Lost ✔️

Chapter 29

Nathan yowled in agony. He was grabbing his ankle by both of his tied hands. Stephanie's aunt had an iron rod in her hand. She went over to the burning furnace that Stephanie hadn't noticed in the dark.

It was a small one built at the extreme corner in front of her. In the heat of the moment, Stephanie had all forgotten about it. 

Now her aunt once again went over to the furnace to heat the rod. Nathan lay before Stephanie breathing heavily. There was a blackish red straight line brandished on his dark skin. It looked uglier than her aunt's poop.

"I'm going to ask you again dear boy", she said smiling.

Nathan gritted his teeth adamantly.

"Where is the folder? The guy supposed to bring it in to me just disappeared into thin air with the folder. Mind explaining some stuff to me?"

Nathan simply shook his head tiredly.

"What's it to you anyway? I don't have it! I told you more than once", he pleaded without even meaning to.

He looked defeated at this point. Even if he was telling the truth, Stephanie wondered why her aunt was torturing him. It was clear he was being honest. It was almost written in his eyes. A blind person might be able to see it.

"Well okay then!", her aunt said happily.

Then the rod made contact with his skin right above the previous wound. Nathan let out an agonizing roar.

But Mrs.Bats didn't lift it up. Instead she let it rest firmly on his leg while the boy writhed in pain.

He's going to die if this goes on.

Stephanie could no longer stand it. Even if she had no emotional inclination left for Nathan, he had been her friend once. They had their moments. She could do this much for the sake of their old friendship.

"STOP! He's clearly telling the truth! How blind are you woman?!", she screamed in desperation.

The rod was drawn back with a cruel smile on the witch's face. As if she expected that to happen. More like she wanted that to happen.

"Gah!", Nathan gasped out loud in relief.

"Then...why don't you tell me. Where is the folder?", her aunt giggled turning towards her.

Okay, so that happened.

Stephanie blinked twice. 

"I have absolutely and fantastically no idea", she said, a little too quickly.

Her aunt's smile widened more. The rod was ready in her hands. Stephanie clenched her teeth. She was not going to even whimper for her aunt's satisfaction. There were barely a few micrometres left for the rod to be implicated on her when...

DING DONG!

The bell rang.

Judging by the surprised look that swept on her aunt's face for a second, it was an uninvited guest.

"You're so lucky!", Stephanie muttered to herself.

Stephanie was also wondering on how her aunt was going to sneak into her the house from outside without being seen when the cruel lady showed her the answer.

Mrs.Bats went to the opposite corner of the furnace and pushed her palm in a way of pushing the wall to the side. The wall- or what she thought was the wall- gave out under her hands. What Stephanie had believed to be the wall slid to the side as smoothly as engines work when oiled to perfection. It was a thin door designed to look like a part of the wall. It opened up to something else.

A single stairway led to who knew which part of the house. Her aunt disappeared inside and the wall slid back to place.

"What in the name of Holy mother of Holiness was that new door?", Nathan grunted.

The boy can speak!Congratulations!

"That was just a secret passageway I got to know about right now", Stephanie replied.

Although that was a new discovery, she wondered who decided to visit the house at this time. This was the moment she realized that they had no idea what the time was.

"What do you reckon is the time now?", she asked Nathan.

He had not yet recovered from the pain but he definitely looked a lot better. 

"Judging from the light blue pouring through that little inlet of faith and hope for our oxygen, it should be pro-"

"The time, not the info"

"Uh yah! I'd say it's between six and seven in the morning"

Stephanie nodded.

Guess we wait now.

*

Both were in Stephanie's room now. It was not that difficult to climb in. They had been snooping in her room and had found a weird note for probably Stephanie telling her to meet the someone in the kitchen. 

A loud cry was heard from below them. Both of them looked at each other. It was a horrible sound but definitely not their friend's. Someone else's.

"You heard that?", Steve asked Marilene bewildered.

"I have a pretty good idea where she is now", she nodded her head.

Then the bell went off in the house. 

It's show time.

"What about the note?", he asked her.

Marilene remembered the hesitation in Chris' eyes and the uneasiness in her dear friend's eyes from before. They had not been yet told about the stranger by either of them but Marilene was smarter than she looked. 

The only reason her grades had not been good was because she didn't want anyone to compare them both. Her brain whirled around with confusion until she came up with a conclusion.

"Her aunt?", he asked again.

Marilene smirked.

"No. It's someone else. Her aunt never comes here for reasons unknown.", she replied.

Chris what have you not told us yet?

*

*****

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Also I hope ya'll are doing well all this time during the lockdown!!!!!