Hacker’s Heart

A Late-Night Surprise

CHAPTER 3

✨Lila✨

“Are you expecting someone?” I whispered back.

“No, I have no idea who it could be,” Sophia whispered back.

“Why are we whispering?” I asked in a nervous and sarcastic tone.

Sophia shrugged at that,

Knock. Knock.

The knocking sound grew louder this time around indicating that the person on the other side of the door is either angry or impatient. This drew our attention, making us more frightened.

We were not expecting anyone nor were our neighbors currently at home.

Could it be that someone was really following Sophia and the person followed us all the way home?

“Who is there?” I asked, trying and hoping not to show my nervousness to Sophia.

No response came from the other side. This is really annoying. Like speak, whichever blockhead is on the other side and, stop making us worry. “Just speak, whoever you are, and stop making us worry!”

“Why don't you just open the door?” Sophia gently goes behind me and pushes me forward towards the door as she whispers those words.

I turned my gaze back at her. “What the heck! Why would you push me forward?”. I whisper.

She shrugs and mouths the words “I'm sorry” to me.

I roll her eyes, giving her a death stare.

“Wait, hold on can't you check the surveillance cameras and check who might be at the door?” I inquired while looking at the door.

She sighs. “I guess you have forgotten what happened to happened a few weeks back. The cameras got spoilt by the flood and even if it was ruined by the floor, I can't…right now because I transferred my files and everything to another laptop. It is a process that takes time and it is not yet finished. And if I were to interrupt the process then it would have to start over so… no I can't”.

I turned back to her looking disappointed. “You know what, don't worry, I’ll just try to check instead”. I turn towards the door, swallow my saliva, sigh, and try to see who might be there using the peephole.

But to be honest, the peephole of the door was so dirty and filthy that I could barely see through it. It is meant to be clear but the shades of yellow on it are enough to blind my sight.

I managed to look through it but unfortunately, I saw no one. I pulled back, how come nobody was there? Looking through it again, I still see no one.

I carefully placed my hand on the door handle as if everything were in slow motion like in the movies and tugged at it.

The door finally opens and I look up to see who is there. “Levi? What are you doing here?”.

The boy raises his hand and waves at us as if to say hi. “What brings you here?” Sophia asks.

Levi is Drew’s younger brother and they were the best event planners in our location. We work for them as their caterers for any event whatsoever.

Levi didn't speak, he just whipped out his phone, went to notes, probably typed something, and shoved it in our faces. It said ‘Sorry I'm here this late’.

“Umm…okay why don't you come in first?” I said. He quickly nodded his head twice as if to say thank you.

When he finally came inside and I closed the door, he reached for his unbuttoned shirt’s pocket and brought out a familiar small purse, handing it over to Sophia. It was a really small purse that Sophia carried around with her whenever and wherever she went.

He quickly typed something on his phone again. On his notes, it read, ‘I don't mean to be here sorry, but I came here because I was walking home when I saw Maya leaving the house and the purse had fallen out from the pocket of her hoodie and I was trailing behind her to give it back’

Sophia’s face quickly showed an emotion that showed that she wasn't meant to have misplaced that purse no matter what. But it quickly went as it came.

“Oh okay. Thank you.” I responded almost immediately.

“Thank you very much. This meant a lot.” Sophia thanked him as well.

“May I ask why you are typing instead of speaking?” He wrote again ‘I just had my wisdom tooth pulled out so that's why I couldn't call out to her earlier or talk to you now’.

“Oh Alright then, thanks again,” Sophia says, Levi nods and leaves.

“Good night,” I said as I shut the door.

I sigh as I plop down on the chair. Sophia lifts her gaze at me. “Good job going there,” she says as she rolls her eyes.

“It sure was nice when you tried to throw me under the bus,” I said while she was heading for the bottle she was drinking out of earlier.

“Don't be like that, I just want you to exercise your right as the eldest here. But anyways, I'm sorry okay” she says with sarcasm.

“Yeah right,” I replied, earning a chuckle from her.

“That reminds me, you haven't answered the question I asked earlier.”

“What question?” I asked almost immediately.

“What were you doing so late at night outside? You said you weren't feeling too well. That's why I went to Drew's place in your stead.”

“I just wanted to dispose of something. Plus just because I feel ill doesn't mean that I can't walk about.” I said in a warm tone

Yawn. “Anyways I'm going to bed, good night.”

“Night,” she replied as I walked into my room and closed the door.

I took a shower and went through some inventories before finally retiring to bed.

I only had 56 minutes of sleep when something woke me up. It seemed to be coming from Sophia’s room. I stood up tiredly and went to her room to check up on her.

I opened the door to her room and switched on the lights. Upon seeing her sleeping figure on the bed, I rushed to her bed. She was sweating profusely and trembling while in her sleep………she is having another nightmare again. I noticed her water bottle on the floor. That must have been what woke me up from my sleep.

Ever since I decided to take Sophia in as Maya, hoping the change of environment and identity would free her from her trauma yet, it kept coming back to haunt her every time she closed her eyes to sleep.

I gently sat beside her and wiped her sweat away. I grabbed her hands and gently stroked her hair to ease whatever tension she was going through in that nightmare of hers.

She had to go through so much even before she turned 18. Asking her to assume Maya’s identity was not right but it was needed to protect her. The entire truth will be back to haunt us all and the consequences won't be very nice.

I just sincerely hope that wherever Maya is currently, it is safe. It’s almost two years now since I last set my eyes on Maya. She just disappeared like the wind and only left a note behind which stated not to look for her except I wished her dead.

Sophia finally looked calm. She looked as if she the nightmare had already left her. The resemblance between Maya and Sophia was excessive. They practically had the same face. I stared at her for a while before wishing her goodnight carefully and leaving for my room in a way not to disrupt her sleep.