When Shadows Rise | I

Ch. 30 | Mission

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Talia and April stuck around until the sun started to set. Talia very much enjoyed today's girls' getaway. It was pleasant and in the end, she felt more relaxed— something she hadn't felt in a while. However, she couldn't help but feel bad when asked by April if she had a good time and said yes. She wasn't lying, but what good was any of that time she spent at the mall if she now thought about the one thing she tried to take her mind off when coming here? She couldn't ignore Raph's message; checking out that brownstone was too important.

"We could go to my apartment and have a sleepover," April said when they exited the mall. They sat down on a bench near the exit. "There's ice cream, pizza. . . oh, and go on a horror movie marathon! Or we could watch some sitcoms if you're still too scared. . ."

Talia stared out into space. She was silent for a few moments before saying, "There's something I have to do first."

April frowned in confusion. "Which is what?"

Talia calmly rose from her seat. Her curls flapped violently in the wind. April saw the lower half of her friend's face was neutral, but the upper half— her eyes, to be specific— wore a strange determination she never saw frequently in her best friend.

"Call it enlightenment."

***

Like Talia predicted, April began firing question after question, obviously suspicious of her best friend's behavior. It wasn't easy, but Talia made up an excuse so she and April could go their separate ways. Talia wasn't sure why this time around she didn't tell April about her true plans for tonight (as besties, she told everything to April and vice versa), but something told her that it was best for April to sit this one out. If something went wrong, she didn't want April to be a part of it.

When Talia got to the apartment, she found her father sitting on the couch with a book in his lap. He took off his reading glasses and lifted his head to acknowledge her.

"How was the mall?" Seth asked, setting the book aside. Talia saw it was titled Lord of the Flies— her copy that she borrowed from the library.

"It went well," Talia replied, eyeing the book. "Did you grab that book from my room?"

Seth looked at it. "Oh! Well. . . I figured I would read to pass the time. I was going to return it."

"I'm not mad. I'm just. . . surprised. I don't know when was the last time you picked up a book."

"You know how it is, dewdrop. When you have a job like mine where they demand so many hours from you, it's hard to have any time for yourself."

Talia only nodded. It was the same thing for her mother, but she made time. Her father made time. "So did you like it? Lord of the Flies?"

"I certainly don't understand why it is titled like that, but I do have to say that the way the children slowly lost their innocence as they tried to govern themselves. . . well, I guess that is why I firmly stand by my belief: without parents and some kind of authority, children go astray."

"Yeah, that's the whole point of the story. It challenges control from civilization and urges man to indulge their 'wild' sides."