More Than a Memory

Randi shrugged as she settled on a channel.
"This usually.. pretty boring huh?"
She sighed lightly as a tiny bell was heard in the hall approaching them.
"Hey Fluffbutt.."
She said as a small, fluffy grey tortoise shell kitten leaped onto the arm of the sofa.

Bailey looked down at the kitten and smiled. "She's so cute, is she yours?" She watched as the kitten began to nuzzle herself next to Randi. "I've never owned any animals, haven't ever stayed in one place long enough to have any."

Randi smiled as she pet the small kitten beside her. She looked up at Bailey and nodded.
"Yeah, her name's Lulu."
She picked Lulu up and held her out to Bailey.
"Wanna hold her? She's friendly, I promise."
She smiled sincerely.

Bailey smiled back and awkwardly took the kitten in her hands. "Sure, I would hate to think I would hurt her. She's so small." Bailey smiled down at Lulu and set her in Bailey's lap, petting the kitten gently. "It seems so quiet around here, does anything ever happen?" Bailey looked up at Randi as she spoke, subconsciously petting Lulu.

Randi smiled at Bailey as she interacted with Lulu. She kinda felt sorry for Bailey as she learned about her life through conversation. She thought about Bailey's question and sighed. She thought about the strange noises coming from the neighbor's. She ran her hand through her hair wondering if she should mention it. She looked up at Bailey hesitantly.
"Not recently.. There's been some weird noises coming from the neighbor's"

Bailey had looked down at Lulu while waiting for a reply when she caught Randi mention the neighbors. Almost instantly, her head shot up and she accidently scared Lulu. "Noises? Like what kind of noises?" Bailey asked, hoping they weren't something that would draw too much attention. She had kept her hands clean for almost a month now, but there was always something that kept her on the run. "Randi, if I told you about my past, would you promise not to tell anyone?" She looked back down at Lulu, petting her till the kitten calmed down again as she asked. She felt weird trusting Randi and not letting Randi know about what kind of danger she was in.

Randi nodded, looking away briefly as something on tv caught her attention for a moment. She looked back at Bailey as the kitten climbed back into her lap.
"Yeah, the last few nights there has been sounds like you'd hear in a car shop and-"
Randi paused as if her claim didn't sound crazy enough. She sighed and continued.
"And I've been hearing muffled screams occasionally. I've gone to their door to see if they're okay, but they told me it was their telly... I must sound like a raving lunatic. It's just I can hear it whenever I step out for a cigarette."

Bailey looked at Randi and moved the kitten onto a different seat. "Then lets here this noise." She moved to her bag and smiled. "Does the noise scare you? Even a little bit?" Bailey pulled the black case out of her bag with a smile. "Randi, I want you to know. I'm, um, a military person. I guard people for a living. It hasn't been the best job in the world, but I like it. If you believe there are noises coming from your neighbor's flat, then lets check it out."

Randi nodded and watched the kitten curl up in a ball on the open spot on the sofa. She looked at Bailey confused about how she could know about, and be so calm about hearing about strange noises.
"Yeah, they're a bit unnerving to say the least."
Her eyes followed Bailey's movements to her bag, wondering what Bailey could possibly have in there. She looked up at Bailey at the mention of her being a military guard in surprise. She looked too young to be in the army.
"Oh okay.."
She motioned for Bailey to follow her out the back for a listen.
"Here it's happening now!"

Bailey grabbed the bow case and walked outside with Randi, shivering against the cold winds. Outside, just underneath the wind, Bailey could hear something. She couldn't quite name what she heard, but it was there. "I hear it, but what is it." Bailey turned to Randi, "Shall we go pay your neighbors a visit?" Without a second thought, Bailey opened the case, revealing the bow, arrows, and two knifes, and pulled one of the knives out. It was the shorter of the two, and she quickly concealed it in her sleeve, tying the sheath to her wrist. She closed the case and looked back up at Randi, "Sorry, they come in handy a lot, and no one screams at seeing a black case."

Randi folded her arms as Bailey listened for the noises. The noises scared her and made her uneasy. She bit her lip as Bailey suggested that they go to the neighbors, the idea almost frightened her.
"Well, I just it would be more eventful if we did.. So sure."
Randi's eyes fell on the now open case and took a step back in shock.
"Wow.. Do you really think we'll need weapons?"
She looked back at Bailey briefly before running to the kitchen, returning with a carving knife. She grinned nervously as she prepared herself mentally.

Bailey looked over at Esther as she placed the case back in her bag. "Only for protective purposes." She replied before looking at Esther's kitchen knife. She's never fought before, what does she plan to do with that? Bailey thought before taking the carving knife and pulling the case back out. "Here, This will suit you better, just be careful with it. I'd prefer not to take you to the hospital." She looked up at Esther, handing her the boot knife, the silver handle shining in the flat's lights. "It straps to your leg, if you want it to."

Randi had a slightly dumb founded look on her face as the carving knife was replaced with the boot knife. She stared at it for a moment as it shone in the light. She looked back to Bailey nervously as she mentioned the hospital.
"Suit me better?"
She looked back at the knife and began strapping the knife to her leg. She sighed lightly as she looked at Bailey.
"Ready?"

"Of course." Bailey replied with a smile.Esther, what has this thing done to you? I'm afraid it's turned you into a miniature soldier. I'm sorry. Bailey threw her bag onto her back and nodded to Esther. "I'll follow you."

Randi nodded in response and lead the way to the neighbor's flat. What on Earth am I doing? Strapping a knife to my leg and investigating a sound that scares me? I must be losing it.. She thought as they approached the neighbor's door. When they arrived at the doorstep, the eerie noise was loud and clear. She looked at Bailey and whispered,
"Should I knock?"

Bailey followed her out to the neighbor's flat, walking silently behind Esther. The noise echoed in Bailey's head, filling her thoughts until Esther brought her back with her question. "No, um, no let me." she told Esther, turning and knocking on the door. As they waited for the neighbors to answer, Bailey rummaged through her stuff for an old police badge. It was a fake she had made after her academy days to escape the cops, but it would serve her purpose. Sometimes, it feels like my whole life is in this silly little bag. Bailey thought to herself before sliding it back on her back and knocking again. "Hello! Is anyone home?"