Once Beyond Time [Ongoing]

Chapter 5: The Polaroid

They let go of each other's hand hearing a distant cough. Mina was standing a few feet behind them. For how long? They didn't know. "Mom said you'll be here so I thought I come along, but it looks like you've already got company." Mina eyed Jareth from head to toe. He just passed a polite smile. "uh Jareth, she is Mina...my sister."

"Nice to meet you little miss." he gave a little bow and Mina quickly gave a side eye to Kei before saying a quick and awkward "Nice to meet you too sir... but I think Mina is ok."

Kei smiled and Jareth for a moment forgot the awkwardness of the situation.

"I'll see you around." He said waving goodbye as he walked away.

⋆.˚ ☾ .⭒˚

"who was that guy?" Mina asked while she was scrolling on her phone. Kei growled sitting across from her on the couch. "Mina, I told you he is a friend."

 "Not from the way he was eyeing you with those eyes of his," Mina looked up from the phone a deriding smile plastered on her face. Blood rushed to Kei's cheeks from embarrassment. 

"Mina.." she glared with her hazel eyes squinted and heated up with anger, signaling her that it was enough. Mina got back to scrolling on her phone. And Kei started working on her laptop again.

 "I always wondered why you never consider dating anyone."

"Enough Mina" she yelled.

"Okay okay... chill bro, I am sorry," Mina raised her hand in defeat. "I won't talk about it...for a while."

Kei sighed and shrugged. "I can't win against you." Kei looked around. "By the way...where is mom?" 

"Probably hanging out with Aunt Ayla."

"Since when did they get so close."

Mina shrugged in response and diverted her attention back to the phone.

⋆.˚ ☾ .⭒˚

Among the cardboard boxes empty and put aside, one was still bulked up with books peeking through poorly closed lids. Kei gently settled each book on the shelf, her room was looking like a mess....of course, she was cleaning. After the first row of shelves was packed with books, she put a crocheted flower vase in front and started doing the same for the other second.

She carefully pulled out a new stack of books from the box, these with tons of annotations and broken spines. She placed them on the shelf too, one by one. With more care and gentleness than previous ones because these were written by her beloved author. Tristan.

Now that all the books were arranged on the bookshelf and small decor ornaments resembling flower vases, mushrooms, and cottages were surrounding them creating a cozy look topped by a leafy flower vine framing the shelf, she took a step back to admire the beauty of it. She even took out her phone to click a picture tapped a few times on the screen afterward and posted it on her Instagram story.

She saw the empty carton move a little from the corner of her eye. Her hand stopped. She placed her phone on the bed and instinctively took the first thing in sight that could act as her weapon of defense. The broom. Her heart raced in her chest, the panic rose in her gut as she moved toward the box. No movement. It was still as it can be. She looked at it squinting her eyes from a foot away, one side of the lid was closed she couldn't see what was inside...or could be inside because she remembered taking everything out before....it jumped. The half lid that was closed jumped up and then down. She shrieked. A high-pitched distorted sound escaped her before she tried to jump onto the bed and failed miserably.

"What happen- aaaah" Mina screamed after she opened the door hearing Kei's cry for help and a rat ran toward her and rushed straight to the front door that was luckily open and escaped.