THREADS OF TIME

4

( Around 9pm Lucy is laying down on her bed reading a novel in her pajamas , she puts down the book, carries her phone and calls Luke )

LUKE : thank God you called , right on time

LUCY : how do you know it's me ?

LUKE : every other number on my phone is saved

LUCY : oh , what do you mean by right time ?

LUKE : I'm starving

LUCY : where are you ?

LUKE : on the couch in his room

LUCY : where is he

LUKE : on the bed in his room

LUCY : so just tell him

LUKE : no

LUCY what !

LUKE : I said no , he doesn't like me, I think he's freaked out by me ( he says in a low voice )

LUCY : of course he's freaked out but that doesn't mean he won't answer you if you tell him you're hungry

LUKE : I don't want to

LUCY : that's not my problem , when you're actually hungry you'll tell him alright ? Bye ( she ends the call )

LUKE : wait , s**t ( he groans ) why does she do that ? ( he looks at Martin who is operating his phone on the bed , shakes his head and walks out of the room )

MARTIN : Luke where are you going ( he stands up and follows Luke who manages his way through the living room and out of the house heading to the estate gate without being seen ) Luke , Luke where are you going ?

LUKE : to get food

MARTIN : get food ? get food where ? ( he asks confused as they reach the estate gate and Luke disappears ) blood of Jesus , Jesus , Jesus ( he screams running back to his house and almost falling down a dog starts to bark and he screams louder and runs faster until he reaches his house )

( Lucy is still on her bed reading the book when Linda opens the door in her pyjamas )

LINDA : mummy said I should ask you if you wanted ice cream and cake daddy is back he bought some

LUCY : nah thanks ( just as Linda closes the door Luke appears in front of the door ) Ahh ( she jerks back ) are you crazy ? what are you doing here ?

LUKE : I told you I was hungry

LUCY : and I told you to ask Martin ( she goes to lock the door )

LUKE : the guy is acting weird

LUCY : wait how did you get here ? weren't you just in his room ( her phone starts to ring on the bed and picks it up ) hey Martin

MARTIN : he was in my room sitting on the couch then he just stood up and started walking out of the house , I followed him all the way to the estate's gate and asked him where he was going , he said he was going to get food and then he disappeared ( he says panicking )

LUCY : Martin calm down he's with me

MARTIN : ehn ?

LUCY : remember what I told about the necklace drawing him back when he gets too far

MARTIN : I think so ( he catches his breath )

LUCY : so yes he walked to the gate on purpose because he knew it would bring him here

MARTIN : why ?

LUCY : he says his hungry

MARTIN : okay so what kind of food does he eat ?

LUCY : what sort of question is that is he not a human being

MARTIN : Dey play , I hope he doesn't plan on coming back here

LUCY : what do you mean ? you agreed to help me through the night

MARTIN : I don't want this guy to be disappearing everywhere in my house Na

LUCY : it won't happen again

MARTIN : ( groans ). fine but hurry I'll soon go to bed

LUCY : okay ( she ends the call ) seriously ?

LUKE : what ?

LUCY : giving people heart attacks in the middle of the night , what if the security guards saw you ?

LUKE : well they didn't

LUCY : ( she rolls her eyes )lock the door till I knock four times ( she goes out . Downstairs her parents and Linda are eating the ice cream straight from the bowl and gisting at the dining table

LUKE : I thought you said you didn't want ice cream

LUCY : I don't . Daddy good evening , how was work ?

MR ERIC : work was fine , how are you ?

