Lost ✔️

Chapter 28

"Brian's dead", Nathan said gravely.

*

"Wait what?", Stephanie said.

"After he met up with me.... We decided to snoop around. We investigated everything that we could. Files, folders, notes and papers but we found absolutely nothing. Everything was covered up. Even your parents' death records were erased."

"One day we just decided to go to your aunt's old place. You know the small dingy house covered in fungi now? That one. So we went there. Brian told me to wait outside and look for any sign of trouble. I was waiting outside! A block away from the house."

"Suddenly he comes out running with some folder in his hand. There was a rabid look of panic in his eyes and...fear! It was erratic and just the look brought goosebumps to my body. I am telling you Stephanie, he found something big and horrible."

Nathan stopped and ran his hand across his face. He looked tired.

"So what happened then?", she provoked him, not looking at him.

"And then he got shot"

Stephanie had been listening to the whole thing without any hint of sadness on her face. She just stared at the hole up the wall thinking if the hole inside her was bigger than that or not.

"The weird thing was-", Nathan said, pronouncing each word extra slow. Perhaps he noticed that Stephanie looked dazed and was asking for her attention.

Whatever the reason Stephanie's eyes shot up at him giving him the attention he wanted.

"- was that he wasn't shot by someone behind or beside him or anywhere from the ground. He was shot from a height. It was as if the shooter was waiting for him. I was too scared to go to him at the time so I ran  away in fright"

"When I came about five minutes later, realizing that I was leaving my friend to just die, Brian was lying there dead due to the bullet frying his head. The blood formed like a pond around his head. His eyes were glazed and still, the fear and horror evident in his eyes. But I also noticed that the file had gone. It was a white one. Someone must have taken it while I was......"

Nathan went on and on but Stephanie didn't bother to pay attention to him. Stephanie felt completely hollow inside. She did not feel like crying or grieving for anyone. Maybe she had become used to losing every human beside her. 

She zoned out in the same way one does in a history class. In a way, this was history too. Past. Don't people care too much about the past and future rather than the present? 

It's always the same shit. 

Someone was a tyrant slaving and abusing his own people. One day the people couldn't take it anymore and so they revolted. Spirit of freedom and nationalism was reborn. But it doesn't even help later. There are rapists roaming free and people still protest against their self-elected political leaders after about hundred of years later.

What is history? It doesn't even matter. What happened in the past still continues to happen in the present and will continue in the future too. History they say? Nah, it's just a story about our lives in general that happened in the old times too. Nothing changes at the end. 

Why am I even existing on this planet?

"..... so I figured you killed him and hence the reason of stalking you"

"So you're tellin' me you aren't just a stalker but a coward too?"

"Stephanie I-"

"- figured that I killed my own brother without any provocation?"

"No that's what I-"

"-thought? Meant? Because I'm just crazy in the head like my aunt tells me? Had you been with him he could have been alive now!"

"Listen to m-"

"Just what did Brian even mean to y-"

"LISTEN! I'm sorry I didn't die instead of his place but I just didn't okay?! I know I am a coward but I also have a sick mother to care for! If I die who'll look after her? Where would the money come from? Our country's social services suck after all", Nathan said it all in one go.

"That's such a sick reason to not be able to help and protect your friend. And what am I? A potato? What's my money? Grass? I was always there to help you! How could you just overlook that?", Stephanie yelled at him.

She was close to tears now but she was in refusal to let them fall. Or even acknowledge them.

That's just sweat from my eyes..... just sweat not tears at all.

Nathan massaged his temple. There was no point in arguing with her. She was speaking the truth. The worst part was that he knew it.

"Look.... what we need to find out is who killed him if it wasn't you", he explained.

"I did"

Both of them turned towards the only door, together to see the very ugly self of Mrs.Bats (to their eyes) standing tall and proud at the doorway. She looked at them as if she was admiring something very prestigious that she had been awarded with. 

Had they had not been in danger of their lives and existence, Stephanie would have said in a French accent,

"How can you even move that lazy booty of yours down here, Madam?"

But due to their slightly troubled situation she decided to glue her lips together for their sake.

"You children are very loud and I thought you needed to shut up", she sniggered disgustingly.

"Why?", Nathan hissed.

"Because he knew too much and so do you", she said.

What could that mean I wonder. 

Stephanie already knew her aunt's reason for coming down here.

*

"Are you sure?", Chris asked for the gazillionth time.

Marilene simply gave him a 360 degree eye roll. 

" I know the house inside out, okay?", she reiterated.

Chris nodded unconvinced. When it came to her he was not very sure about her brialliancy  but he had to trust her. She was the only one who knew the house as well as Stephanie did.

Steve played with a fidget spinner at a corner. The internet said that it reduced stress. However he felt more stressed as the time went by. 

I will report this toy on Google. It doesn't help in calming down a person at all......

He was worried for Stephanie but also for others. It was his plan all right but he didn't want anyone to jump to conclusions that Stephanie was in danger of her life. She could have gone for a visit after all! 

Although it wasn't likely that she would go there in the middle of the night just because she missed the bright and cheerful vibes of the house and wanted to give her oh-so-loving aunt a kiss and a cuddle.

Now it was too late for them to change anything. The other two were beyond the point of conviction and reason and he had no choice in it. 

"Okay. Let's do it", he eventually said, getting up.

*

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