He was still following. I couldn't see him, but I knew he was there. Since I came back two days ago, I saw his shadow every time I turned the head. Though, no sign of him. Only his shadow.
I needed a break. The fresh air of the pub gave me some rest. Opening the door, I welcomed the crisp air on my heated nerves. The heads inside turned my way, the eyes seizing me. I sat on a corner booth, far from the entrance. I craved the darkness. I wouldn't see his form looming over my shoulder.
I got a beer. Cold and foamy. It flooded my throat with bitterness and salvation. I finally relaxed a bit. Thinking about the shadow. About him. What could have gone wrong? I had confirmed the map confirmed. Verified the sources. Planned every crucial details for this treasure hunt. I went solo.
I wasn't expecting much cash, though I got the find of the millennia. It wouldn't sell on the black-market. Too easily identifiable. Too risky. An artefact with a crazy legend.
Many missing. Three corpses. Two full teams had vanished. Then, three bodies were uncovered. Unidentified. It was getting complicated. And dangerous. Extremely dangerous. But I wanted to know what happened to him. I needed a closure.
I ordered another couple of beers. My nerves finally calmed. I had relaxed. I had to go home. With a stop at the pit first. I entered the only opened stall. The guys there looked at me weirdly, but they didn't say much. My business done, I went out quickly. I wanted to go back home and sleep.
The sun was still high and scorching outside. I looked behind my shoulder and I didn't see anything. Why was I looking? I didn't remember. I walked some more and ended up in front of a familiar dainty duplex. Susan's. Why did I have her keys? I entered, looking for her, desperately. I dropped the keys on the console, by the door, when I saw her. On the mirror, in front of me. Then, I remembered.
The excavation... The curse... The void... Then Susan. I followed her... And now... I was 'her'...
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Proposed for AdventureCommunity's challenge: The Micro Adventure, where the story had to be an adventure recounted in 2000 characters only, so it would fit in a comment.
All entries are posted in https://www.wattpad.com/229125410-adventure-community-contests-the-micro-adventure (address clickable in the external link section)
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tibits
Short StoryThe temple bell stops but I still hear the sound coming out of the flowers. --Matsuo Basho - - - Series of short stories for various competitions and ideas that needed to be written...