The Arks: Over Heaven (by Ben)

Chapter 51: Hardcore Reader

Part 1/3

It was definitely a beautiful day outside. The birds were singing and the flowers were blooming. There wasn’t a cloud in sight. The sun was bright, but not too bright, and the clouds were there, but there weren’t too many.

Warren was tapping his fingers on the steering wheel as he drove down the highway. He was singing a little hum and was listening to the news on the radio. It seemed to be an announcement from the President.

“Dear citizens of the United Republic, I come to inform you of something absolutely tragic,” the President announced with a booming voice, “The seniors of Terran High, who were just about to graduate…”

“Have mysteriously disappeared approximately a week ago.”

Warren sighed and switched the radio channel. Good ol’ Guy surely didn’t know anything about the situation other than the fact that they disappeared.

Looking at his GPS, Warren could see that he was almost at his destination. A humble abode that was straight off the highway. It was right smack dab in the suburbs of Star City.

Warren made a turn off the freeway, and a few more minutes later he arrived at the home. It was not his, nor was it any of his coworker’s, but it was someone he wanted to question about the disappearances.

It was a man named Calem.

After that night where he investigated the enigmatic platform known as the “Dex”, the next day, Detective Darren had given him a file on Mr. Mo, the principal’s background. Apparently he was quite the illusive man, his father and mother were unknown, and he also had a wife who mysteriously disappeared. He had a son, but he had run away from home and was never found.

Because Mr. Mo had no family, there was only one person Warren could interrogate. People close to him, and Calem seemed to be one of them. Calem was part of the Terran High Alumni and had graduated from Terran High four years ago, all the way back in ‘23. He was well known for being a critic of literature and had read over 10,000 books in his lifetime. Apparently.

“He might be able to tell me more about what type of person Mr. Mo is, and, if there’s a chance, he might have even read Dodo Tales itself if he was such a hardcore reader…” Warren thought.

As Warren approached the house in his vehicle, he spotted a police car parked outside. He squinted his eyes at the car, and then saw a woman with long blonde hair stepping out. It was Sam.

Warren’s car slowed to a halt, and Sam turned around. Sam stared into the window, and then furrowed her brow, putting her hand up and giving Warren the birdie. Warren groaned and rolled his eyes at the sight.

Warren parks the car near the curb and steps up, slamming the door behind him and trotting up to confront Sam. Sam was crossing her arms. She was still in a tank top and black sweatpants. There was a walkie-talkie attached to her tank top, and she was also wearing sunglasses on this warm day. She looked like she had just gotten off work.

“What do you think you’re doing here?” Sam spat.

“I think I should be asking YOU that,” Warren replied, tugging on his red tie. He adjusted his tuxedo. Sam looked at his tuxedo with amusement.

“Pshh, questioning. Why are you here, trying to score a buck with a hot babe or ‘somethin?”

“What the-” Warren began to turn red, “Absolutely NOT! That is outrageous! I’m ALSO here for questioning!”

“Questioning here too? Well that’s too bad, I’ve gotten here first bozo so SCRAM.”

“I don’t think so Sam. I’ve been planning this for a long time, and I’m not going to go away just because you said so.”

“Yeah you pulled it out of your ass last night I’m sure of it.”

“How’d you know- Wait, you didn’t hear that, I DID NOT!”

“Just go away and let the grown ups handle it, okay hon?”

“I didn’t know we were resorting to name calling now. I’m not a little kid Sam.”

Just then, someone cleared their throat. Warren and Sam turned to see a guy with blonde hair standing there crossing his arms. He was packing on quite a bit of muscle, and he had a nice tan along his body. He looked a bit like a surfer. Notably, his blonde hair was fading to black. He had a slim fit black shirt with the text, “READING IS COOL.”

“What are you two bums doing outside my house? Get out of here!” the man demanded, waving his arm away, “I didn’t pay for this humble abode in the suburbs, to have my personal property INVADED BY HOMELESS SQUATTERS.”

Warren blinked his eyes and put his hands in the air in surrender.

“W-Wait sir! There seems to be a misunderstanding, I’m not a bum… I’m just here to ask questions-”