Beneath the whispers

Chapter 22

Dragging a breath into my lungs I muster the courage I needed. “Who are you?” I manage a question, trying to swallow the air that had clogged my throat quietly enough and blinking away the last bit of fear in my eyes

“None of your business, why are you following me?” His young not so deep voice stirs up confidence in me, the first tick of safety; he is probably a few years older, if not a year. but then asking a question after a sly answer is just the game I am ready to play

“none of your business, why did you kill that woman?” well, confidence – yes but I still need to caution my curiosity, apart from letting him know I saw him even though I feel he already knows, I am still indicating interest in it.

The stomach-ripping silence between us sweeps me into a deep level of discomfort that I couldn’t keep my hands still so he doesn’t see they were trembling

“I arrived in this town a few days ago and I met some friends, we are looking for a way to save the village from the haunting shadows” I break the silence but it comes right back after my last words

The hoody man turns away from me tucking the material from earlier into a cloth bag that he then carefully hides away under his beg – the other thing is gone from his side table too

I had lifted myself almost standing on my toes watching where he hides the bag “don’t bother, you won’t see it when you get back to steal it” he brushes me off and I jump back on my heel

“Steal it? We didn’t know this house had any owner” wait, is he the owner of this house? That would mean he knows a lot about this place and he can interpret the codes

“so you decided to sweep out all my findings?” he turns to face me before I could answer he snaps his lips together and drops the hood covering his head over his shoulder to drink water from the can he picked up earlier then his gaze rests on me

His brown eyes scanned through me with caution, his hair was cut lower on the sides of his head, and dreads stood out from his crown. His dark skin is in sync with his red lower lip and darker upper lips that now break open into an amused grin from the rumbling in my stomach

“If you want to save the village then you should work on your stomach aggression. It gave you out earlier” he says, pretty amused

“I haven’t eaten today – wait you knew I was following you?” my lids break wider apart, from when did he realize I was following him?

I would be damned if he knew right from the beginning. he sniffs a laugh and then again but holds the laugh a few seconds longer, reaching out for his bag, he throws a packet of tiny doughnut-shaped crunchy snack at me which I remembered seeing at the shop that housed the tunnel I entered with Tony

“I lost your friend at the hotel, you should go find him” he turns away from me wiggling with his bag

“You know about the tunnel right? The codes we found in this house, you know about the mansion too… you know a lot of things about the shadows. We can work together” I smile hoping he turns to see that he can trust me, with a handful of snacks waiting for my smile to fade to burst into my mouth

“And what makes you so convinced that I am not a threat to you, I cannot bet my life and chance of escape on someone that would follow a stranger to his house and ask for food”

“I have been coming to this house, even my friend slept here once and I didn’t know you stayed here. By the way, why were you trying to kidnap –” the words hang, the image of the woman makes my stomach boil and I return the handful of the snack to the packet trying to stop myself from throwing up again

“Why were you looking for her?” he asks sparing a second to glance at me and offering me some water which I declined but he tosses it at me forcing me to catch it

“Because she was our ally, the only person that agreed to talk to us. She saved my life once” I let out a sad smile and grab another handful of snacks forcing it into my mouth like it was the snack's fault I got myself into this situation

“That explains it” he mumbles to himself

“Explains what?” I ask after him but he doesn’t say anything “what are you talking about?” I ask, letting my frustration show

“None of your business, you already have the food you wanted... so leave”

“What is that stuff you dug up from the tree roots?” I press further

“Please don’t come back or steal anything here again”

“I am not leaving here till I get answers”

“We cannot share a sleeping space and the sun is not on your side either” he smiled, turns his back on me, and continue “while you are at it, I need those papers back”

“Well… since you have decided to be a total dick, I am not giving you anything until you answer my questions. You know where to find me” I storm out from the hut flinging the beads at his back

I match into the town, probably towards the hotel and it was then it dawned on me that not only had I not been back to the hotel since I left yesterday but I also haven’t seen Tony since he took off with the hoody man and the man actually hinted on the hotel, with an uncomfortable conviction that I would find him there.

What if he had hurt Tony? No he wouldn't. Panicking but not enough to not grab another handful of snacks and force it down my throat. After a huge swallow, I pick up my pace, yelling his name and walking aimlessly through the village.