Help from the OtherSide

28. The Non-existent Key

Beneath the rubble lay a long cuboidal copper box. How do I know it's copper? The green coating of Patina covered one side of the box and the other having the regular reddish-brown hue, like that of a penny. It was buried into the ground and I gestured for some help. Yumiko, Grant and I scraped out the hard mud covering on the sides for a better grip on the box.

"One . . . Two . . . Heave!" Grant commanded and we lifted it out. The veins in my fore arms bulged at the round two of pressure I put on it. We carefully put the box beside us on the ground. I dusted my hands, crossed them and stared impassively at Dora.
I don't want to think of what would have happened if my friends hadn't interfered.

She rolled her eyes and said," Whatever, open it."

Uh huh. Thanks for the confirmation.

"I don't think it's openable purely by strength. Look at this, there's a hole here. But it doesn't look like a regular keyhole." Liam inspected the front of the box. There was no latch, no crevice to dig your fingers in and no keyhole. Just a circular hole on the front. 

"So we've reached yet another dead end." Yumiko itched her head.
My spirits deflated a little, just when I thought we could grab whatever we need and leave this dastardly place.

"Let's just rest outside for a while until we find the solution. I'm getting claustrophobic here." Grant announced to us. He then went near Amelia and whispered something with a guilty face but she simply stormed out on him.

Everyone filed out and Liam was the last one to leave with me.
"What's going on between them?"  I knew the answer but wanted to hear his version anyway.

We walked out into the open air and I took a deep breath. The dingy ruins really had an effect on your mood. Once we were out of earshot he cleared his throat.

"You saw the whole argument that happened in front of us right? So when she ran outside, this guy followed her and tried to apologized. While you both were busy blowing up the place, these two had an episode. Amelia said something about how nobody understands her and that she was frustrated about the whole situation. Then he said and I quote, Everyone is in this together, none of us like this anymore than you do. Some of us have it worse by the way. " Liam tsk-tsked. "I think he meant you, by the way. Like you got scars and blood all over, unlike her."

"Wow. I wouldn't be surprised if she beat his ass." I agreed.

Although getting my name dragged into a fight not related to me is kinda worrying.

"Exactly! Like, that's not what you tell to comfort your girlfriend." He shook his head.

Wait-

"Come again, girlfriend ?" My eyes widened. 

How did I not notice this?

"Yeah. I mean they never made it exclusive, but you kinda get the couple-y vibes from them." He hopped on one of the boulders at a distance from the temple. I scooched myself in the remaining space available.

Amelia crossed her arms and leaned on a tree, further away from us and Grant stood there  moving his arms as if trying to explain something, to plead with her.
 Dora had her eyes closed, resting against a tree; while her lackey sat next to her and kept yapping away.

Yumiko idly strolled through some nearby bushes, deep in thought.

"Are you listening?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Yes yes go on!" I was eager to know the drama that happens right under my nose.

"As I was telling--" He leaned in conspiratorially, "I suspect something brewing between them. Do you see how they stick with each other? Like when they went to get the berries? There was absolutely no need for her to go with him and Dora, but she did--"