Don't Let Me Go <A Paranormal love story>(Wattpad Only)

{Fifteen}Layla

The next day, We waste no time. As soon as we wake up, we change into some clean clothes and we take an Uber to Michael's old house. Despite not being 100% okay with finding RJ, Suba tags along seeing me be adamant. The plan I have is simple. Visit the old house first. Then the house beside it with the dog.

"By the way. Do you know what happened to them when Michael left Bangalore?" I ask looking at Suba who was busy digging through her bag.

"I don't know to be honest. Michael refused to talk about it." Of course he did.

The auto stops in front of a derelict building. I slowly approach the abandoned ruins as if it were a scared child. My fingers gently pad over the black marks that cover the walls. I walk into the ramshackle house and look around. "Layla..." Suba calls in caution followed by a gasp, "What happened here?" Upon closely investigating the surrounding that was covered in black residue, I realise what might have happened. "W-was it burned?"

I picture myself running around this house that was once our home. My heart sinks as I see all the black ashes on the floor. Could it be? I have different thoughts running through my head. Did RJ do this? Wait. Worse. Was RJ a victim of the fire? Did he get hurt?- I remember reading somewhere in the book about him chasing every inhabitant that lived in the house before the Johnsons. But why?

"Layla?" I feel her shake my shoulder and I look at her. "Are you okay? You look like you saw a ghost." I nod and walk around. I go around the house trying to see if I can find anything. Or anyone. I go to the backyard and search. The ground that was once filled with plants and neatly trimmed grass is now barren with dust. I sit by the rugged tree and look at the sky. Where are you RJ? You better be alive. I sigh and close my eyes.

"Layla?" I look up at Suba.

"Backyard boy," I randomly say as I think back to all the things I read.

"What?"

"The book. I mean RJ he hung around here a lot. Where they hang out mostly," I tell her. She doesn't reply. She just sits beside me on the dirty ground. We both stare at the sky. "I'm scared," I whisper as I close my eyes. "What if we don't find him?"

"Well, that's okay. Michael still has us, Layla."

I shake my head. "He needs RJ. What if Michael never gets up? I'll be alone then. What about his book? What will I tell his mum? What if she gets mad at me for publishing the book? What will I do Suba!" I rant and hold my head.

"Layla..." Suba takes my hand in hers. I start to cry and hug her. "I don't want to live in a world without him. B-but this book- What if Michael wakes up and as to face the ho-homophobic reaction of people? H-he would be so confused and he might even hate me for-"
She abruptly takes my inhaler and pushes it to my mouth. Only then do I realise that I am wheezing. My hands tremble as I take hold of it and take a puff.

"I think Michael intended to come out if not he wouldn't have written the book," she tells me.

I lift my head and look at her. "But I don't wanna p-publish it without him. I-I can't do anything without him, Suba. I n-need him. I miss him so much," I sob as I wheeze heavily. I take another puff. She rubs my back.

"I know. We all miss him too." There are tears in her eyes too. "But don't worry. I have faith that Michael will wake up soon. Just hang on okay?" She squeezes my hand with her other hand and I nod.

"I just don't know how I'm going to finish the book in 20 days. I don't even know if Michael wrote an ending. It is just so hard you know? I'll be reading it when suddenly my thoughts drift back to our time in Sydney and I'll start crying. Then I have to pull myself out of it and go back to the book only for it to happen again."

She keeps patting my back. "I understand it is hard but you don't have to do it alone. I'll help you with the book okay? We can edit together and figure it out." Her reassuring words were all I needed to feel a bond with her. Just like old times.

***

"By the way why are you editing it? I thought Michael had an editor?" She asks as we walk around the neighbourhood in search of RJ's house since Suba claimed to know where it was.

"Yeah but since Michael asked for more time and wasn't done, the editor couldn't edit it and then he got busy. So Michael agreed to do it himself. Although it will still be proofread by someone," I explain.

We stop by a four-story building and Suba gaps. She then looks at me and explains, "I swear this used to have just one floor! Two houses with a terrace."

"Owner hiked his game I guess," I shrug.

"Well, I hope this is the house. The owner was a Fat bloke I remember."

We open the gate and walk inside. We find a door on our right and knock on it. A fat man in his 30s opens the door.

"Are you the owner?" Suba asks in Kannada.

"I remember an old bald guy with a mole on his nose," Suba mutters in English to me while smiling at the guy.

"That is my father," the man replies in English making Suba feel blue.

"Well is he here?" I ask.

"No. Do you need a house? I am the owner now."

"Well uhm do you know anyone named RJ?" I ask and he shakes his head. "Tall guy! Abusive parents. Very shy. Probably in his late 20s," Suba describes. He scratches his bread trying to think but shakes his head. I feel a pang in my chest. "Please sir this is the address we got. Try to remember, " I beg.

"Who are you?"

"His cousins!" Suba quickly replies.

"I haven't seen you around before this. Are you from this street?" He questions.

"Oh no no. We are not. We have come searching for our cousin who we haven't seen in years because we went away abroad."

He thinks for a while and then says, "My father might know since I have only been here a few years now. Come here the day after tomorrow. You can meet my father."

I nod excitedly hope blooming in my chest again. "Thank you so much."

He starts to close the door and I quickly hold my hand out. He looks at me in annoyance. "What now?"

"Do you know what happened to that house three blocks away? The burnt house?" I ask.

Once again he scratches his bread and thinks. "Mmm, it got burned. I'm not sure. Each one gives many stories. Some say it is cursed. Some say the father did it when he was drunk. No one knows the real story."

"Did anyone die?" Suba asks.

"Yes. The man. Wife and son survived."

On our way back that's all I can think about. Someone died. Did RJ mean to kill only him? Or the entire family? Maybe he was angry? Was it even RJ?

"What are you thinking about?" Suba asks.

"The house."

"What about it?"

So I tell her. "I keep having this feeling that somehow RJ was involved."

"But that is impossible."

RJ has never spoken about killing people though. So maybe it was the drunken father after all.

"Layla?"

"Yeah you are right," I reply even though I have a million questions in my head.