The Life We Live

10. Anakin's Basement

Raven and Marvin stare at Harlow. As Harlow looks at them thinking.

Marvin lifts his eyebrows "where?"

Harlow looks down at the ground disappointed as he doesn't know how he could get into his own house as his mother had kicked him out. "Its in my bedroom closet... but I dont know how I'm gonna get in there without my mother freaking out."

Marvin sighs "shit that's right."

Raven walks toward Harlow looking like she has the ultimate plan.

"Just walk in the front door and tell your mother you're just grabbing stuff." She says

Harlow laughs as he believed she would have a better plan. "I thought you were gonna say sneak in there tonight or something."

Raven shrugs "or that... but we should do it today so we have time. If your father was able to just go in and out of there with you and your mother at home. I'm sure you can do it."

Harlow sighs "I guess its worth a shot."

There was a moment of silence but their thoughts where noisy. Marvin breaks the silence "so what are we waiting for?" He starts to climb up the steps. Harlow and Raven look at eachother looking alittle nervous they then follow him.

Once they get into the kitchen Marvin excitedly opens the door for Harlow and gives him a walkie talkie. "You will need this to tell us what you see down there."

Harlow takes the walkie talkie and looks at it not saying anything.

Harlow steps outside and feels his stomach flip as he doesn't want to deal with his mother but he knows he has to.

Harlow starts to walk to his house...

As he gets closer he hears McCray driving by. "Whats up bitch boy, how'd you like the present I sent you?"

Harlow laughs trying not to cause conflict at this time as he needed to hurry "it was great"

McCray stops smiling "why are you laughing?"

Harlow feels his sudden change of mood. "Cause I dont know why you keep doing this.. you were the one who ended our friendship.. why do you keep coming back to me?"

McCray lowers his eyebrows staring at Harlow. Harlow stares back wondering what he might do.

After a couple seconds of intense staring McCray looks foward with one hand on his steering wheel and licks his lips slightly laughing. He points at Harlow as if he was gonna say something, but he drops his hand and quickly drives off.

Harlow stares at the car drive away curious as to what he would have said. But then remembers he has a mission to do.

He continues walking to his house and hears the walkie talkie talk. "Are you there yet?" He hears Marvin say

Harlow puts the walkie talkie up to his mouth "not yet.. McCray wanted to exchange some words first."

"What he say?" Raven says

"Nothing really out of the usual.. I can give details later.. im at my house now."

As Harlow steps to his door step he hesitates to even open the door. "Fuckin get in there." He says to himself.

Harlow opens the door.

As he walks inside he sees his mother chilling on her chair sleeping. Harlow sighs in relief and quietly walks to his room.

As he gets in his room he walks into the closet and looks at the floor, he notices some loose carpet. "How did I not notice this before?" He says

Harlow rips off the carpet and sees the trap door. He pulls out the walkie talkie "I found it."

"Good now get in there." Marvin says

After the walkie talkie goes quiet Harlow hears footsteps coming towards his room. He hurries to try to open the door but struggles as it makes loud noises. "Fuck it." Harlow throws himself in the closet and shuts the closet door.

He listens to his mother walk into his room "the hell are these noises coming from?" He hears her say

He hears her walk towards the closet and stop. She shakes the door but doesn't open it. Harlow holds his breathe so she doesn't hear him breathing.

As seconds go by he hears her walk out and heads towards the bathroom.

Harlow quickly tries to open the door again. This time it cooperates with him and he climbs down.

Harlow gets down noticing there is a computer and turns it on. He talks into the walkie talkie "he has a computer in here."

"I know... I told him not to get one but apparently he invented an anti illuminati hacking program. Which you probably should update." Marvin says

Harlow finds the software and updates it immediately.

As it updates he looks around the room. "How do you find something when you dont even know what your looking for?" He asks himself

Harlow speaks into the walkie talkie "there doesn't seem to be a lot in here.. do you know what im supposed to even try to find."

There was silence "I dont really know... I'm hoping though, that when you see it, you know you found it."

Harlow groans and plops himself on the chair. Setting the walkie talkie on the desk annoyed.

"The hell am I supposed to just know!" He throws his arms in the air

Harlow notices the software stop updating and a face pop up on the screen. "Hello Marvin.. or atleast I hope its Marvin.." Harlow stares at the face realizing its his father and that he had indeed survived after the voice tape situation. Harlow stares at his fathers excited but terrified face and thinks about how he had almost forgot the details of his face, it made him sad. As soon as Harlow felt himself drifting off, thinking of other things he remembers to continue watching the recording.

"If you are watching this and im no longer around I just wanted to show you this.." he throws a box decorated with random letters and symbols. The box had looked familiar to Harlow and he immediately felt curious trying to remember where he had seen it. He continues watching.

"This is what I need you to see Marvin.." he looks up at the ceiling nervously then back at the camera revealing a key hole. "There's something inside this box but I dont know how to unlock it or where a key could be. But I know this is it Marvin.. I just know it." Anakin smiles at the box "I think we are on the breach of finding the true meaning of life and the deep mystery that the government hides from us.."

Harlow leans back in his chair intrigued.

Anakin sets the box on the table and starts to put things into a box and starts to speak nervously "I feel like they're gonna find me Marvin.. if I'm dead by the time you see this. You must continue this and find the true meaning of life. Whatever it takes pal... Just don't tell my son.. promise me you will not tell my son about this... I do not want him to be apart of this life and end up like me.. please Marvin.

Harlow laughs feeling tears flood his eyes "if only you knew I would be the first one to see this."

Anakin steps over to the corner of the room and throws a peice of the floor off the ground and sets the box of his stuff inside. He covers the floor back up. And walks back to his computer "and for this..." he grabs the box.

"This is going somewhere no one will suspect. I just hope she will know to give it to you when the time comes." He looks up and back down.

Harlow squints at the comment and his action afterwards. He pauses the video to think who he is talking about. He stands up hitting the side of his head "Think! Think!"

Harlow stops hitting his head as he finally thinks of the best possible person... his mother.