Project GoldCrest ✓

Chapter 33

Charlotte

I was quickly falling into a very confused metal state. That place felt familair to me now since I was constantly confused. Questions swam around in my head and I knew Mickey didn't hold all the answers.

This is exactly why you shouldn't have come here.

I knew. This situation was a bit like the Red Book thing. So much grief for crying out loud. For the timebeing, I tried to let it go and focus on the indie folk music playing on Mickey's stereo.

We arrived at his house and didn't immediately get out. I looked at him and wondered how the hell I was going to forget about him and this witch situation. I thought about everything I'd discovered today, and wanted to ask Mickey about it.

"Why does Chloe call you her pet?"

He gave me a small smile. "I don't know. Maybe it sounds nice to her knowing that she has a human pet that allows itself to be pulled by the nose in the direction she wants. I can't help but feel like everything we've done or dug up, was only possible due to her."

"How so?"

"If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have started this investigation. Her and the notes steered me in her direction. Do you know how I knew about the warehouse? Or that warehouse speaker beneath the rocks? Or maybe where I found its cloth? From the notes."

"What cloth?"

He laughed drily and something about it didn't sound pleasant to me. "She gave it to me along with the note explaining. In order to really listen in through that speaker, you have to put a special cloth over it. It prevents the dirt from contaminating your ear."

"Doesn't that muffle the sounds?"

"No. Actually, it makes them more audible."

"Wow." I slowly shook my head. "I have so many questions. Like why we, the two of us, are the assignment. What assignment was she talking about? And what is Luke planning to do? Who is The Above? And what is Cracking?"

"Slow down. I don't know all the answers to those questions. Maybe it's time we sought out the answers."

I shrank. "Do you mean asking the police?"

Our police station was a small one. We didn't have that much crime in Goldcrest. Since we were a small town, we didn't have many police officers either.

"No. They can't do anything, and Chloe warned me against them. They won't take us seriously without proof. They are incredibly lazy as well."

"Then who did you mean?"

"Our parents, maybe? I'm sick of keeping this information to myself. I say we put our families together and confront them together."

I almost laughed. Almost. What would happen if I came clean about what has been bothering me for the past weeks? I mainly feared mom's reaction when she found out that I went against her. I doubted she would be as forgiving as dad would.

Was there really a need to tell them anything? I had the option of sulking and overthinking in my room until I got over it alone.

"No, count me out. You can confront your parents if you want to, though. Just please don't mention me." I said and looked out the window. It was still cloudy outside.

Mickey kept quiet for a few long seconds. When he finally spoke, I fought a shiver. "Okay. I think I'm getting a headache. Let's get going. We'll talk tomorrow at break when I've thought about everything."