For the first time since I met the man, the look of fear settled on his face. He stumbled backwards and slowly covered his mouth with his palm, his next question surprising us both.
"Who are you?"
The question startled me. Was it weird I could see the door? I wondered. What's so strange and uncommon about the door and the stone too? I was seeing the expression of fear twice and it made me somewhat uncomfortable. Especially when it turns out that I might be a threat to him and he decides to kill me first.
"No one can do that except him." The old man recounts. He takes off his lens and rubs his jawline deep in thought. "Not even his children or minions." He mumbles. His head suddenly looks at me. "Is that you, My lord? Are you on earth in the form of a woman? Did you come to take me back?" The old man was almost bowing at this point as he interviewed me.
Again, I was puzzled. Who was this 'him/he' I had a feeling this guy was the same person my mom talked about.
"I am sorry, please forgive me. I didn't mean to help the woman, all those years ago. I couldn't just reject the babe. She had that alluring look in her eyes…."
"Okay okay, hold up…" I spoke out, cutting him short. "I am not who you think I am. I am simply a young woman… In my early twenties looking for answers..." I paused suddenly remembering something he said. "Did you just say years ago? How long ago?" I questioned.
"Twenty two years ago…" The old man said as he narrowed his eyes on me , not understanding what I meant or what I was insinuating.
"What she means is," Madison said, coming from behind. "Did the child and mother you helped, is there a chance it might be her?"
The old man's gaze moves from Madison and then to me, suddenly feeling lost.
"Please I came here to find answers and you might just be the person I've been searching for to help me get those answers."
The old man scratched his head with the hand that held his lens before responding.
"I think there has been a misunderstanding or some misconception in my communication…"
"No , I need you to tell me that story... I need you to help me out here… Please"
He scratched his head again with a look of disinterest. "Well, I helped a babe and her mother but it had upset my master that sent me to keep an eye on them. So… He cast me out."
"And the babe and it's mother...?" I questioned wanting to find out more.
"Look child, I don't know what answers you are looking for. But I assure you it's not in this story. Besides, the babe had blue eyes. So blue, I thought I was staring at a day's sky. Your eyes are brown. I'm sorry."
Madison wore a somewhat disappointed look on her face but forced a pitiful smile to cheer me up. But I stood unmovingly and slowly reached out for my eyes. I peel the substance that looked like a lens, covering my orbs and stared at them. I started wearing brown eye contacts so I could look more like my parents but it doesn't look like I need to anymore.
"Eyes like mine?"
Madison lets out a loud gasp in shock. My eyes animated light that brought a bit of light, aside from the candles burning, into the room.
The old man held his chin in amazement and disbelief.
Suddenly, everything became crystal clear. I could see the world in a different way I didn't think was humanly possible. I look around the room suddenly bewildered by the things I can now see. My eyes landed on the door..
"That door… It looks like a portal?" I spoke up.
"It is a portal." The man says as he comes to stand next to me Madison did too.
"If you really do need answers you have to go in." He mumbles but it was audible enough for me and Madison to hear.
"Madison gave me plain look that said 'let's not do that'"
"The portal opened because of you and it won't close till you do. You have his touch."
"Who's touch?" Madison and I asked at once.
If it was before we would chuckle about having some kind of power to read each other's minds. But this was serious.
"That's an answer you need to find out on your own and quickly. The portal is going to draw every minion of his, ones that have been cast out, if it doesn't close soon."
"If that's the case, you can come with us too, right?" I questioned
"Aurora," Madison called in a warning tone. She didn't like the fact I was already buying into this idea.
"I will stay loyal till the master comes for me himself." He murmurs sadly.
Madison dragged me to the corner
"You are not actually thinking about doing this, are you" She informs
"Why not? Did you expect any of this to be normal? Did you expect finding answers is like doing research in the library?" I questioned. "This is it, and I am doing it. I need answers, Madison and it's okay if you don't want to come with me. I don't want to hurt anyone with my touch again."
"At least give it a thought overnight, don't make rash decisions just yet cause it seems to offer an easy solution."
"I am afraid the only way to close the portal is to go in. And after that, there won't be a portal anymore. The master must have left it in my house for a reason… Everything that has happened till this very point was for a reason."
I turned to Madison after the old man finished talking.
"I've got this Madison."
"Then I'm coming too." She says with a determined voice.
"I'm afraid you can't…" The old man cuts in again.
"If she isn't then I can't go in," I tell him.
The old man sighs before walking to where we stood.
"She'll need this to see the unseen" and with that, he places his index finger and his middle finger on his forehead and starts murmuring incomprehensible words. His eyes turned bright red, like I had seen them earlier. He moves his index finger and places it on Madison's forehead. Madison lets out a loud gasp.
The door opens and an ugly looking creature comes crawling in muttering "Where is it?"
"Go now, there'll be more coming!" The old man yells at both of us.
"What about you?" Madison asked him.
"I'll be fine, now go!!!" He yelled.
I grabbed Madison by the hand and rushed to open the door we got in but just as I was about to close it. I saw more creatures come in, brutally attacking the man.
My ears perked up as I heard the old man's last words.
"Hades forgive me"