Down System

Chapter 15

"Why are you holding that photo album?"

After revealing myself to the old woman, I gave her a scathing look as she turned around me. I grabbed the bound from her which made her gape at me.

Namika didn't move to her place since that. The slightly trembling in her could be seen. She got nervous about my presence yet after some time, she smirked at me.

I swallowed my own saliva hearing the deafening silence. Seeing the old woman grin at me for no reason shook my nerves. What was the reason behind her simpering thin, wrinkled lip?

"So, you are the one who's illegally entering my secret place?" I asked, still sharply looking at her.

"That photo album seems interesting."

"Just answer my question. Why are you invading the underground? What's your motive?"

The cold air touched my skin as I waited for her response, yet my sweats were running over my trunk.

Namika's face was stilled, poling apart from her reaction for the first time she saw me there. Her brave personality was just a facade to hide her weakness; she was aghast too, I knew.

"The underground is well-built, in all fairness," the old woman uttered.

I clenched my fist. I wasn't wrong with my suspicion that she was the one who was stealing the 1578 photo album.

"I feel like going back there again," she added. "I haven't read all the books yet. Seems fascinating..."

"It's illegal, Namika. You're intruding on someone's possession. I knew it in the first place, you are untrustworthy."

"You really think?" She spun around me, beaming while crossed arms. "So in the first place, you already didn't like me. I'm not mistaken though."

"You know why?" I asked.

The old woman expressed hesitations. "Is it because I look like a witch?"

"No," I replied affirmed. "You're too stunning to be a witch, honestly speaking. If you are an ugly, ornery old woman, I would think you as one."

"So, what makes you doubt of me?"

"It's your brown eyes. There's something in those brown eyes you tryna hide from us."

Namika smirked. "You're awesome, young girl. You can be the next fortune-teller."

"What?" I creased my brow.

The old woman stopped whirling around and stood in front of me. "I am a fortune-teller," she said. "I can see the future."

I gawked at her, trying to put in mind the words she spoke to me. Was she even telling me the truth?

"Stop changing the topic!" I said. "Why are you stealing this photo album?"

The old woman laughed. "You've noticed me seguing. Alright. But actually, I'm not trying to change the subject. That photo album has something to do with my vocation."

"Wait... you mean you already knew the underground even before appointing here?"

Namika nodded. "But the underground and that photo book are not my priorities here. It's you. It's you all alone, Aleera."

"Obviously because you're working for me and not for the underground nor this album."

"It's not what I mean."

"I'm sorry, but I can't understand you."

The old woman invited me to have a seat on the couch before she could continue speaking.

On the contrary, I didn't accept her call. What if she was just trying to lure me with her words for me not to catch his real purpose of intruding on my place?

Still inclosing the photo album with my arms, I ran towards the telephone to contact my parents and report the old woman to them. I unintentionally let go of the bound when she grabbed my hands and pulled me going back to the sofa.

"Please, let me go!" I said, trying to remove my hands from her.

"No!" Namika shouted. "You won't tell anyone anything."

It had been troublesome for me to escape from her because she was holding me tightly. When I passed over a vase, I abruptly took it and clouted it at the old woman's back, causing her to stumble.

I went back to the telephone area and tried reaching my parents again while the old woman was still unconscious. A smile flashed in my face the moment the other line answered the call. I was about to speak, but someone had just snatched the device from me.

I turned my gaze at Namika and shouted, "Give me back the telephone!"

"I told you no one should know."

"What do you want, huh?" I asked as tears started to shed down my cheeks.

"Young girl," she said, walking towards me and trying to get my hands again, but I swiftly refused.

"Don't touch me."

"You're thinking erroneously. You didn't even finish me from speaking. I told you to sit on the couch because I will tell you everything I know. I'm not your enemy, Aleera."

"And how would I believe you?"

"Just trust me and if things went wrong, I will offer my whole life to you," she said. "Just please don't tell anyone anything, even to your parents."

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. Maybe it was the time to discover things I had always been wanting.

Still looking at the old woman, the wind whispered to my ears as if it was telling me to come with Namika and listened to her. Besides, what will be my loss in letting her speak to me? Nothing, unless I would be cautious enough to not be outflanked.

"I promise not to tell everyone," I said, clenching my fist.

"Good. Can we now go to the underground to make things clear?" the old woman asked.

I looked directly at her eyes, contemplating them. Should I let her enter in or not? What if she would do something terrible?

"Why don't we just talk here?" I asked.

"You don't find me reliable yet," Namika let out a sigh. "Well, I won't blame you for that. If you think you're not ready enough to give me your whole trust, okay then, we'll just talk here and I'll tell you further in the following days."

I went back to the living room with her. My eyes were just widening as the old woman told me things. I didn't talk throughout the story because I was just thinking of the connections they had.

Namika must be true to her claims; she didn't seem facetious of her statement. But, what did she have to do with the story and with me?

I closed my eyes and scrutinized everything she told me about when someone slapped me on my back. When I turned around, it was Keevan my eyes had sought.

After that night, I was finally back in school, still bothered. I had taken time meditating because I was all alone in the room, not until that kid came.

"What do you want?" I asked, giving him a harsh stare.

"Tell me, when did you become religious?" Keevan asked as he had a seat beside me.

"I'm not praying," I glared. "I'm thinking of something, so you better stop interrupting me, or I will punch your face again."

"Woah, I don't want that," the boy giggled. "I haven't yet taken revenge, but then you'll knock me again?"

"So, what do you call the clutch you made to my hands? A game? We're all quits now. Leave me alone."

"Oh, okay," Keevan bowed his head a bit, releasing a deep sigh. "Very bad, I still have something to tell you about Ferno, but looks like you don't want me here with you." He stood and was about to leave when I stopped him saying,

"Stay."

Keevan's eyes glimmered with delight. "I knew it!" he laughed. "You're interested with that cold stone boy."

"What are you saying?" I puckered my eyebrows. "Just tell me what you wanna tell."

"It's nothing. Just testing if you have a crush on him, and it's confirmed. Well, I'm leaving now, Punch Girl. Will be back later," that annoying boy said with a wink.

My eyes flamed as I watch him walked away. I had been always played by Keevan, but the next time he would show up to me, I wouldn't talk to him anymore.