CHAPTER THREE, EPISODE ONE: THE UNEXPECTED VISITOR
The academic year’s over, and the vacation heat is on. Geronimo and Rachel just dropped by Elleridge University to get their grading cards and headed to their house across state. Geronimo drove the car and pulled out at Route 119. The sun is setting down, a brief indication that they would arrive at their house in deep darkness.
Their house is located at Crestville, West Virginia with only a population of a hunred-fifty. And it is far-by a ghost town in disguise caused by the deep silence it invokes. They’ve been a resident of the town for seven years since their parents died. And up until now, they’re visiting the ghost town every once in a while.
Numerals of seven and thirty flashed at their dashboard clock with a bright green LED lights. At this point forward, Crestville is as good as a cemetery. They weren’t even halfway the trip. Silence overpowers their journey. Geronimo is sober. Rachel is just quietly staring at the sceneries. And an old ballad song is playing through the radio. It is indeed, a typical interstate roadtrip.
“Rachel,” said Geronimo, “could you please call Gaile?”
“Ah, yeah,” Rachel replied, “sure.”
Gaile, short for Abegaile, is Rachel’s older sister and one of Geronimo’s younger siblings. There were only three of the siblings when in fact, there should be four. The supposedly second among the siblings died upon birth. Among the survivors, two of them lives in Pennsylvania. And one of them whose Gaile, lives in South Carolina for her scholarship.
“Hello, this is Abegaile Castres, kindly leave a message,”
“Good evening, sis,” said Rachel, “this is your sister, kindly call back. We miss you.”
Shortly after, a call came in. Geronimo toned the radio’s volume down, plugged the phone into the car’s stereo and slowed down.
“What’s up, guys?!” said the voice on the phone, “I haven’t seen both of you in a while.”
“Well, we’re just doing fine,” Geronimo replied.
“How about you, sis?” asked Rachel, “found a boyfriend yet?”
“Nah, it’s not yet in my to-do list. Hahaha! I better take care of the scholarship,”
“Wew, you better find one,” said Geronimo.
“After you do. Hahaha! Anyway, how’s life there in P.A.?”
“Just fine. I’m living my career as a future digital artist. And your brother, well, found a girl,” Rachel said.
“Wait, what? I haven’t found a girl yet,” Gino defended.
“Hahaha! I saw her in one of my dreams. A British brunette, eh?”
“That’s Peach!” Rachel added, “hahaha! Our future sister-in-law.”
“Hey, take it down from there,” said Geronimo as he overtook a cargo truck ahead.
“She’s not my girl, by the way,” he added.
“Hahaha! I know,” the voice said, “anyway, guys, I got to go, we’ll have a girls night-out tonight.”
“Oh, I see. Alright, see you soon, sis,” Rachel said, “buh-bye. I love you.”
“Goodbye, sis,” he added, “take care. I love you.”
“I love the both of you too. I’ll take care, don’t worry. Buh-bye!”
“So, she’s not really your girlfriend, huh? I mean, Peach,” asked Rachel after hanging the phone up.
“No, she’s not,” he replied, “and if I do – no, she’s not.”
“Fine, if you insist. Hahaha!” she said.
They arrived at Crestville at around eight in the evening. The sky has already closed its way for the sun. And the town is just in deep darkness.
After Geronimo parked the car in front of the house, Rachel went outside first. She was just standing at the curbside, squeezing her university jacket while battling the cold atmosphere of the night. She waited until Geronimo hopped out of the car and they went to the front porch.
“Why are these broken?” asked Geronimo as he picked up pieces of a broken vase in the front porch.
“Cats, maybe?” she said, “there are so many roaming cats around here.”
Geronimo didn’t say a thing and just walked into the front door.
“Rachel,” said Geronimo, “we are in trouble.”
She walked near him to see what was causing Geronimo’s hysteria.
“Wha—,” Rachel uttered as she stared at their brass-plated doorknob crushed like a tin can.
Both of them rushed inside the house and searched for leading clues. The house’s interior was torn down into pieces. The chairs and tables were everywhere. Papers, books, and magazines, are all scattered across the living room. The fridge in the kitchen looked like a crumpled lump of metal. And even the paintings on the walls were all torn down. They knew a normal person cannot do such a thing. It must be one of them.
Rachel used her abilities once again as she teleported to each and every room that the house has. She searched for her room, her brother’s and sister’s, and her parents’ room. Much to their surprise, all of the expensive things weren’t stolen. Their flatscreen television is still there as well as Geronimo’s gadgets.
“Why is that? Nothing is missing,” she said as she reappeared in the living room.
“I don’t know,” Gino replied, “but they must be searching for something.”
Geronimo rushed to their parents’ room. He searched in the entire mess finding for a lost thing.
“I know what’s missing,” he said, “they took the filing cabinet.”
“What does it have to do with them? Those are just medical records!”
“We don’t know,” he replied, “but if that’s the case. It must be important.”
“Shall we call the police?” she asked.
“What?! Are you insane? This can’t be done by a normal person!”
“Then what are we going to do with this?” asked Rachel, “you can control time!”
“It’s no use, Rachel! Travelling back in time is much dangerous than the one who did this, do you understand me? We will create a paradox,”
The two of them, upon settling down with what is lost, cleaned the entire area all night. Geronimo, still shocked with what had happened, asked himself the greatest question he ever uttered, “What am I doing here? For what purpose do we have these abilities? Is there still something after we’ve lost our parents – our everything?”
YOU ARE READING
Separated Fates
Novela JuvenilA teen-fiction short story written by Leonardo Harland Wolff. It follows the lives of sixteen extraordinary teenagers who were separated by fate. And discover their true identity as a member of a higher society than the humans.
