"Keith...Keith..please wake up..something bad happened."
ahhh..my head hurts. is it because i was up too late telling the kids stories and not only that Rach is now screaming on top of her lungs.
"what happened?" I replied to her pulling myself back from sleep.
"It's Lydia, she's not here..."
"why..what happened? what do you mean she's not here?"
"When I woke up this morning, she was gone."
gone...she has already mentioned about 3 kids vanishing before without any reason. is it the same or something different..
"okay..calm down for now Racheal. tell me clearly, did you hear anything weird like some screams or footsteps."
"no, i didn't even though i was sleeping next to her."
this all just points towards something supernatural but i dont think its something as straightforward as that. Afterall the one who claims to be the god won't do something like this. He will go by the rules and won't just vanish anyone like this case.
"Hey Rach, are you sure if she vanished? Have you checked all the places where she could be?"
"Believe me Keith, I already checked the whole orphanage. Not only that, I even went outside but didn't find anything that can give us any clue."
"What about the old man, where is he?"
"I don't know, maybe in his room."
"Let's go Racheal, firstly let's talk to him about it."
"I don't think it's gonna help."
"Why? What do you mean?"
"Keith, why do you think I came to you first but not to him."
"I see, I understand now."
It's probably that he doesn't do anything or just ignores her. At Least that's what I guess.
"He says he will try to find them but he doesn't, I never saw him being worried about the missing children."
Her face is restless, but she calmed down a little. It would probably be foolish to take actions without thinking about anything.
"Rach, let's just ask him to search for her. Even if he doesn't show, there's a chance that he searched for them in his own way."
We made our way to his room, barging in without a word into someone's room who gave us a place to live sounds pretty rude so I knocked on the door.
…
No one answered… Maybe someone isn't in the room.
I opened the door slowly, but there was no movement inside. Nothing seems suspicious as well. Rach has been behind me all the time.
"What do you think? Rach , where is he?"
"I don't know. He always tells me if he's going somewhere outside."
Does this mean he is doing something that he needs to hide. But why would he target kids? This doesn't make any sense.
"I don't want to suspect him, I don't think he has any reason for doing something suspicious."
"Actually Keith, I heard a rumor which might be connected to all of this. "
Rumors.. what.
"What do you mean?"
"I heard something while I was hunting for food when I first got here. Apparently there is a rumor about an auction that's been happening lately. "
"What about it?"
"They don't auction things or items. They sell people in those auctions."
Selling people that's absurd…no the whole idea of having auctions in this chaotic world is illogical in it's own way.
"And you are saying that the old man is selling children in those auctions?"
"Yes Keith, but I ain't saying that he is definitely doing it, I'm just suspecting him for the time being."
"But it's hard to believe that the old man.."
"What about me, do you children need something from me?"
The voice came from behind and sent shivers down my spine. This voice…did he hear what we were talking about.
"Yeah, Lydia is missing."
Rach immediately responded to his question. The way she responded clearly showed how restless she's been.
"What? Lydia is missing too.. Have you checked all the places she could be?"
"Yes Grandpa, I checked all the places."
"Both of you return to her brother, don't tell him that his sister is missing. We are not sure if she vanished or someone kidnapped her. I will go look for her outside."
And now he's behaving like this, making me feel bad for suspecting him.
I am just being an idiot, in this world thinking is what will get me through and help me survive. Just seeing and believing is what keeps a blindfold of lies on the eyes. I won't fall for such cheap tricks anymore. I won't be believing him but that doesnt mean I won't suspect him without any evidence.
"I will keep an eye out for anything strange while you are gone old man."
"I appreciate it Keith. Now I'm going. There's no confirmation to which time I will return so eat something without me."
Saying these lines he left without any delays. Honestly , I don't know what I should be doing right now. Ignoring this matter just because this doesn't concern me or my brother is just too inhuman. But this messed up world just seems to make it look human to me.
"Keith, I'm scared what will happen to us if we stay here any longer. I just can't stop thinking and worrying."
"Don't worry, I am here. I will try my best to protect you all."
"Will you really protect me, promise me no matter what happens you wont leave me alone?"
"I promise."
Promising something like this, maybe I just don't know how my feelings work anymore. Maybe I'm just going crazy. Thinking something and doing something else. Maybe this is what people say going insane.
"Big brother you are here…Good morning."
"Yeah, good morning Rian. You woke up early today."
"Yeah. Gosh woke me up, Lydia, his little sister is missing. Do you know anything about her big brother?"
"Yeah, don't worry both of you. She was feeling sick so Grandpa took her to one of his friends. She will be back when she gets healthy again. Till then she is going to stay with that friend."
"Hear that Gosh, big brother is saying no need to worry. So just stop crying already."
"But she never told me anything about feeling sick."
"She got ill in the middle of the night, she had a high fever that's why we had to get her to a doctor as soon as possible."
Nice save Rach, she's managed to follow up with my lies.
"For now let's eat something, it's not good to be on an empty stomach for long, right Rach?"
"Yup, you are right Keith."
And with that it's already evening but the old man is yet to return.
Now I am worried, it's the longest he has been gone for. Did something happen to him?
Sitting on the bed I have been worrying and thinking of the possibilities, what could have happened to her other than the whole auction thing.
"Keith, can I have a moment?"
"Yes, what is it, Racheal."
"It's about Gosh, I think we should tell him the truth."
Lying to a child, surely it was not a good thing to do but it was surely the best thing to do considering the situation.
"Rach, lying to a child isn't really something that I like to do either but handling a child who's brawling his eyes out, crying till he passes out is the last thing I wanna handle so, let it be the way it is now."
"But still, what will you do after a week or so?"
"I am not losing hope, I believe I can find her but why are you talking as if she's already dead or something."
"In the last few weeks I have already lost all the things I took for granted once. I just don't hope anymore. I am always ready for the worst possible outcome."
"I see, well I am sorry for asking it like that. Well, I would only like to say only one thing, it's ok to to hope just a little because it shines as the only ray of light that can pull you out of the sadness and darkness."
"I will keep that in mind. Now what about Grandpa, he hasn't come back since he left."
"I am thinking of heading out, looking for him and assessing the conditions of the outside."
"Can I come with you?"
"No, you will just be a burden, I can't protect another person."
"I can protect myself, I don't need someone protecting me just because I am a girl."
"I aint saying this because you are a girl, I just don't want you to face any danger now that I have promised to protect you. Also we need someone to protect those children too."
I aint saying this because you are a girl Rach, afterall it was a woman who loved me as if I were her own children and it's because of her I am alive today.
Saying these lines I came out of the Orphanage.
It's been a while since i came outside. Hello once again, to this messed up world and the shitty gods who rule over it.