A Spirit Between Us (bxb)

Chapter 21 - The Mimic.

Katherine answered the knock at the door to see Finn stood there, completely out of breath, his chest heaving from the sprint he'd made. His heart was still racing, not just from running, but from the unsettling feeling that had settled deep in his gut ever since he read Archie's last message. He had apologized to Lyla quickly, mumbling some half-baked excuse about having something to do and rushed away without another word. Now, here he was, standing in front of Archie's mom, trying to collect himself.

Katherine stood in the doorway, an eyebrow raised in quiet surprise as she took in Finn's disheveled state. Finn opened his mouth, but all that came out was a strained, "I... uh, sorry. I didn't mean to show up like this... I just—"

Katherine nodded slowly, her expression softening just a bit. She wasn't the kind to make anyone feel unwelcome, but Finn was acutely aware of the fact that she was also his principal. The usual awkwardness of teacher-student dynamics now felt painfully present.

Before he could say anything else, a voice cut through the tension.

"Finn?"

Archie's voice, warm but urgent, echoed from deeper inside the house. Finn barely had time to register what was happening before Archie appeared in the hallway, his usual calm demeanor replaced with an almost frantic energy. Without a second thought, Archie grabbed Finn by the hand, pulling him inside with an intensity that startled him.

"Come on, we need to go upstairs," Archie said, his voice low but firm. There was no time to waste.

Archie didn't ask about the missed texts or where Finn had been, nor did he question why Finn wasn't at school. The silence spoke volumes, and Finn couldn't help but think that the fact Archie wasn't making a fuss meant this was far more serious than he'd anticipated.

His mind was too cluttered with uncertainty, fear, and that strange mix of emotions he could barely pin down. He let himself be guided by Archie, still conscious of Katherine's gaze as they moved past her.

As soon as they were out of her line of sight, Archie led Finn up the stairs, their footsteps heavy on the wooden floors. The sound of rushing feet seemed to amplify Finn's already rapid heartbeat, but it didn't stop Archie from tugging him toward his bedroom door.

Once they were inside and the door clicked shut behind them, Archie let go of Finn's hand, but only for a second. He leaned back against the door, his face suddenly looking ten times more serious than it ever had before. "You got my messages...?"

Finn nodded, still trying to process the flood of feelings and questions that seemed to overwhelm him all at once. "Yeah.. you... you know what this is?"

They stared at each other in tense silence before Archie slid down the door, sinking to the floor. Finn hesitated for a moment before joining him.

"What is it, Arch?"

Archie's gaze drifted to the space just above Finn's shoulder, his face darkened by a cold scowl. "It's called a Mimic."

Finn blinked, his throat tightening. "A... Mimic?" The word settled uneasily in his chest, recalling the eerie events from earlier.

"Yeah," Archie muttered, his voice lowering. "And it's dangerous."

Finn swallowed hard, waiting for him to continue, the weight of the silence pressing in.

"They're centuries old. According to the book, they were supposed to be extinct. But..." Archie's words trailed off as he shook his head. "Obviously not. They latch onto vulnerable people, people whose emotions are easy to manipulate."

Finn's stomach churned, a knot of unease tightening within him. Gee, thanks.

"They're like stalkers," Archie went on, his voice rough, "they follow their host, watch them, learn everything they think and feel. And then they use it against them." He paused, his lips pressed tight together. "They feed off negativity. The more negative the host feels, the stronger it gets."