"Hey Mayur?" Lucian called. He was lazing on the couch and had covered his face with a book that he took nearly one hour to choose.
'Why did he even bother to pick one when he was just going to laze around?' I thought.
I had myself found a book from Arya's father's bookshelf. It was about the monetary system of the world or something like that. I was quick to grasp the basics about this world, but there were things that I couldn't quite understand. I was lucky that I didn't had to waste time on learning this language as I seemed to be able to speak and read it quite well. As for why it's like this, I don't know. But for the time being, I'm just grateful 'cause you can pretty much learn anything in this world if you know how to read and write.
I'll just focus on understanding this world better for now.
"What?" I said, not looking up from the book that I was reading.
"Well, I was just thinking that..." Before he could finish what he was saying, the telephone rang.
Seeing how no one was around, I reluctantly put my book aside and attended the call.
"Hello?"
"Isn't this Arya's Grandma's number?" A female voice asked. She sounded scared and was probably panicking.
"Yes it is. You can tell me what is it." I said.
"Well, I'm sorry but I can only relay this message to Arya's guardian. Can I please talk to her Grandma?"
I asked Lucian to call Grandma, who was having her afternoon nap. Poor lady. She was finally able to get some rest after working the entire day. She came over and I handed her the phone.
"Hello?...Yes, it's me." Grandma replied to a question the woman might have asked.
"What! Where did my child go?" she exclaimed.
Hearing it, Lucian's expressions took a complete one eighty degree turn. I didn't know what he was thinking, but I doubted it was something good.
"Okay. I'll be there soon." Grandma hung up and faced me. Her expression gave it all-something bad happened.
"What is it?" I asked.
"The call was from her school. They said...that... some armed people were looking for her..." Her voice broke. "...they even shot the watchmen..."
I grabbed her by arms, "Grandma what happened to Arya?" I asked.
"She...she's nowhere to be found."
I couldn't think straight after hearing that. I had just one thought in mind. Ever since Arya told me about her, how she found me and about that monster, I had been constantly thinking about it. What can happened once, can happen again. I was too worried to think about anything else.
"I'll go there straight away." I told her and hurried outside. Lucian followed me. But he seemed completely calm and cool about it.
"Don't worry. Nothing will happen to her." He said casually. His hands were comfortably in his pocket as if he had not a thing in this world to worry about.
I ignored him. I didn't feel the need to take him seriously. Someone died, Arya is missing, she could be in danger and yet this boy here says not to worry! Wait...what if really something like that monster from last time was after her again?
I didn't even want to think about the consequences. I have to find her.
...
The place now was completely empty. I walked inside the facility room and I noticed how they had moved all the equipments away.
'What happened here?' I thought.
The place totally looked like some haunted room. There were wires hanging from the ceiling and broken devices covered the floor. Bits and pages were lying across.
'These people left in a hurry.' I thought. That had to be the only explanation. Looking at the condition of the place and seeing how it hasn't even been three days yet, it was quite clear that someone was anxious to get this place cleaned up. However I wonder if this work is satisfactory.
Without looking back, Mr Mark said, "Does this place ring a bell? Surly, there have been certain minute changes, but nonetheless."
"I don't know what you are talking about. I've never been here." I said and as soon as I said that I felt like slapping myself on the cheek for such a pathetic lie.
Mr. Mark didn't reply, but stopped and I paused as well. He turned towards me and asked again, "Where is that boy that you helped escape this place?"
Now I was sure that he's asking about Mayur. But how in the world does he know all this and why is he even here?
"I don't know." I lied.
My mind was looking for ways to get myself out of this situation, but the better part of me knew, somehow, that I had practically run out of all options the moment I walked in.
'What to do now?' I thought, desperately trying to find a silver lining.
"So you'll keep on insisting on that, huh?" He said and signalled some man behind me. The man brought forward a phone and handed it to Mark.
"Look, still denying it?" He showed me the video playing on the phone. It was a CCTV footage-of me dragging Mayur out of this place. There was no turning back now. The girl in the video can be easily identified to be me.
"Let's skip this wastage of time. I'll offer you two options: tell me where he is and I'll leave you, or keep on feigning ignorance and put your entire family in danger." He looked at me with emotionless eyes. "I hear you have quite a lot of kids in the orphanage." He threatened.
I was way too unprepared. Weird things keep on happening, but I'm still as clueless as I was the first day when I woke up. My stupidity even ended up putting everyone here that I can call family in danger.
Is there any way out of it?