Poseidon (Rated R)

(15) Traces

Night soon falls, and our plan was set in motion. Arjun and I await in silence for the cue, his side planted against the door whilst I was standing before the man. His eyes never leaving my body despite Arjun speaking in the midst of the silent.

Until we hear the sound of Nana on the other side of the door dragging her feet. Since the diagnoses, her strength was depleting day by day. Scuff sounds of her shoes drag closer and closer until they stop at the opposite side of my door, before we hear a weak knock on the wood, and Arjun froze.

"You ok Monica?" she asks me faintly, her throat raspy with a whistle from the heavy thick coughs.

"Y-yes nana I-I'm alright, you?" mentally I facepalmed myself, why would I say that? It was up until now I am trying these whole social conversations thing where it doesn't involve anything aquatic.

Her chuckle was a faint whisper, before she heaves a thick cough in between, "I'm alright baby I'm going to go get some sleep. Arjun in there with you?"

I signaled him to speak.

"Yes nana, thank you goodnight."

"I love you both, goodnight."

Nothing too suspicious, in silence we await until the patters of their feet grow distant, the signal resting at the top of Arjuns tongue for us to move. When we than heard the door of her bedroom click closed. And the hot oxygen in my lungs release along with the sizzling heat prickling down my veins.

Nana hasn't really trusted me since last time. And frankly I doubt she ever will.

As the silence out in the hall restores, Arjun gently peeks out into the dark hallways, an inch of his forehead exposed as he glanced left and right for reassurance, before looking back at me and the man. It was than my inner system froze at a thought, interacting does play a big role for the anxiety flushing in my veins, but knowing I'll be interacting with him much more intently set a frenzy in my gut, pinching and swirling to the point my knee buckles.

Never mind his intimidating size and physique, it'll be us and him, a stranger we found on the beach, in the dark near the ocean with no one else around.

Fun.

"Hang on," Arjun whispers sharply as he steps into the dark hallway, with his presence gone, I have no choice but to look about elsewhere, and found the man's eyes. Arjun's receding footsteps are soft and cautious as he heads over to his room, leaving me alone ... with him. gravely I gulped, there was a thickening tension bearing down into my room, his gaze is keen, and the uncertainty is intense.

The hair on my body erects from the shivers traveling on my skin, prickling on all parts of my body, at the same time the waves of the ocean swoosh loudly outside, with howls of wind. It was all too unsettling as I debate with myself why is the ocean so disturbed, almost like it speaks.

"Ready to go?"

I jolt from Arjun's voice; he emerges from the darkness with a black duffle bag hooked around his neck, hanging down at the side.

My brows crease, "What's that for?" I question.

"I'll answer that later, but for now let's go." He urges glancing back to nana's room. Meanwhile I swallow looking down to the man, my heart thrashes in my chest. Words couldn't solidify, Instead I mumble like an idiot instead.

"U-uh um let's go." I couldn't tell if I was asking or saying, it never dawned on me to question whether he even understood English or not.

His head cocks to the side, loose strands of his curls follow the lean of his head brushing against his chiseled cheek. Again, similar actions, all too familiar to a previous character, It's undeniable. This warmth waves through my chest at the hinted alikeness, and I force away a giggle itching at my chest.