Chapter 4

THE RIDE got a little bumpy going up to the town because the truck was pretty old. It jumped every time it ran on an uneven road. Yric with his friends held tightly to the side of the truck as they all sat on its back not to get hurt. His hands had gone numb.

 

The street would be quiet if not only for the rumbling sound of the truck. There wasn't a single soul walking outside. 

 

Xurden's face still clung to his head from the moment they left the bridge. He couldn't stop thinking about the man as he looked far away. He didn't have a single idea who Xurden was. But he knew Xurden wasn't a normal human being. He shivered at the thought that Xurden was staring at him from afar.

 

As the truck was near the center of the town, Noah started to notice the calmness engulfing the town. He even moved his head from left the right to observe the surroundings. The houses looked liked abandoned with only a few lights on. 

 

Questions aroused on Yric but he couldn't ask the old man driving the truck who was sitting at the front. They're at the very back of the truck. Several boxes were blocking their view. It wasn't long before the truck took a stop at one corner of the town. A wide signboard painted with the town's map was standing on the side of the road.

 

Noah immediately stood up the moment the wheels halted spinning, jumping off the side of the truck. Vivian followed on even though she was wearing a dress. On the other hand, Yric had a hard time standing up. Both of his feet stayed numb which made his knees wobble. His friends were busy observing the town. They didn't see the scowl of suffering drawn on his face as he still tried to go down from the truck. Fortunately, he managed to jump off at the very side. He almost fell on the road if he didn't get hold of the cold bar of the signboard. He carefully sat on the grass massaging his two feet while his two friends tried talking to the old man. He just looked at them and listened from where he sat. He pressed his fingers to his muscle going down to his ankles from his knee.

 

"Why there isn't a parade?" Noah asked the old man. "It's supposed to happen tonight."

 

The old man glanced at Noah with a smile on his face. His white teeth were visible in the dark of the driver’s seat. "It is moved. The parade will happen tomorrow night at the full moon for good harvest," the old man told the two.

 

"That's good to hear. We can watch the parade from the beginning. I thought we can't because of what happened at the bridge," Noah exclaimed. Happiness was now displayed on his face, his eyes were glowing.

 

"Do you have a place to stay?" the man asked biting down the toothpick on his mouth.

 

"We have. We rented a room in an inn," Vivan told the man. "It's just a couple of blocks away from here,"

 

"I see. I'll go now then. Have a nice stay here," the man said merrily turning on the engine. His frail hand switched the key below the steering wheel.

 

"Thank you again," Noah responded gladly.

 

The two both waved their hands to the old man as the truck continued on its way. Fixing her round big hat, Vivian averted her attention to Yric. 

 

She looked at him without asking what was happening to his feet. "Let's go," she said and lead the way going to the inn where they rented a room for a couple of days.

 

Noah walked next following her every step. Yric didn't sit long on the grass. He forced himself to stand ignoring the numbing feeling left on his feet. As they walked, he turned his eyes to the houses along the road. He even stared at the balcony of the house beside a big oak tree when he thought he saw someone standing there. But as he blinked his eyes, he saw no one that made him shake his head. His eyes were playing tricks again with him. He couldn't ignore the eerie feeling crawling on his skin. Witnessing the quietness around told him that there was something weird going on in the whole town just like what occurred at the bridge. Once again, he said to himself that it was wrong to go there together with his friends. He should have refused more when they invited him. To stop himself from thinking badly, he bowed his head while walking. He only stared at the road as they went on. He didn't want also to ruin their stay there by telling his friends what he was feeling. The two waited for that day and it would be not right if he was going to ruin it.

 

As they passed one corner, Noah noticed Yric's silence. "Are you feeling well?" Noah asked worriedly stopping on his feet.

 

Yric raised his head to meet his friend's eye. "Yes. I just felt tired and hungry," he lied which was easy for him. Ever since he befriended the two he's been lying endlessly.

 

"Don't worry. We're near," Noah said pointing his thumb ahead and going on, walking beside Vivian who was busy checking her phone for a signal.

 

Holding the straps of his bag, Yric took a deep breath straightening his back. He brushed off the heavy feeling on his shoulders. Worrying over something he wasn't sure of would spoil him, too. It's better to ignore everything to help himself. His skin shivered when one of the straps snapped as it tore. He took a deep breath again to calm his heart beating fast. Ever since when he was a kid, he was convinced that bad luck was following him wherever he would go.

