What If Our Life Threads Bind?

Chapter 41.

AUSTIN

"Hello Martha. Nice to meet you again." The weird guy on the doorway said.

I spun around and gave Martha a questioning look. Why is she standing here, exposing herself in front of this possible psychopath stranger? And, how did he know her name? I glared at her but she didn't move a muscle, just stood there stone-faced and almost pale, staring at the stranger.

"Martha, go inside." I mouthed at her but she didn't seem to notice.

"What are you doing here?" She asked the man in a wavered voice, and I glared at her. She was not even looking at me. I turned around to look at the guy who was staring back at Martha with a weird creepy smile. Like he knew the punch line of a joke that Martha was a part of. I hated this smile.

"Martha, where are your manners? Would you not like to introduce me to your..... friend? No?" He said with a weird smug smile, and I wanted to punch him right there. "Austin, I am her family friend, Augury. I-"

I couldn't hear his voice anymore. I cut him off when I said, "How do you know my name?" taking a step back.

"Oh, I know everyone and all their sides. Martha, won't you try to help me explain this one to Austin? He'd take your word for it, I bet. For I know, he knows you. Well, does he? I am sure you must have told him about your little secret." He said.

Martha was staring wide eyed at the guy. A weird expression crossed her face which she tried to cover but she failed. She looked....scared? Even angry, I guess. Her lips were trembling and her ears looked hot and red even from a distance.

"What little secret?"

Martha's lips moved but I couldn't quite decipher what she was trying to say.

"Get. Out." She whispered again, and then loudly again. "GET OUT! GET OUT!" She didn't even sound like herself. Her snarl almost sounded like that of an animal. I was taken aback. She had always been so quiet. I had never seen this side of her.

"Well, you heard the girl." I spat on the man. "Get out."

I was about to push him out of the door when Martha said "No." I stared wide eyed at her. What is she saying? She's out of her nuts. "I mean you, Austin. Go. Get out." She was whimpering, her eyes teary.

"What?" The Augury guy and I said at the same time, our expressions the opposite. He heaved a sigh of relief while a jolt of mixed feelings hit me. I felt angry and rejected.

"Austin, please. Go. Come back, after sometime." She said. She was crying now, her tears almost making a puddle on the floor. "Please. Go. Get out!"

I took a few quick steps towards her and took her in my embrace. She kept weeping as I rubbed her back and kept chanting, "Go. Go. Get out. Get out." I kissed her on her forehead and told her whatever it is, it will be fine. She shook her head and said I must go.

"But why? What happened?"

She shook her head in response and whispered, "Go."

A realization hit me, and I took long strides towards the guy and smacked his weird smile off of his face. "You drugged her the other day, didn't you?"

He faltered on his step but didn't fall. When I moved closer, he moved both of his hands in front of me, his palms facing one another. Between his outstretched hands, a steady thickening network of lightening was forming, knitting into a thick stream of a electricity. He was about to throw his arms out on me, the light glinting off the crevices of my fingers but nothing came other than a loud noise.