Lurk

ＣＨＡＰＴＥＲ ＮＩＮＥ

"Took you long enough." Was the first thing he said to me.

"Aw, missed you too." I said sarcastically.

"I know you did." He smiled playfully, "Anything new happened?"

Should I tell him? He'll get worried and start blaming himself like last time if I did. I don't want that. "Nope, what about you? Found anything yet?"

"Yes." Who knew one word can make my brain go crazy?

"What is it?" I blurted a little too eagerly.

"I didn't just randomly show up here. Something led me here, I don't know what it was, but it's like something told me to come here. At first, I didn't get why your house specifically."

"And now you know?" I furrowed my eyebrows, where is he going with this?

"Yes. You're the one, Athena."

"What do you mean?" I'm the one... What does that even mean?

"Fate brought me here, it's all fitting together like a piece of puzzle."

Am I missing something here? Cause he makes absolutely no sense. "I don't get it."

"I know it doesn't make sense now, but I need you to do me a favour. Go talk with Lucius."

"Who's Lucius?" Gosh, I hate him for messing my head up like that.

"Your neighbour." Neighbour. That's an odd word for me, I've never talked or associated with any of our neighbours before.

"How do you know him- why would I talk to him?"

"You'll get your answers, just please. Do me this favour. It'll stop everything." He gently put his hand on my jaw.

It'll stop everything. That was enough for me to agree.

"Okay." I whispered, leaning into his hand.

"I'm so happy it's you." He whispered back, his thumb going up and down my cheeks as I closed my eyes.

"I don't understand, but I'm happy it's me too." I chuckled.

After staying like that for a while, he retreated his hand back, "I need you to listen to me."

I nodded, signalling him that I'm listening.

"You see that?" He pushed his sleeves up and point at a black symbol at his forearm, a tattoo. "I want you to memorize that, like it's your own name."

I admired the tattoo, looking at each and every detail in it. It's beautiful. I ran my fingers upon it then nodded, looking up at him. "Got it."

He then left me standing and went to remove two wall bricks, showing a secret hiding place. He took something out and faced me again, "And take that."

How would he give me a thing in a dream? How will it be there when I wake up?

"You'll find that in the place you hid it in, so hide it in a place you know because you won't remember where you put in when you wake up."

I took the thing and looked to see what it is. The book.

"But why- why are you giving it to me?" I slurred out.

"I got what I want from it, now it's time to give it to them. Give it to Lucius, he'll handle the rest. Just tell him the whole story."

He wants me to keep the book. He trusts me to keep the book and give it to that Lucius dude.

"How can you trust me with something like that?" I breathed out.

He locked eyes with me. "You trusted me when you had no reason to, why wouldn't I trust you?"

I smiled at the floor, a giddy feeling in the pits of my stomach, "I hope I won't let you down."

"I know you won't."