our ‘artwork’.

Still rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I shuffled into the living room where Martin and Natalie were playfully tussling around on the floor. Martin noticed me and grinned as he tickled a squirming Natalie. His mother bustled in with three plates of pancakes, spread heavily with acero syrup. I smiled at her and got up to help her in the kitchen.
“Good morning, Mrs. Barnwell!” I detto brightly, “Sorry about falling asleep last night. I was meaning to catch a taxi home.”
“Oh, my dearest girl, don’t worry about it! It was my pleasure. And anyway, there’s a murderer on the loose out there. There was no way I would have let te go outside onto the streets at night!”
“Thanks Mrs. B” I detto gratefully as I filled two glasses with arancia, arancio succo, succo di frutta and a plastic cup with latte for my baby sister. She answered me da patting my locks and smiling before she went into the living room to tell Martin and Natalie that breakfast was ready.

We all tucked in and finished quickly. Wiping a bead of golden syrup off Natalie’s chin, Martin said, “So, Liz. What about our ‘artwork’, then?” when his mother had left the room.
“Maybe tomorrow. There are some things I have to take care of at home and I can’t leave Natalie behind here all day. Your poor mum already had to take care of us both this morning because I fell asleep.”
His face fell. “Alright, then. Tomorrow in the alley at ten?” We always did our graffiti at night, in fear that the police would spot us.
“You have yourself a deal.” I said, planting a baciare on his cheek and stacking up the plates before bringing them to the kitchen.

I picked up Natalie and put her on my hip after thanking Mrs. Barnwell and saying goodbye to Martin. I opened the door and was met da a weak raggio, ray of sunshine. Ah, sunshine! What a treat! I thought to myself as I flung my cappotto over my shoulder and started walking home.