 

He carried his bag on one shoulder and speeded up a little since the two were leaving him behind without realizing he wasn't at their back. As he continued to walk, he turned his back but he didn't see anything just the dark side of the street. He let out a deep breath again and told himself that he over thought. For the last time, he breathed deeply to remove the uneasiness growing on his chest. He looked straightly on the road. He also no longer had an abrupt stop and finally saw his two friends after taking a turn. He chased them both without a tail trailing behind.

 

They passed several houses and there was one last corner before they reached the five-story building. It was an inn with no signboard. The front didn't show that it was built back during the 1980s. Most of its parts were still the original woods. The only new ones were the glass windows and doors on the balcony. The owner painted the whole building brown. Green creeping figs covered the high wall. It stood in the higher part of the roadside overlooking the roofs around the neighborhood. Vivian pushed the wooden small gate lightly to enter its premises clad in green grasses. There was a round wooden table with several chairs in the front yard. Noah followed her while Yric closed the small gate. They walked the solid pathway and entered the front door simultaneously. After the front door was the common area of the inn. The kitchen was merged with the living room.

 

The woman at the front desk greeted them with a smile. She was wearing a floral dress and had a white nameplate with black bold letters pinned on her left chest. "Welcome," the woman said merrily. "But we don't have an extra room anymore," she added as they came closer to the front desk.

 

Vivian faced the woman while Yric and Noah both looked at the painting of the island hung on the wall near them. The painting was realistic mirroring the island in bird view.

 

"It can't be," Vivian exclaimed. "We booked one of your big rooms two weeks before,"

 

"Let me check," the woman said moving closer to the computer next to her. "What's your name?"

 

"Vivian. Vivian Clair."

 

The woman tapped her fingers on the keyboard giving a monotonous sound while clicking the mouse. Yric's attention was still on the painting.

 

"It looks like a photograph, right?" Noah asked him.

 

Yric glanced sideways at his friend. "It isn't a photograph?" he asked and Noah answered him by shaking his head. "I thought it is one."

 

"Look at the bottom. There's the artist's name," Noah told him pointing his finger at the bottom part of the painting.

 

He did stare and saw the name written in black ink. It wasn't noticeable at first glance since the name blended with the painting's dark lower bottom. They only removed their eyes at the painting when the woman was done checking the directory.

 

"I found it," the woman said shyly pulling a drawer under the front desk. "I am sorry, ma'am. I should have a check first," she added letting out a key card with the number 12 printed on the circle key chain.

 

"It's okay. It happens." Vivian picked up the key card from the woman's hand and left the front desk. "Let's go. I want to take a shower."

 

The woman looked at them as they walked toward the stairs. Vivian was the first one to climb the stairs, and Noah was next. When it was Yric’s turn he glanced at the woman because she was smiling weirdly. Her whole teeth were showing. But when he blinked his eyes the woman wasn't even looking at him. He tapped his head out of confusion. Closing his eyes at the beginning of the stair, he calmed himself before climbing up. His friend was already at the top.

 

"Why are you taking so long?" Noah asked as he looked down at him.

 

"Nothing," he answered and ran the stairs.

 

He reached the top racing with his breath. Noah looked at him with querying eyes which he ignored. He went on leaving Noah behind with a few steps. His friend just shooked his head since he wouldn't say what was wrong. Yric said to himself that he was just really tired that's why he imagine things. Their steps echoed in the hallway as they walked. Vivian looked back at them as she opened the room where they would all sleep. She didn't wait for them and entered the room leaving the door wide open. Yric entered the room removing the bag on his shoulder. Noah was just on his tail following him.

 

The room was pretty big for the three of them. It has a living room with a wide television. In the far corner of the room was the king-sized bed where Vivian was putting down her bag. She also removed the hat from her head when she remembered she was still wearing it inside the building.

 

"I'll use the bathroom first," Vivian told them as she let out a pair of clothes from her bag.

 

"How long we're going to wait?" Noah asked the girl. Vivian shot an angry look. "You take a very long time in the bathroom. So, you need to tell us if it's going to be a couple of hours. Did you forget we also went late going to the terminal? You spent one and half hours in your bathroom."

 

"Shut up," Vivian said harshly and walked toward the bathroom.

 

She didn't bother looking back as she open the bathroom door. Noah averted his attention at Yric who was just standing before the sofa.

 

"I will get something to drink below," Noah said as he put down his back at the foot of the bed. 

"Do you want something?"

 

Yric met his eyes. "No. Go ahead," he said to his friend and lay down on the sofa while letting the bag fall on the floor closing his eyes.

 

Noah left him alone on the sofa. Before Noah went out of the room he looked at the bathroom door where the rushing water could be heard. He took a deep breath that made his shoulder fall.