The Night of the Soul

CHAPTER 9

Maya was approaching the cemetery and stops when finds him leaning against the tree. "I've some info for you but first I need to know if I can trust you." The masked guy looked at her and spoke, "you want you and your sister to get arrested?" Maya's face stiffed and she knew that there was no escape. 

"You know the police is involved too so they will surely not let you off for trying to get involved in some shitty business of theirs." 

Maya took out the texts they collected from the cathedral and explained everything to the masked guy, "so you mean to say that the masked guy is the soul eater and believe that shit." 

Maya snatched those papers from his hands and glared at him before speaking, "look if you wanna believe or else don't but this is all we have, and yes I believe it cuz I saw it!" Maya then by stomping her feet with anger walked away.

Mask guy's POV:

"Looks like the girls are more daring and useful than I thought. Carnell, now you just watch how I bring an end to your bloody nightmare."

At school:

The first semester and the teacher announced the projects, "So I want you to form a group of three and work on the project. And I want them to be submitted on time! Or else negative marking would be given. Class dismissed."

"Man I hate her sometimes, can't she ever be sweet," Lucy said in an annoyed tone with her legs on the table and hands behind; resting her head. Maya turned around and said, "Hey shall we both form a group together?" Lucy nodded, "but won't we need one more person?" just then a mysterious voice came up, 

"can I join your group? You need one more person right?" 

Maya and Lucy turned their heads to their side and saw joey standing. 

Lucy sat straight with a shocked expression, "you?!" Maya then spoke with a smile, "Sure" Lucy looked at both of them with disbelief, "What?! I mean why us out of all?" joey looked at Lucy and answered, "Cuz I heard that you needed one more person and I live close to both of you so it'll be easy communicate do the project."

 Well, he was right about that, the three of them lived only leaving two or three blocks. And this way they agreed to do the project together. But who of them knew that it wouldn't only be this they were going to work on together.

Joey's POV:

I went home and shut the door behind me when I saw my mother approaching me, "you home dear, go freshen up I've got the lunch prepared." I just nodded and went to my room. I kept the bag on the desk when my eyes fell on the frame, 

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you and I know it won't change anything no matter how many times I say it but still I can't help it. I miss you, my buttercup."

Maya's POV:

I heard a knock on the door of our room and when I opened it I was a bit startled to see who it was, "Joey, you're a bit early than I expected." 

He faintly smiled, "should I be sorry?" 

'Ok Maya calm down, man! he has a sweet smile but I didn't know he also had a husky voice.' 

"Maya! Hello! U there?" Maya snapped out of her thoughts, "Yeah, come in." 

"You have a nice room." 

Maya just smiled and shrugged, "Well thanks. So shall we wait for Lucy?" joey nodded in agreement.

'I haven't noticed before but he is handsome.

 MAYA! Snap out of it!' "So would you like to have something like a refreshment?" joey just politely rejected the offer. 

Maya sat next to him, but soon there was an awkward silence and she was sure was getting uncomfortable so she tried breaking the silence, 

"so you--" 

"you have--"

 looked like both of them didn't appreciate the silence due to this they broke into a burst of small laughter. "Ladies first" Maya rolled her eyes, 

"Drop the formalities, will you? We're classmates, you go first."

 Joey breathed in, "okay, well I was gonna ask about the photo there, is she your sister?" Maya looked over at the photo of her and Ari, "Yes, we are sisters."

Just then the door opened and Lucy showed up, "Please tell me you didn't start yet." "Well not yet." 

Lucy sighed in relief and shut the door but paused in her tracks, "Wait I didn't interrupt something between you two, did I?" Maya sighed, "There was nothing to interrupt."

 "Well, actually you did." Joey said smiling and looked at Maya, "Our conversation..." Maya looked at him with eyes wide and experienced butterflies in her stomach.

"Oooohhh I'm sorry Joey." Lucy said while smirking, "Alright! We've got a project to focus on!" Maya got up and took her books to kill the mood in the room.

After 5 hrs:

They finished half of their project and thought to leave the rest for the next day and as they about bid goodbyes joey's certain words made Maya's heart flutter, 

"Call me tonight we still have our conversation pending, right?" 

and smiled which made Maya's heart drop a beat.

Ari just then came home running and dragged Maya who was still spaced out. "Maya! Focus!" Maya got confused by looking at the impatient Ari, "What?" 

"Do you remember that father Carnell told you that the soul eater disguised as a little girl?" 

"Yes, he did." 

Ari calmed herself down and said, "That girl was the little sister of your classmate Joey Santiago." 

Maya was terrified, "What? So the ribbon belonged to--" 

"Claire Santiago, joey's little sister."

They both sat on opposite sides facing each other and sadness filled the room. "That means Lockhart used Claire to hide his identity from the people." Ari looked out of the window and spoke in a low voice, "A virgin soul, bait, woods...." Maya looked at her and joined the pieces, 

"The bait was not for the girl but she was. She was the virgin soul Lockhart was going feast on stay in human form."

 Ari looked up to her, "That bastard! He didn't even leave the soul of a little girl." 

Maya got serious, "Ari it's not about revealing the truth now it's about justice."