~ɪ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴏᴡɴ ɪᴍᴀɢᴇ ᴀʙᴏᴠᴇ~
(ʏ/ɴ)'ꜱ ᴘ.ᴏ.ᴠ.
ᴍᴀꜱᴋʏ ᴛᴏᴏᴋ ᴀ ꜱᴛᴇᴘ ꜰᴏʀᴡᴀʀᴅ... ɪ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴛᴀɴᴅ ᴜᴘ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴᴇ ɪ ɴᴏᴡ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴀꜱ ʜᴏᴏᴅɪᴇ ꜱᴘᴇᴀᴋꜱ.
"ᴡᴇ ꜱʜᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ ᴛʀᴀɪɴɪɴɢ ʜᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴀ ᴘʀᴏxʏ ɴᴏᴛ ᴍᴀᴋɪɴɢ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜᴇʀ, ᴛᴏʙʏ," ʜᴇ ᴘᴀᴜꜱᴇᴅ "ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀꜱᴛᴇʀ ᴡɪʟʟ ɴᴏᴛ ʙᴇ ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ɪꜰ ʜᴇ ꜰɪɴᴅꜱ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜɪꜱ." ʜᴇ ꜰɪɴɪꜱʜᴇᴅ.
ᴛᴏʙʏ ꜱᴛᴀʏᴇᴅ ꜱɪʟᴇɴᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴜʀɴᴇᴅ ʜɪꜱ ʜᴇᴀᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ʜɪꜱ ᴍᴏᴜᴛʜ ɢᴜᴀʀᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ʏᴇʟʟᴏᴡ ɢᴏɢɢʟᴇꜱ ᴡᴇʀᴇ. ʜᴇ ꜱᴛᴏᴏᴅ ᴜᴘ ᴀɴᴅ ɢʀᴀʙʙᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴏɴ ʟɪᴋᴇ ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ʜᴀᴘᴘᴇɴᴇᴅ...
"ᴛʀᴀɪɴɪɴɢ? ᴘʀᴏxʏ? ᴍᴀꜱᴛᴇʀ?" ɪ ᴀꜱᴋᴇᴅ
"ᴏʜ, ʏᴏᴜ'ʟʟ ꜰɪɴᴅ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀᴀɪɴɪɴɢ ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴛᴏᴍᴏʀʀᴏᴡ, ᴘʀɪɴᴄᴇꜱꜱ." ɪꜰ ᴍᴀꜱᴋʏ ʜᴀᴅ ʜɪꜱ ᴍᴀꜱᴋ ᴏꜰꜰ ɪ ʙᴇᴛ ʜᴇ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ꜱᴍɪʟɪɴɢ.
"ꜱʟᴇᴇᴘ ʟᴇᴛꜱ ɢᴏ, ᴛᴏʙʏ, ᴛɪᴍ," ʜᴏᴅᴅɪᴇ ꜱᴀɪᴅ ᴄᴀʟᴍʟʏ.
ᴍᴀꜱᴋʏ ꜱᴄᴏꜰꜰᴇᴅ.
"ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴄᴀʟʟ ᴍᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ ʜᴇʀ." ʜᴇ ᴀɴɢʀɪʟʏ ɢʀᴏᴡʟᴇᴅ.
ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴡᴀʟᴋᴇᴅ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴏᴏʀ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀ 'ᴄʟɪᴄᴋ' ꜱᴏᴜɴᴅ, ꜱᴀʏɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪᴛ ᴡᴀꜱ ɴᴏᴡ ʟᴏᴄᴋᴇᴅ.
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ɪᴛ'ꜱ ʙᴇᴇɴ ʜᴏᴜʀꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ᴄᴀɴ'ᴛ ꜱʟᴇᴇᴘ, ᴋɴᴏᴡɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪ'ᴍ ɪɴ ᴀɴ ᴜɴᴋɴᴏᴡɴ ᴀʀᴇᴀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ 2 ꜱᴛʀᴀɴɢᴇʀꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀ ʙᴏʏ ɪ ɴᴇᴡ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪꜱ ɴᴏᴡ ᴀ ᴍᴜʀᴅᴇʀᴇʀ. ɪ ꜱʜᴏᴠᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘɪʟʟᴏᴡ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴍʏ ꜰᴀᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴄʀᴇᴀᴍᴇᴅ ɪɴᴛᴏ ɪᴛ. ɪ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴡᴏʀʀɪᴇᴅ, ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴍʏ ᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛꜱ...?
"ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴀᴍ ɪ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴏ?" ɪ ᴀꜱᴋᴇᴅ ᴍʏꜱᴇʟꜰ.
ᴛʜᴇɴ ɪ ʀᴇᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴋɪꜱꜱ... ɪ ᴛᴏᴏᴋ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘɪʟʟᴏᴡ ᴏꜰꜰ ᴍʏ ꜰᴀᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʟɪɢʜᴛʟʏ ᴛᴏᴜᴄʜᴇᴅ ᴍʏ ʟɪᴘꜱ...
'ᴡʜʏ?' ᴡᴀꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴡᴏʀᴅ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴍʏ ʜᴇᴀᴅ... ɪ ʟᴏᴏᴋᴇᴅ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴏᴏʀ, ᴏʀ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴏᴏʀ. ɪᴛ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴛᴏᴏ ᴅᴀʀᴋ ɪ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴀʀᴇʟʏ ꜱᴇᴇ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ... ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴛᴜʀɴᴇᴅ ᴏꜰꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏᴏꜰ ʟɪɢʜᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ᴅɪᴅɴ'ᴛ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴜʀɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀᴍᴘ ᴏɴ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ɪɴ ᴄᴀꜱᴇ ɪ ᴀʟᴇʀᴛ ᴍᴀꜱᴋʏ, ʜᴏᴏᴅɪᴇ ᴏʀ ᴛᴏʙʏ...
'ɪ ᴡɪꜱʜ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴀ ᴡɪɴᴅᴏᴡ, ᴀᴛ ʟᴇᴀꜱᴛ ɪ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ ᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴇᴇ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ɪ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴏʀ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀʏ ɪᴛ ᴡᴀꜱ' ɪ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ, ꜰᴏʟʟᴏᴡᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴀ ꜱɪɢʜ.
'ᴀʟᴏɴᴇ....'
'ᴅᴀʀᴋ.....'
'ꜱᴄᴀʀᴇᴅ.....'
ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴡᴏʀᴅꜱ ɪ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ᴏꜰ... ɪ ꜱᴀᴛ ᴜᴘ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴅɢᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴏᴜᴄʜᴇᴅ ᴍʏ ꜰᴀᴄᴇ... ɪᴛ ᴡᴀꜱ ʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴛᴇʟʟ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴅɪʀᴛ, ᴅʀɪᴇᴅ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ, ᴄᴜᴛꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʙʀᴜɪꜱᴇꜱ. ɪ ʟɪᴇᴅ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄʟᴏꜱᴇᴅ ᴍʏ ᴇʏᴇꜱ.
***
ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴏᴋᴇ ᴜᴘ ᴄᴏɴꜰᴜꜱᴇᴅ...
"ᴅɪᴅ ɪ ꜰᴀʟʟ ᴀꜱʟᴇᴇᴘ?" ɪ ᴀꜱᴋᴇᴅ ᴍʏ ꜱᴇʟꜰ, ɴᴏᴛ ᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛɪɴɢ ᴀɴ ᴀɴꜱᴡᴇʀ, ʙᴜᴛ...
"ɪᴛ ᴀᴘᴘᴇᴀʀꜱ ꜱᴏ~" ɪ ᴛᴜʀɴᴇᴅ ᴍʏ ꜱᴇʟꜰ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴇᴇ ᴍᴀꜱᴋʏ ʟᴇᴀɴɪɴɢ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀʟʟ.
"ɢᴏᴏᴅ ᴍᴏʀɴɪɴɢ, ꜱᴜɴꜱʜɪɴᴇ!" ʜᴇ ɴɪᴄᴇʟʏ ꜱᴀɪᴅ, (ᴍᴇ: ᴡʜᴀᴛ?) ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ɪ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴏᴅᴅ...
"ᴡᴇʟʟ, ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ɪɴ ᴀ ᴄʜᴇᴇʀꜰᴜʟ ᴍᴏᴏᴅ ᴛᴏᴅᴀʏ!" ɪ ꜱᴀɪᴅ ᴄʟᴇᴀʀʟʏ ʙᴇɪɴɢ ꜱᴀʀᴄᴀꜱᴛɪᴄ.
ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ᴛᴀʟᴋɪɴɢ ɪ ɢᴏᴛ ᴜᴘ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴀᴛ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴅɢᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇᴅ, ᴏɴᴄᴇ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ.
"ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴍᴏᴜᴛʜ, ᴏʀ ᴇʟꜱᴇ!" ʜᴇ ꜱɴᴀᴘᴘᴇᴅ ɢɪᴠɪɴɢ ᴍᴇ ᴀ ɢʟᴀʀᴇ.
ɪ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ʀᴏʟʟᴇᴅ ᴍʏ ᴇʏᴇꜱ... ʜᴇ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴀᴛ ᴍʏ ꜰᴀᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ɪꜰ ꜰᴇʟᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ꜰᴀʙʀɪᴄ? ɪ ᴛᴏᴏᴋ ɪᴛ ᴏꜰꜰ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴇᴇ ɪᴛ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴀ ᴅᴀʀᴋ ʙʟᴜᴇ ᴛᴏᴡᴇʟ.
~ʏᴏᴜ ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ʙᴇ ᴛʜɪɴᴋɪɴɢ, "ꜰᴀʙʀɪᴄ?" ɪᴅᴋ ʜᴏᴡ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴇꜱᴄʀɪʙᴇ ᴀ ᴛᴏᴡᴇʟ, ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴊᴜᴅɢᴇ, ᴏᴋ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ~
ɪ ʟᴏᴏᴋᴇᴅ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴀᴛ ᴍᴀꜱᴋʏ, ᴄᴏɴꜰᴜꜱᴇᴅ. ʜᴇ ᴛʜᴇɴ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴇʟꜱᴇ ᴀᴛ ᴍʏ ꜰᴀᴄᴇ. ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ɪᴛ ꜰᴇʟᴛ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇ ꜰᴀʙʀɪᴄ... ɪ ᴛᴏᴏᴋ ɪᴛ ᴏꜰꜰ ᴍʏ ꜰᴀᴄᴇ... ɪᴛ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴀ ʟᴏᴏꜱᴇ ɢʀᴇʏ ꜱʜɪʀᴛ, ʙʟᴀᴄᴋ ᴊᴇᴀɴꜱ, ɢʀᴇʏ ꜱᴏᴄᴋꜱ, ʙʟᴀᴄᴋ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀᴡᴇᴀʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡʜɪᴛᴇ ꜱʜᴏᴇꜱ.
ɪ ᴅɪᴅɴ'ᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ʜᴇ ɢᴏᴛ ɢɪʀʟꜱ ᴄʟᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ, ɪɴ ᴍʏ ꜱɪᴢᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ... ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ᴅɪᴅɴ'ᴛ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ Qᴜᴇꜱᴛɪᴏɴ ɪᴛ... ɪ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ɪ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ɢᴇᴛ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴅɪʀᴛʏ, ᴏɴᴇ ʟᴏɴɢ-ꜱʟᴇᴇᴠᴇᴅ ʜᴏꜱᴘɪᴛᴀʟ ɢᴏᴡɴ.
~ᴏɴᴇ ꜱʟᴇᴇᴠᴇ, ʙʟᴏᴏᴅʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅɪʀᴛʏ~
"ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ꜱʜᴏᴡᴇʀ ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ᴛʀᴀɪɴɪɴɢ ᴛᴏᴅᴀʏ," ᴍᴀꜱᴋʏ ꜱᴀɪᴅ.
ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴄᴏɴꜰᴜꜱᴇᴅ...
"ʙᴜᴛ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ɪꜱ ᴛ-" ʜᴇ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴀ ᴅᴏᴏʀ ɪ ʜᴀᴅɴ'ᴛ ɴᴏᴛɪᴄᴇ ᴀᴄʀᴏꜱꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏᴏᴍ...
"ᴏʜʜʜ" ᴍʏ Qᴜᴇꜱᴛɪᴏɴ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴀɴꜱᴡᴇʀᴇᴅ...
~ʜᴏᴘᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ, ᴛʜᴀɴᴋꜱ ꜰᴏʀ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ (666ᴡᴏʀᴅꜱ(:<)~