After that, I went to sleep. No point dwelling on things that can't be changed, right? 'But Ezra, shouldn't you be at least attempting to understand the nights events? You idiot!' Yeah, I probably should. Oh, well.
When I woke up the following morning, I wasn't sure what to do. If I go to school, would she be there? Worse yet, Niro? I decided to play sick. My mother clearly didn't believe me, but evidently wanted to keep an eye on me anyway.
I started keeping track of the time frame between her checking in on me. I had approximately 15 minutes to do whatever I planned on doing. I figured it wouldn't be enough, and waited until the following day.
Sure enough, the time had extended. She was now taking 30 minute breaks. By the same logic, I should have around 45 minutes tomorrow. That is, if she let me stay home a third time.
That night, I started packing. I figured the worst idea possible would be fighting monsters in the dark. I would leave around noon tomorrow. That was around the time she took naps most days, so even if I stayed out to long on accident, I might have a chance to get back undetected. A chance.
I spent the rest of the day attempting to reach Gau. From my knowledge, after The Nameless One disappeared, every trace of Gau did as well. The newspaper had an article about him being deemed missing.
I woke up tomorrow morning with a headache. It wasn't bad, but it was a small inconvenience. My mother checked in around 8:00. Unfortunately, it appeared she was still taking 30 minute intervals. But how much longer could I wait until I... well, I... I wasn't sure what I was doing. But I needed answers.
I realized there could be more pressing issues. Like Gau's disappearance. Do I even know he is safe? In a moment of recognition, I realized I still didn't know if they were alive. I saw the knife... and the hand... what if Gau was dead?
I decided that wasn't a chance worth taking. Every day, Gau had been there for me. A friend. A tutor. A lifeline. Now he needed me. There was no turning back. I got under the covers again. I decided to "take a nap," in the hopes my mom would buy the old pillow-under-a-blanket trick.
When my mother came in, I was facing the wall, laying on my side. I relaxed my breathing, and fought the urge to respond when my mother said my name, as she was likely checking if I was awake.
When I heard the door click shut, I jumped out of bed, and slid a pillow under the blanket. I tip-toe over to the window. I'm on the second story, so jumping down isn't an option. In hindsight, it would've been smarter to figure this out ahead of time.
I decided my best bet would be sneaking out the front door. It wouldn't exactly be stealthy, but it would keep all my limbs intact.
I opened the door a crack. I didn't see any immediate danger, and began my descent downstairs. I slipped into the kitchen, the silence disturbing me. At this point, I only had one more room to sneak by before I had availability to the front door. The living room.
I peered around the corner. My mother was sitting on the couch, arms folded, eyes closed, and headphones on. Not asleep, but at least I could allow some noise.
I slowly crept through the room, careful not to move too quickly. The undisturbed quiet was eerie. Five feet left. I was almost there. Three. Two. One. I reached out, touching the cool metal. After being in bed so long, it sent a shudder through me.
"Ezra? What are you doing?"
Crap. My Ninja skills needed work. I was afraid to look back, but I really had no choice. I turned to make eye contact with my now suspicious mother. I needed a lie, quick
"I...uh...decided to go to school."
"And you saw no need to notify your mother?"
"I...didn't think you'd mind?"
"Your an awful liar."
"Yeah..."
"I don't know what your up to, but I'm starting to think that maybe I should take you to school."
"That won't be necessary, ma'am"
I'm not sure where they came from, but somehow, the unfamiliar figure had gotten behind me. I turned to find a tall, pale man, with light hair towering over me. He spoke with a thick polish accent. My mother finally broke the awkward silence.
"And who might you be?"
He took a couple steps forward, and stuck out his hand in greeting.
"I am the schools new principal. I was sent to confirm the child was here. Unfortunately, he has missed to many school days, and will have to return now, or face expulsion. I'm sure you understand."
She looked confused, but simply nodded in reply. She told me to just buy a lunch today. I wasn't sure who this man was, but I was pretty sure that he wasn't a principal. And so began my next great adventure.