LUCY : I'm fine , I just wanted a midnight snack I'm a little hungry ( her family stares at her in shock )

ROSELINE : chizaram

LUCY : ma

ROSELINE : it's past 9 and you want to eat since when

LUCY : I'm just hungry that's all ( she enters the kitchen )

ROSELINE : Rose did you give her food today

LUCY : yes , when she came back she ate two plates of rice and plantain

LINDA : mummy is that not your daughter that doesn't like eating once it's past eight ( as few minutes later Lucy comes out with a glass of water , a canned coke , 5 cupcakes and a plate of jollof rice on a tray )

LUCY : good night ( she smiles weirdly as she heads up the stairs leaving her family dumbfounded ) open up ( she manages to knock the door four times with the tray in her hand and he opens the door )

LUKE : ( a smile appears on his face ) you really do know the definition of starving

LUCY : ( she pushes the tray to him and enters inside ) lock the door

LUKE : ( he locks the door and takes a seat by her reading table and starts to eat )

LUCY : hurry up I need to rest for school tomorrow ( she takes a hairband from a drawer and packs her hair up before laying on the bed ) I have a question if you time travelled like four years ago did you age ?

LUKE : no , I mean I don't think so

LUCY : how old were you when you time travelled

LUKE : 16

LUCY : so technically you're still 16

LUKE : correct

LUCY : why did you do it , time travel I mean

LUKE : ( stays silent for a while ) I umm I ( he hesitated to talk then her phone rings )

LUCY : hello

MARTIN : when will he be here ? I’m going to bed

LUCY : in a minute okay ?( she ends the call ) okay amulet boy be fast Martin wants to sleep ( she lays back in her bed operating her phone as Luke is eating

( A few minutes later all the food on the tray is finished )

LUKE : I’m done

LUCY : great let's go , we’ll go through the back door

LUKE : why ?

LUCY : you’ll know when we get there now follow my lead ( he takes her hand and becomes invisible o, he opens the door as she is holding the tray and they go downstairs , her family are still at the dining when they come down )

LINDA : you cleared the plate ? ( she asks in disbelief )

LUCY : if course I did , who else would ( she forces a laugh , she goes to the kitchen and drops the plate in the sink ) the trash is full I think I'll take it out ( she quickly carries the trash and goes outside )

LINDA : Jesus

MR ERIC : are you sure she's okay ?

ROSELINE : hmnm , let's just take it that she's growing and leave it at that end of discussion

( Lucy let's go of Luke's hand and quickly goes to throw he trash then she brings out her photo and dials Martin's number )

MARTIN : hello

LUCY : we're outside at the back

MARTIN : okay I'm coming ( he ends the call )

LUKE : wow you really planned it out

LUCY : planned what ? I didn't plan for some guy to show up in my life and keep my heart beating out of fear of not knowing what's going to happen next ( she says in panick )

LUKE : what are you scared of ?

LUCY : you ( she replies almost immediately ) I have no idea who you are , what you are or if any of the things you're saying about yourself is true and now I'm drawing my friend into it ( Martin's back door opens ) come in ( they hold over there ) hey

MARTIN : everyone's asleep , let's be quick ( he avoids looking at Luke )

LUCY : look Martin I'm really sorry for dragging you into this

MARTIN : I get , spirit boy let's go

LUKE : it's Luke

MARTIN : let's go ( he ignores his previous statement ) goodnight Lucy ( they go inside )

LUCY : goodnight ( Lucy falls on her bed ) Oh God please let me wake up and find out that everything was a dream ( Linda walks in )

LINDA : ah - ah big girl you left your plate for who to wash ( lays down beside Lucy ) so tell me what is really going on with you

LUCY : Linda leave me alone ( moves to the other edge of the bed )

LINDA : you don't want to tell me okay we shall see ( she pokes Lucy as she speaks )

LUCY : good night

LINDA : gerrout ( she hits her playfully before laying on the other side of the bed )

IN MARTIN'S ROOM

( The room is painted dark green with beautiful paintings on the wall and video games on the table )

MARTIN : I prepared a place for you to lay on the couch ( points to the pillow and blanket on the couch )

LUKE : thanks ( they both stay In awkward silence as the lay down to sleep )

MARTIN : Oh lord please protect me from evil spirits ( he prays before going to sleep )

FADES