Exciti

Chapter 16 (Adam)

Adam hoped his mother would never catch him talking to a drawer. He was still feeling silly himself, even after a whole week of doing this. Using Exciti keys to connect their drawers together and turn them into a phone line felt both excessive and awkward.

"Why can't you just use the phone?" he complained.

"Why would I pay for a plan when this is free for ten times the quality?" came Lucy's whisper from the drawer.

Adam shook his head, they may have grown much closer to Lucy over the last week, but he will never understand her thriftiness. Still, he had to admit that the last week had been the easiest since Tam disappeared. He had a plan and, friends who believed him.

"Is Liam there?" she continued.

Adam looked at Liam. "She is asking about you." Liam knocked on the drawer to let her know that he was there.

"Good. I'm coming through the closet in a minute. Is your mom gone?" she asked.

"Yes. She just left for a Halloween event at work."

"Ok, I will be there in a second." The clacking noise of closing the drawer signaled the end of the call.

And she did mean a second, because the next thing Adam knew, Lucy was stepping through the closet. "You should clear the bottom of your closet, it's a falling hazard."

"Most people don't use it as a threshold to my house," he reminded her.

She rolled her eyes, then pointed at their jackets, which were draped on the bed. "Did you get the candy? I can't go back home empty-handed. I told Lago that we are going trick and treating."

Liam got up and showed her the full pockets.

She nodded. "Good, now, let me hear the rules one more time."

Adam and Liam rolled their eyes. They had spent every Lunch period over the last week cooped up in Mercury's back room, going over the plan and Lucy's stupid rules. Not to mention the hours they spent talking through drawers and closet doors every day.

Fortunately, Liam was willing to go over them for the zillionth time. "Don't talk to anyone, don't talk in front of anyone, and generally...don't talk." he signed with a resigned shoulder slump.

Lucy nodded. "Hopefully, the security will be laxer today with all the hustle and bustle of the Halloween ball. We should be fine as long as you stick to the rules."

The boys followed Lucy to the closet. She took out her key, took a deep breath and touched the closet door with it. The key went into the door as if there was a keyhole all along and the door clicked open.

Adam held his breath in excitement. He was finally going to see The Society. He followed Lucy out of the door, then let go of his breath in a whoosh of disappointment.

They stood in a faintly lit, small room that seemed carved in stone. It smelled of rust and damp earth and was empty except for a small guy on a high stool with a big grey beard that rested over a spread-out work table. The man, who wore a visor and a bright blue tail jacket, didn't seem aware of their arrival, focusing instead on whatever work he was doing. Adam didn't have to guess at what he was making. The entire wall behind him was covered with rows upon rows of identical ornate keys that glinted in the light of a lone oil lamp.

So this is where they make Exciti keys. Adam thought as he followed Lucy, who didn't seem to mind the man, toward the other door.

"Halt!" A smooth, ethereal baritone voice echoed in sharp waves around the room. The sudden announcement was effective enough to freeze them on their tracks.