Collecting the Pieces of the Shandhi Sword (Book 2 of Mark Series)

Chapter 33

I continued to walk down the path that was set for me and jumped when something touched my shoulder, twisting that way with a balled fist to see... nothing. I bared my teeth and narrowed my eyes in warning while I looked this way and that, wondering what had touched my shoulder.

"What the fuck?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. My whole body was tense, and I looked this way and that, growling ever so slightly with the hair on the back of my neck stood at attention. "Who is there?" I asked, baring my teeth and narrowing my eyes further. "Who touched me?"

Nothing...

There was only silence...

I growled and shook my head before I turned back the way that I was going and started to walk that way again, my whole body tense and on edge because I had no idea what happened and what was going on.

Who the fuck touched me?

What happened, and why did it happen?

Again, something touched my shoulder, and I twisted around and threw a punch in that direction, but I connected with nothing and no one.

"What the actual fuck?" I asked out loud and looked around some more, baring my teeth further while I growled a warning. "Who the hell is there? What the fuck is going on and what happened?"

The weight on my shoulder was still there unlike the first time as if the person knew that I couldn't hit them, and I placed my hand on my shoulder to again feel nothing.

I furrowed my brows and pressed my lips into a thin line while I let my hand fall to my side but in a closed fist. "Samuel?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "Is that you?"

The feeling on my shoulder squeezed my shoulder once as if to say, "yes," and I bit back a small sigh of relief and relaxed just a tad, even though I grew confused because I had no idea what was happening and why he was there but not there.

"Are you a ghost?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

Samuel squeezed my shoulder twice, and I had a feeling that he meant, "no."

"Then... what are you if you aren't a ghost and are invisible?"

Samuel didn't squeeze my shoulder or do anything for that matter, and I had a feeling that he wasn't able to answer my question in a way that I could understand.

I sighed and rolled my eyes before I moved a hand through my hair and across my face, annoyed. "I know Morse Code, Samuel," I said, grumbling ever so slightly. "Can you tell me what's going on that way?"

Samuel squeezed my shoulder twice as if to say, "no."

I pressed my lips into a thin line and narrowed my eyes. "Do you not know Morse Code?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question. "I thought that would be the first thing that you learn, especially since you are supposed to be this geeky ass nerd."

Samuel didn't squeeze my shoulder, and I sighed and shook my head while I pursed my lips in annoyance.

"Are you coming with me, Samuel?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper while I changed the subject because I had no idea what else to do.

Samuel squeezed my shoulder once as if to say, "yes."

"Do I continue to go down this path?" I asked and gestured toward the way that I was going.

Again, Samuel squeezed my shoulder once as if to say, "yes," again and gently pushed me in that direction.

I grunted and slowly nodded while I pursed my lips in annoyance and moved in that direction. "Is it safe?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question.