Unfazed

Chapter Six

Noah's POV

Noah had a little relish for embracing the evenings with a workout session in the balcony. He liked connecting with the austere beauty of nature, while also sweating himself with some cardio. He loved the feeling of brisk breeze against his face and torso while he engaged in the workout session, which lead to most of his sessions out in the open. 

Noah wasn't one of your strong brawny guys with huge build and all the muscles neither he was  feeble or frail. Noah was moderately muscular, a good five feet ten inches tall with soft black hair which slightly curl at his nape, and dark brown eyes. 

Most of his life Noah had always been a wallflower, even in high school he was never amongst the famed even though he did make it to the lacrosse team. Noah never liked to indulge in the boy's locker room tattles or the slanderous tales. He considered them just a waste of time. 

It had been good thirty minutes since Noah had started with his workout session in the balcony when he saw a petite figure of a girl sprinting on the street. He stopped and started to look at the figure curiously. Noah had seen this girl before, he couldn't see her face clearly from this distance but he was sure he had seen here somewhere.  The figure sprinting on the street came into focus and Noah realized it is Catherine. 

Ever since Noah saw the picture of Ms. Aritzvah on Catherine's laptop he had been extremely curious. He wanted to tell Catherine about his neighbor and pretty much his only friend until he turned twelve. But he did not. He thought it would be better if he did not divulge the identity of Ms. Aritzvah to anyone.

"If anybody comes asking for me tell them you haven't seen me in days, Okay? Take care , Kid. ", were the last words Ms. Aritzvah spoke to Noah. He never saw her since then. When his parents asked Noah where did she go he just shrugged and went to his room. 

At several occasions when the giant maroon curtains on the first floor were drawn aside, Noah could see Ms. Aritzvah through the window of his room. She would sit on the table and pretend to talk to somebody who was sitting on the other side although he never saw anybody on the other end of the table. Noah never found it spooky, he always thought since she was a clairvoyant it was part of her job. Noah was a kid then. 

Noah saw Catherine had stopped sprinting now and was walking slowly towards the house right next to his. 

What is she doing here?, he thought to himself. 

Catherine walked slowly towards the old fence and opened it with a light push. She kept walking towards the house, her body stiff and expressions stoic as if she was hypnotized. 

Nobody had gone in that house in years. What is Catherine doing?, he thought.

Something felt wrong to him. Catherine kept marching towards the front door of the house. 

Noah grabbed his olive green t-shirt and in one swift motion he pulled it above his head while dashing out of his room. He ran downstairs and headed towards the house next door. 

By the time he reached the front porch, Catherine was already inside the house, standing in the hallway looking at the floor. 

"Catherine?", Noah called out her name, his voice echoing  in the dark hall. But Catherine didn't even flinch. Noah thought Catherine didn't hear his voice. 

"Catherine? What are you doing here?", he said louder this time. But Catherine did not respond. She suddenly turned by stopped mid way and stared at the room on the right. 

"Ummm...Catherine? I am talking to you?", Noah tried once more but it seemed like Catherine couldn't hear his voice at all. 

There was no light in the hall and the only source of light was the open door behind Noah. Noah approached Catherine while still calling out her name and trying to get her attention. 

He stopped right behind Catherine and let out an exhale. He was about to grab Catherine from her shoulder and shake her back to senses when she suddenly spun around and started falling backwards. Noah tried to catch her but before he could wrap his arms around her torso she frantically grabbed the hem of Noah's t-shirt and pulled him. 

They both fell on the floor of the room Catherine was gawking at a few seconds ago. Noah managed to balance the fall with his both hands on the floor on either side of Catherine. Her body encumbered by his arms. Noah was supporting his weight on both his arms in an attempt to not crush Catherine with his body weight. Instantly in one strenuous motion Catherine shoved him aside and he fell on the floor. 

Noah balanced himself back on his feet and started standing up when he heard Catherine hissing and knew that Catherine was hurt. He stood up and looked at Catherine who was now sitting on the floor. 

She looked at him in bewilderment and bawled," YOU?".