Tempestas {l.h} || Wattys 2018

0.9

Sunday, 20th of March.

Harper sat in her room, one leg crossed over the other as she read a book that was held delicately in her hands. Her hand flipped the page, eyes glued to the black writing on the paper, her mind raced with conspiracies and theories on how the book was going to end. She smiled at the feeling of the hardback book against her smooth fingers, her thumb subconsciously ran up and down the spine.

As she went to turn the page Harper heard a soft knock at the door, she sighed and bookmarked her page before standing up to answer it. Her footsteps down the stairs echoed throughout the empty house as Harper raced to the door, throwing it open to see nothing- no sight of any human as far as she could see. Shrugging, she walked back inside and locked the door, her mind already drifting back to the book she was reading as she climbed the stairs.

Harper grinned in triumph as she flopped back on to her bed as she picked up her book. It didn't take her long to finish, an hour, perhaps, at most and her fingers were itching to pick up the next book in the series that she, unfortunately, did not own.

She decided to go to the shops and buy the next book, despite the lecture she would receive from her parents when they get home. Harper chucked on a scarf and grabbed her purse as she hurriedly made her way downstairs and out of the house.

•

Harper's legs were shaking, her muscles burning with an intense pain, and sweat dripping down her forehead. This was why the sight of the shops put a satisfied grin to her face, she had done it, even if the total distance she had had to walk was only a couple kilometres.

Quickening her pace, despite her bodies protest, Harper walked into the shops and headed straight for the local book store. Her arms were spread out, fingers ran across the spines on every book that she passed. She was in her element.

Finding the book she desired, the young girl made her way to the counter and politely handed it to the shopkeeper.

"Well, well, well. Hello, Harper." A manly voice spoke from behind her as she paid the shopkeeper and took her bag.

"Hello Larkin," she didn't even have to guess, she could tell it was him before she turned round. She was right- in front of her was Larkin, in the flesh.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, his eyebrow slightly raised in a questioning manner.

Harper pondered for a moment, thinking of something great to say. Shaking her head she looked up at the extremely tall man and smiled, "just buying a book." She held the bag up in her hands, as if to prove her point.

"I gathered that." Larkin chuckled, causing the girl in front of him to break out in a blush, her face turned a bright pink.

"Would you like to get some coffee?" Larkin asked, hoping that she would say yes. Him and his team had lately discovered that Luke had a high chance of being a Tractatori. Although, he refused to kill Luke until they were certain that he was one of the foul race that inhibited the Earth. What better way to find out, than using Harper as bait?

"Um, uh... Sure," She stammered, her heart beat frantically against her ribcage as Larkin held her hand. His touch was delicate and soft, despite the roughness of his fingers. His hands reminded Harper of her Uncle Jimmy, who was a soldier.