ETHER: The Realm of Magic

Chapter Three

Pandora's Box

Robert sat uncomfortably on the couch in front of me. He is still tapping his feet but this time, it was on a different rythmn. My wicked smiled disappear. I guess mentioning Mom's relation to Ether trembled the old man. But why?

"How did you know about Ether?" he asked.

I answered him casually, "Well, there was an old lady, apparently Dad's slut, turned in a three-in-one person, started to threatened me at my house and tried to kill me. She mentioned Ether and Mom then begun to chant a verse. She disappeared and the next thing I knew I was falling then a Delta saved me."

Robert brushed his hair with his fingers then begun lowering his head. He seems to be so problematic. I'm starting to worry of what I got into.

"You should go home."

"Wait, what?!" I exclaimed protestingly. He can't be serious!

He stood and grabbed my arms. I was punching his hands so hard but he started dragging me around.

"Ugh! LET. GO. OF. ME!"

Robert opened his front door. He looked at me in the eyes, like he was examining my deepest soul. I was caught offguard then he pushed me outside his house.

"Be vigilant, Nicole." He said then shut the door.

He left me standing and dumbfounded right in front of his house. What the hell?

I was fuming with anger. Pounding on the door, I shouted,"You ridiculous old man! Give me some answers!"

Silence reigned the whole house. I kicked the door out of frustration.

"Damn it! Open this now, Uncle!"

No answer. I kept on shouting from outside but there were no response. Sighing in defeat, I went back to my car.

He knew something. Something that could relate Mom's death to Ether. Suddenly, Katy's voice echoed in my brain, 'Seriously Nicole? Ether? The kingdom from a fiction book? Are you crazy?'

Gorgeously crazy. I have enough evidence: Robert's reaction, Ms. Peterson the crazy bitch, the book itself and... the Delta!

I hopped back to my car with a triumphat smile. He said that I could call him whenever I'm in trouble and he would come. I started the engine. Trouble is my twin sister.

******

My car went to halt as I've arrived. It was already night. Damn. Robert's house to this place took three hours of driving. Scanning the area, I stepped out from the car. The streets are almost empty and a few lamp posts were alive. There were abandoned Tudor houses lined up on each side of the road.

"Lost your way kid?"

Just then I noticed a man sitting on the curb. He has this old brown jacket slumped over his shoulder. Beneath it, he wore a dirty chartreuse tshirt, ripped jeans and boots. He has those set of ocean blue eyes and dark brown messy hair. He stood up and approached me.

"Pandora's Box"

The man came to stop and eventually his brows met each other.

"Password?"

"Cerberus"

"House 344"

House 344? It must have been changed. Knowing that bastard. I nodded at him and went back to the car.

Moving the car forward, everything is noticibly quite. There were rugged people sitting around and they eventually stop as they saw me approaching. They whispered and they scramble where I couldn't see them. Tsk. I'm not going to eat them.