Project

4.1: The Novelist.

"I'll be back in a sec, just need to let Hustle in." Sam told Questioner, quickly rushing off to open the door for his impatient soaked dog. Questioner looked at him, partially surprised by his entrance. Granted, Will had told him that Sam was Project's most trusted friend; they told him everything, yet he was still sceptical about him. If Sam did know a lot about Project and The Incident, then where was he during the start of it all?

Questioner had arrived here once exactly two months ago, and watched as every person was interviewed and questioned. He wanted to help out, ask queries that were already forming in his head, but he had been told to stay put for now. He had seen every person that was there, every face, every pair of eyes, every person who was there was in Questioner's mind. Yet he had never once seen Sam there. If Sam was truly someone who did know a lot about the Mystery, then where was he that night?

Writer watched Sam carefully, feeling as though he had seen him somewhere before. Writer didn't know why, but he was very suspicious of him, especially when he said that he was the one who could help. Writer looked for a reason as to why his mind was suspecting him, but couldn't come to a conclusion that worked, other than what if he was the culprit who started it all?

Ridley immediately looked away from Sam, still spiteful of his last personal encounter. Even though it had been four weeks since the argument had taken form, he couldn't let himself forgive Sam. He had changed, and was no longer the man he was once friends with. He remembered how strange he acted towards him, suddenly babbling on about how he could solve it all, how he could save Project, but he had no evidence to back it up. It was all meaningless, like his hopeless stories. When he had told Sam this, Sam had flipped out, yelling 'You're not listening to what I'm saying!' Ridley had tried to keep his composure, yet Sam had pushed him to the limit, and a fight broke out. After that, a mutual agreement was made: They would never visit each other again until it was all over. Or at least that was what at first happened. Until, as Ridley was walking away, he heard Sam say, 'One day, you'll visit me again, just as the investigation begins once more. That, I'm guessing, will be the last time we meet up for a long while, so best get out what you want to say then...'

Sam soon came back, "Okay then! So, tell me what's happened so far. I need to know where you're at in this Mystery, so that I can help out as best as I can." Questioner paused for a second, wondering if he should say anything to him. He seemed too eager, too jumpy to help out with a serious discussion. However, he still felt as though he could trust him; he had that relatable look, that soft smile, and that calm, collected voice. He decided to trust his instincts, "Well, not very far actually. We were able to get some information from Spencer and Will about their life, and also an incident beforehand that may have led to The Incident. Other than that, not much."

"Have you read the letter that Spencer gave you?" Sam asked, surprising Writer and Questioner once more about what he knew. "How did you-" Writer began to ask, before Sam cut him off, "Simple, really, I asked Spencer about it. Knowing that you guys were coming to visit me, I had to be sure as to what information you already had. So have you read it?"

Questioner looked towards his feet, "Um, not yet. We got side-tracked." Sam did a comedic face-palm, annoyed by their ignorance. He gave a sigh, and said, "Well read it soon, it'll help later on, I believe." He then gave a quick shiver as rain dripped down his spine, "Anyways, it's getting really cold out here, and by the looks of it, you've been under the weather long enough. I'll let you into my house, we can talk more clearly there." He then ushered them all to follow him, including Ridley, who still refused to look him in the eyes, and opened the door into his home.

Immediately they were met by mad barks and hisses from Sam's pets, who have not seen unfamiliar faces for a long time. "Hustle, Catastrophe, they are guests. Like any guest, we treat them with respect." Sam calmly said to the animals. Just as quickly as they were to bark at Questioner and Writer, they calmed down and went back to their usual sitting place, leaving both Questioner and Writer to stare in amazement, yet Ridley rolled his eyes at Sam's showing-off. "How did you do that so quickly?" Questioner asked, intrigued.