Whispers [complete and non-edited]

Chapter 24

Laehal was getting uncomfortable. Did he get the address wrong?

"My name is Laehal Riker, sir. My mother is Shayel Riker. I thought you'd know her?" [PRONOUNCED RYE-ker]

"Mm...I might know 'er. What's it to you?"

"Well I found this address on a piece of paper in an abandoned house, and I was wondering who Urin Reeves was and how my mom knew him. But I guess the address is wrong. Sorry for bothering you."

The man grabbed Laehal's arm. "Wait. Did you feel...different when you were in that house?"

Could Laehal tell this stranger about the visions he had?

"You can trust me, kid."

"Are you Urin Reeves?"

The man grunted. "If I tell you, will you tell me?"

Laehal nodded.

"Yes. I am Urin Reeves. Mix it up a bit, and you get Sever Nirue, [PRONOUNCED SEHV-err NIGH-rue] which is my real name."

Why did he have a fake name? And why did "Urin Reeves'" real name sound familiar?

"I've heard that name before," Laehal said suspiciously.

"You probably heard your na—I mean, mother talking to me when you were younger."

Laehal was confused. "My what? What were you going to say before?"

Sever blushed. "So tell me, did you feel different when you were at that house?"

Narrowing his eyes, Laehal crossed his arms. "Yeah. Now answer my question."

Sever cursed under his breath.

"Shayel's been keepin' a big secret from ya, kid. I can tell you though, she ain't your ma."

"What are you saying," Laehal asked, extremely confused.

"Your 'ma' payed me to make your life a lie," Sever said. "I regret doing it now. You see, your parents died in a car crash when you were five years old. Shayel...she took you as her own. She changed your name and everything and moved you to the other side of town. I helped her, but I didn't realize she was so bad."

Laehal's knees felt weak. His life was a lie? Shayel wasn't his mother? Car crash? There were so many questions buzzing around in his mind that all just wanted to be asked at once. One in particular confused Laehal the most, and it was swift to exit through his mouth.

"You didn't realize she was how bad?"

Sever sighed and held his head in his hands. "Your ma is crazy, Laehal. She's not right in the brain. Something happened to her, I don't know what, but you can't trust her no more. She just isn't right. I'm sorry I ever made a deal with her."

Laehal could no longer stand. He was confused. This was too much for him to handle at the moment. How would he get home?

It's not really my home, he thought suddenly.

"Where will I stay?" he asked Sever. "If my—I mean, if Shayel is crazy, where will I go so I can be safe?"

"You'll have to go back tonight, but don't trust her. She is not your mother."

Laehal regrettably left Sever's tiny shack, still dazed and thinking about how everything he could remember was a lie. Shayel was...his babysitter?

He didn't need a babysitter anymore.

But Shayel had looked after him all these years and he had grown to care for her.

It was too much to think that he couldn't trust her anymore.

The stump was there waiting for him when he looked around, and when he sat on it he barely paid attention, so he fell off many times on the way to his—Shayel's house, but the stump stopped and waited for him to get back on every time.