Fracted (Book #2)

Chapter 28: Boom!

Even if we only teleported like at least only five times, I already felt tired of all the appearing and disappearing. And the green smokes tickling my nose hair after popping up in random places. Jason knocked on the wooden door three times. A small light hung above us, swinging from left to right. Like in the interrogation room, things were pretty unexpected.
"Where exactly are we?" I asked, "Seems different here."
"Sure is quiet out here" Eiffel said.
"Yeah, we're in Miami. Sometimes it's noisy, sometimes it's quiet. This place is bipolar if you think about it."
"And whose house is this?" she asked.
"Patrick's." Jason answered and knocked again.
"Who's Patrick?" I asked.
"My fellow Seeker--Zach, Alice, and I worked with him."
The door cracked open, and a teenage dude with braces answered.
"Jason?" He sounded groggy. "It's the middle of the night. And if this is important, I could just run out and leave my dog running around the house with poop all over the floor."
"Better get your running shoes." Jason said.
"We're going to Brooklyn." I said.
"You're Jess." he said.
"Yes it is--we need to go."
"What seems to be the rush?" Patrick asked.
All things seemed silent. I didn't answer.
"Perhaps you guys can come inside for a while and, you know...talk a li'l bit before you guys go?"
"That'd be okay." I said, stepping inside without his signal.
"So who's this?" I see him looking at Eiffel.
"Eyes off!" I said, banging my elbows down the table loudly.
We sat around the circular table at the dimly lit kitchen. The blinking light stood above us, mounted to the cracked ceiling. It sure was humid inside the house.
"Alright, Jess. What's your deal? You don't seem like yourself. What's going on?"
"You say things like you know me." I said curtly.
"Okay fine, I'll introduce myself then--I'm Eiffel. Zip he found in an airport." she said with a hint of discomfort and annoyance.
"Okay...so, who wants coffee?" Jason suddenly changed the subject.
He walked over to the kitchen as if he owns the house.
"So you live here alone?" Eiffel asked, cooling down.
"Yeah, uh...my parents moved out after finding out I have powers."
"Why didn't they just kick you out?" I said.
"What--you want me to live on the streets?"
"No, it's not like that I mean--"
"Well, look who suddenly cares." His sarcastic tone sounded obnoxious. I could've punched him.
"I'm saying that why would they leave instead of you?"
"It's because they were afraid of me, but they still loved me so..."
"When did they leave? How old were you?" Eiffel asked.
"Seven years ago. I was eleven."
"Impressive," I leaned and chuckled. "Your parents just agreed to let you have this house all by yourself?"
"Yeah. I mean, I'm the independent one in my family. I even payed for the water bills."
"So what's your shtick?" I ask this time.
"My shtick?"
"Your powers, I mean."
"I'm a Matcher."
"Wait a sec--" Eiffel cuts in, like she wasn't gonna be done. "you said you live here, right?"
"That's right."
"Then how do you know Jess if you just stay in here?"
"I graduated early months before the chaos with André. That's why I left."
"So you weren't staying here the whole time?"
"Nope."
"Then who was staying here to keep the house safe?" I asked.
"No one--if you're suspecting Mr. André infesting my house, you're wrong. My dog would've known somebody else was here."
Jason arrives with a small tray full of coffee mugs. I took a sip on the mug with the least amount of coffee. Bitter was a good taste for someone like me. Good thing Jason knew about the Type 1 me.
"He has a good point," Jason said, "Maybe the house is safe after all. Maybe you're just being insane, Jess."
I just have that urge that somebody else is inside. I feel like I lit the fuse. And came the minute beeping from behind us, the living room.
"It better not be your phone, Eiffel." Jason warned.
"It's...not my phone." she said.
There it was again.
I completely turned to the living room.
"What?" Patrick asked. "You really think he's in my house?"
"That's not what I'm sayin'--it's just that I have a great sense of danger coming."
"It's called paranoia."
I leaned back on my chair and got a closer look. The cool breeze entered, tousling the curtains near the door. It wouldn't have happened unless the windows were...open.
"Did you open the windows before we came?" I asked Patrick.
"No, why?"
"Because it's open."
"What?!" He got up from his seat quick, tossing his chair back.
He stomped his way towards the living room, inspecting what had entered his home. He crouched down the sofa--nothing. He also looked under the table and behind the TV--nothing still.
"Well?" Jason said. "Find anything?"
"No..."
I stood up as well, and I take my backpack from the couch. Ready to leave. The ticking proceeds to sound and I got even more worried.
"Eiffel, let's go." I said to her. "You too, Jason. You too, Patrick."
"Dude, I can't just leave my dog and the house alone." Patrick said.
"What do you want us to do?" Eiffel asked voluntarily.
"Look for whatever's making that sound."
Beep
Beep
Beep
Beep
"This is freaking me out though," Jason said. "Honestly."
Patrick bent down and slipped his fingers on the gap between the couch and the floor. He used up his strength to lift up the couch-- still nothing.
"Oh, crud--" Patrick sounded agitated. "there's nothing!" He screamed, slamming the couch back to the floor. The whole room shook in distress. All the cupboards and drawers slid open.
An object clattered noisily on the floor. The beeping grew fast. I glanced down at the object, turns out that that caused the endless beeping. The four of us gasped in fear after what we've witnessed. The tiny clock ticked to one and the front section of the house was obliterated.
It was a time bomb.