Took the Dare

Chapter 6

I slowly move my chairs backwards to glance at the back cover of the book he's reading but it's plain black.
Unbelievable.
He looks so serene, opposite of what I always feel like.
'You like animals?', he questions ignoring my eyes on him.
I move back and say yes.
He nods.
'Hey Miles give me your flashlight. I'll go call them back', Jess gets up clearly not wanting to be here doing nothing.
He hands her the flashlight. As Jessica leaves the library, he asks me, 'you don't read Novels?'.
'I wanted to look at the pictures of animals'.
'Why animals?', his eyes are curious.
'They calm my nerves'.
He smiles.
'What are you reading?'.
'Oh this', he holds the book up, 'it's a novel, The catcher in the rye'.
'You're reading that?', my face says that I hate that book.
'Yup. What makes you hate it?', he tilts his head to fully see my face.
'I don't hate it actually. I just don't like how he thinks everything is phony'.
'And you're angry for that?'.
'I just want to know if he still thinks some things are phony or he has become a sunshine man'. He'll think am crazy. Did Holden Caulfield learned to see the good in every aspect? Isn't it easy to believe everything is fake and move on instead of trying and getting hurt later?
He looks at me, the way I want him to look at me every single day, every minute. Like as if he would go mad if he removes me out of his gaze.
'You despise yourself and I don't understand why', he frowns.
'Cause I don't fight for anything'.
'Well start fighting then, don't lose any opportunities you get that interests you. Don't be in your head, only thing which has to be in your thoughts is 'I don't care what they say, I'll do what makes me happy. I can do it' it helps me', he shrugs.
What he said did hit me but am afraid it will not linger for too long. It's always been like that. Nothing is consistent with me. Shouldn't I be with Sarah, to make her less worried. Look where I am, talking about my stupid problems with a guy.
'Believe me Riley. If you trust yourself more than anyone and do things which are in your head and not what you think others want around you, you will...most undoubtedly be a person who will inspire many people', his voice is calm. It holds the key to open the messed up lock of mine. To get my negative self out and push the positive one forward.
'Caulfield thought things are phony because most of the things irritated him, he learnt to look at stuffs that he cared for or that delighted him. I mean of course the world isn't perfect, we aren't too but the thing is not always the world seems fake and boring. Don't you like having fun with your friends, talking how your day went with your family, watching that one amazing sunset in the evening and a dog liking you. We survive to live those moments'.
Now I want him beside me more than anything. Am damn selfish for him and I can't deny. Every time I go to my cave, I want him with me to get me out of there and lead me to a place that revitalises me. Only he can do this, because I also want to be his safe place.
'Never think too much for the stuffs you can't resist'. Is he reading my mind?
'Like animal pictures', he raises his brows in a taunting way.
I snort. Why do I embarrass myself?
Be happy that you're the one making yourself embarrassed and not anyone else. Ha, ironic!
He doesn't laugh or anything, just staring.
Jessica comes running, 'both of your friends are toying with me again', raising her brows in anger.
Her timing is just amazing.
'What happened?', I ask.
'They are not in the kitchen, nor in the hall. I don't fucking know where they are'.
Ohhh not this.
We run to the kitchen, there's nothing suspicious.
'Sarah!', I run to the hall screaming her name over and over again hoping she'd be here, near me.
'We shouldn't have went to the library, it's all my fault that she's gone', I hold onto my tears, trying not to think anything bad. I know she's okay, she should be. I want to kill her myself for giving that dare to Jessica.
'Rohan', Miles joins me.
'Hey idiots come out now', Jess shouts.
'They wouldn't be in any of the rooms in upstairs, right?', I mostly ask this to myself.
'Hey Riley, they are safe, she is safe. They are together and that's what matters. Am sure they're finding a way to get out', Miles says.
I nod.
Yeah they are together, they have each other. I pace back and forth near the stairs.
'Why is this Mansion empty all the time? Why is it haunted? On what hypothesis did they agreed that its haunted? There must be a reason', Jess speaks up.
'It was told in the news that the last family who lived here went missing, they were never found. And out of fear people never wanted to investigate. It's been around 10 years since that happened', the more I remember about this mansion's accusations more I grow quiet.
'How come there aren't any photos of the family?', she asks out of curiosity that is evident in her eyes though it's not in her voice.
'I don't know actually. That's weird'. Why aren't there any?
'Somebody must have taken them down. Does nobody in this city know who lived here?', Miles questions.
Me and Jessica shrug.
It is strange. Strange that nobody was interested to know what happened here, including me. I was busy being delusional. No clue about this mansion secrets. Has anybody written a journal or a book about this mansion?
Wait what is written in that lonely book in the library?
'Did you both see the book under the dome in library? Doesn't it feel eccentric?'.
'Where are you going with that?'.
'Jessica there might be something important in there'.
'You've gone bonkers'.
'All the best people are. Come on', best people, I consider myself that, when? Jess rolls her eyes at my dialogue but they both do come after me.
I take a deep breath before taking the glass dome off wishing that I'd find even a teeny bit of useful stuff in that book.  There is something in this book that is pulling me.
Will we find hint or Sarah or Rohan?