The Mystery Of Eastbrooks High

Chapter Twenty-One: Hidden Picture

"NOAH?" THE WORD LEFT NORAH'S MOUTH IN a broken whisper. Tears started to well up in her eyes and her vision blurred. She rubbed the tears away hastily with the back of her hand, looking at the person in front of her more closely. It was him. She'd recognize him anywhere in the world. Her twin brother. Her other half.

She'd recognized him in a fraction of second despite how different he looked. Unruly hair covered his jawline, his features had turned rougher, sharper, and his face was covered in dust and mud. He seemed to be covered in bruises and scars all over his body. His hair was dirty, thick and unkept, his clothes worn, shaded and torn. His face was thinner, and paler, a sign of the fact that he didn't eat proper food. And his eyes– she could tell just by looking into his tortured eyes that he'd gone through hell in the past two years.

Then her eyes met his, and a guttural sob made its way out of her throat. "Noah," she whispered again, but this time it wasn't a question. Noah's entire frame was shaking, his mouth trembling as quiet tears slipped out of his eyes. "Norah," he whispered, his voice different– deeper and rougher. His eyes swept over her entire body again, and she could see the profound relief in his eyes.

Norah extended her arm towards him to touch him and make sure he was there and she wasn't conjuring him up. She wouldn't be surprised if she did– she'd barely been getting any sleep and any comfort. Noah's illusion would provide him comfort she needed– though it would destroy her after she realized it was an illusion.

Her hand brushed against his arm, and she stiffened. He was real. Her breath stiffened as another sob made its way out of her throat. She moved automatically, throwing her arms around her twin brother's neck who was very much alive and real.

Heartbroken sobs were forced out of both of them as they held onto each other tightly. "Norah," he rasped again, eliciting another hiccup from her. "You're real. It's really you," he whispered, squeezing her palm. "You're realy here," he said again, the statement filled with pain and anguish. And Norah knew, just by the way he said it out and by the torment flickering in his eyes, he'd had illusions of meeting her and his family. And it had killed him then to realize that he'd just been making it up.

Norah's heart broke for him– thinking about the situations he might've been in at the past two years. Where was he? How did he survive? How far from home was he? Questions popped up in her mind, but all that mattered was that he was alive. Her heart ached thinking about how alone he must've felt. Every painful sob from him was breaking her heart further– oh my god, what did he go through? "I'm here," she repeated, kissing his cheek before breaking their hug, holding onto his hand instead.

"I was so scared something happened to you, I was afraid that you died," Noah said in between his sobs, tightly squeezing her hand. "All of us thought you were dead, Noah," Norah said in turn, watching how Noah's face crumpled. Noah kissed the top of her head with brotherly affection, his body wracking with painful, silent sobs as he held onto her again.

"Mom and Jules?" he asked after a few moments passed. "They're inside. They're- they- all of us were struggling to accept the fact that you were dead."

"Norah, where are you?" Jules yelled from inside as Noah was about to reply. "Why the fuck are you outside without anyone?" Julian called out, his rapid footsteps pausing. "Oh my god, his voice," Noah whispered, his eyes glazing over. "He grew up."

Jules' steps grew more urgent now, "Norah?" he shouted, his voice panicked, probably after seeing the gun on the floor. "NORAH?"

"I'm here," Norah managed to yell back, her voice broken and wobbly. Julian's footsteps stopped by the house's threshold, and Norah strained her neck to look at him. "Who's tha-" his voice hitched, as Norah drew back to let him see his elder brother. A pained whimper emerged from Julian's throat, "Noah?" His eyes went to Norah's immediately– and she just knew that he'd been thinking the same thing, that he dreamt Noah up. Norah nodded once and Jules made another ragged sound.