The Arks: Over Heaven (by Ben)

Chapter 51: Hardcore Reader

Part 2/3

Sam suddenly interjected and put her hand over Warren’s mouth.

“Don’t listen to this bum, he’s just an old fart whose bones are so brittle they’re fit to break,” Sam sneered. Warren pulled Sam’s hand off his mouth and continued to banter. Somewhere within that argument, both Warren and Sam managed to reveal why they were there. The man sighed and rubbed his face.

“Rick’s gone and now this happens… Whatever. I’m not taking sides here, so either you both come in to interrogate me, or no one will. Man you two sound like a grumpy old couple who hate each other,” the man said. Sam began to glare, scoffing at what he had to say, and Warren looked gloomy after what he said.

“Psh, just remove the grumpy old couple part and you’d be 100% accurate,” Sam said with hatred in her voice. Warren shuffled uncomfortably.

“Is that really how you feel about me?” Warren thought solemnly.

The man rolled his eyes, tapping his slipper impatiently on the sidewalk.

“Okay, are you going to question me, or am I going to have to shoo you away?”

“I’m not even going to bother. Just don’t question any of us,” Sam blurted, making her way back to her car. Warren leaned forward and quickly grabbed onto Sam’s hand.

“Wait… Sam,” Warren said. Sam turned around and looked at Warren with wide eyes, then at her hand.

“I know we hate each other, but… let’s just do this for our son, okay?” Warren pleaded. Sam frowned a bit, looking into Warren’s eyes. Warren could feel his heart thump.

“Fine. Okay, let’s go.”

The man smirked.

“Well, they say those old grumpy couples always make up to each other.”

“Shut up.”

The man walked up to the front door and went inside his home. Warren and Sam followed closely behind. Upon entering they were greeted with the fresh smell of papers. Warren looked to the left to see gigantic shelves that were absolutely packed with all sorts of books, from non-fiction, to fiction, from action to slice of life, from romance to fantasy, it was there.

“I guess he really is a hardcore reader,” Warren thought. As Warren’s eyes scanned the bookshelf, one caught his eye… The Obelisk. He could spot the author’s name on the spine: Moon.

“That’s the person I saw messaging on the Dex,” Warren realized with wide eyes.

The man cleared his throat and sat down on a rocking chair. Both Warren and Sam took a seat on the living room couch. There was a glass coffee table in front of Warren and Sam. Warren was staring at his reflection in the glass.

“I think we should introduce ourselves properly,” the man said, “I’m Calem.”

“Warren.”

“Sam,” Sam said matter-of-factly, “Okay I want to go first.”

“No, I will,” Warren argued, “I was the one who convinced you to stay.”

“That doesn’t mean jack, Warren! I’m the only reason we can even interrogate him right now!”

The two began bickering again, and Calem slammed his foot on the hardwood floor in anger. The two turned to him in fear.

“Shut up, your arguments drive me mad! Just rock paper scissors and the winner goes first!”

Sam and Warren turn to each other again, putting their hands out to play. The two squint their eyes at each other.

“Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!”

Warren played rock, and Sam played scissors. Sam groaned.

“Best of 3.”

“Nope. Warren, you’re first.”

Warren turned to Calem and cleared his throat. He felt his face getting hot as Sam stared at him impatiently.

“So, um, do you know anyone related to the, uh, incident?”

Calem’s face dropped, and he looked at his feet with a frown and dull eyes.

“I do. My little brother Rick… I care about him a lot, you know. I was best buds with him. He became a hardcore reader just like me,” Calem said. He looked up at the chandelier, reminiscing, “Oh the days we’d get together under the big tree’s shade and read a good story… Good times.”

Warren looks up at Calem. He looked so sad.

“Poor dude,” Warren thought. He looked up at a picture frame on the wall. It was a picture of Calem and a boy who looked a little younger than him, and he also had blonde hair. That was probably Rick.

Sam suddenly slaps Warren.

SLAP!

“OW. What the heck?!” Warren barked.