A.L.E.N - Between Shadows (Chapter 2)

Act 18

Meanwhile, as it began to rain that night, Aiden's mother, Hannah, was sitting in the kitchen, worried about her son's disappearance, until she received news that relieved her, as she got a phone call from Robert.

Hannah and Robert were talking on the phone about what had happened to Aiden, and Hannah confirmed it, saying, "Yes, he told me that he didn't feel well enough today to go to school, and I thought he got sick, so I decided that it is better that he stays home and gets some rest. And I went to work."

Robert replies, "But he told us that... Did you hear or see anything or anyone, for example, a person, when you left the house?"

Hannah was considered and asked, "I haven't heard or seen... Wait, what do you mean by 'a person'? Did someone break into my house!?"

Robert sights "Yes, Aiden thought it was you, but as he went to the stairs, he saw a male figure leaving something like a letter with your name on it on the table and then leaving the house," Robert said coldly.

Hannah looks around but sees no letter on the table. "What letter? I don't see any letters."Robert was perplexed and suspicious, and he said to himself, "Hm, that's odd." She then asked Robert, "So, what happened after that guy left?"

Robert recalled what Aiden had told him: "Aiden told me that that man walked into the deep woods; also, Aiden said that man had very strange or odd behavior, like something was bothering him."

Hannah started to get uncomfortable in her own home and said, "That's very... scary and creepy at the same time," and she felt cold. She replied, "That gives me the chills. But what does it all have to do with my son?"

Robert tries to explain it. "Aiden followed him but lost him, so he decided to go home," Robert said immediately. "Unfortunately, the man grabbed him from behind, and he didn't remember anything."

Until she said in shock, "What!?" Hannah interrupts Robert as she stands up in surprise. "Wait, what!? Oh, my gosh. What was he thinking?" and Robert said, "Well, for a 15-year-old adolescent, he has a lot of courage," as he laughed a bit.

However, Hannah just takes a deep breath and sits back down. Robert continues talking seriously about the conversation: "There is something else... He described the man." Hannah immediately asks, "How does he look?" and Robert tells her what Aiden described about that man: "Aiden told me that he was overdressed and wore a black cap; now I remember, he was holding something in his hand, like some sort of bag," as Robert was characterized as a creepy stranger to her.

Hannah had a cold expression on her face as she realized that she saw the same man at the diner, but she didn't want to tell Robert about it.

So, she just thanks Robert, "Thank you so much for your help, Robert; I'm glad to hear that he is fine," and she was relieved to know that her son was safe in Robert and Julie's home, sleeping tonight, and Robert will bring Aiden home tomorrow morning, and the conversation ends.

However, Hannah was a bit of a relief and was also considering this whole situation until she saw the letter on the floor with her name on it.

She picks it up, opens the letter, and tries to read it to herself. "You need to tell him the truth; they need to know about everything that has happened." If not, I will do it myself in my way, Nan... from A."

The letter with only two letters written on it, she knew exactly who wrote it, and she was scared and filled with mixed emotions as she whispered, "All these years, I tried to find you... And you always ran away from me," and she says out loud with frustration, "Seriously!? Alex, I know what you are trying to do... But it wouldn't work. They wouldn't understand it." Hannah shakes her head.

As she tore up the letter and put it in the trash, she said, "I can't let you do that...!" and then went to bed.