House of souls

chapter 5: A curious mind makes for an excellent detective

Germany pov: 

The experience the other day with Alex has been on my mind for a very long time. The absurdity of the situation, a human asking America for help, the boy being so casual? That's not normal for a citizen. 
So of course I tailed them. 

What, they were driving on public roads, it's not as if it's illegal for me to drive here! I followed the car a few paces back and watched Kurt speak to his son.

There was something about the faces he made that brought back a weird sense of nostalgia. After a couple of minutes of watching their conversation, it seemed to run dry. Alex sat himself slightly sideways, and Kurt's eyes hardened on the road. They pulled into a slightly more narrow and off-road-like path, in which I parked my car and started to stalk the slow moving vehicle on foot. 

Listen, I know that's a little more risky than the public roads but I was willing to risk it for knowledge!

I crept up to where they had parked their car, and watched them cover it in a tarp and some foliage. This was getting a little weird. I saw Kurt walk up to a clearing and gently grab Alexander’s hand. A little mumbling under his breath, and then…
He disappeared? 

I paced up to the place where he had stood (after being completely certain he was not still in the clearing) and put my hand out. There was nothing there. I paced around the clearing, looking for any abnormality, but finding none.

I may have paced around that clearing for at least a couple hours, and after finding nothing, I sat down in exhaustion. nothing in science could explain this  impossible experience!  I found myself mumbling about how light can make it seem like things disappear, but it didn’t make sense. On that scale? And why did they cover their car like that?

In the distance I heard a soft thump of footsteps. Rushing to move, I found myself too slow to avoid  the encounter, and discovered that I was now face to face with America. 

“Germany, what are you doing here?” He asked, sounding like he was walking on the edge of a cliff and if he stumbled his words, he would fall. 

I wondered for a second if I could trust him, but caught myself in the act. I could trust him, he adopted and raised me after my dad succumbed to death (not for lack of trying). I found myself shuffling back and forth in front of my second dad, taking in a deep breath to prepare for the sentence I was about to say. He’s gonna think you’re crazy, Deutschland!

It all came out in one breath.
“I saw Kurt and Alex disappear here, like into thin air, and I searched the clearing for ages and can’t seem to find out how, or where they went!” My voice faltered as I tried to catch my breath. America stared at me, seemingly trying to process what I had just spat at him. 

Suddenly, a realization hit me. 
“And what are you doing out here? Is something going on?” I questioned. 

A nervous look glossed over America’s face briefly, before being replaced with a gaunty, wavering smile that seemed to touch both sides of his face. 

“What do you mean, what am I doing here? You’re here too, silly.” He sputtered, obviously not used to people questioning his behavior like this.

I raised an eyebrow, not used to being in this weird place of power, before looking deep into his eye (as one was constantly covered with a cloth. Not even Russia knew what it looked like) and saying, 

“What are you hiding?” 

The sentence ran out of my mouth shockingly smooth, like silk, with a scarily dark undertone. America seemed to flinch at that question before comically responding. 

“I always forget how scary you can be!” He chuckled, backing up a step.
“What is going on, pops?” I asked, a softer tone, taking over. I forced concern onto my face.

He looked up at me, a hard look on his face before he opened his mouth.  

“Germany, can you keep a secret?”