Is this — real?

Navên sits on a bench looking up at the sky; eyes as if he was looking for a way out of this reality.

He slowly lowers his head as begins to place his hands over his face. Sulking over him being thrust into this predicament by Mr. Anthony.  

“Oh! Why me?!”, he muttered as she shook his head from side to side. Showing his disapproval of the agreement  that was placed in his arms. 

*4 Hours Earlier*

“Huh!?!”; grunted Navên with a look of shock. 

“Oh come on! Don’t act all shy now kid. You wanted to make sure this little lady and her brother made it home safely!” said Anthony with a wink and glare. 

“Uhhhh. Well I— Um I think—“ muttered a confused Navên. 

“Welll— I guess that just about settles it. You will take her home tonight and I’ll even let you off early just to be safe.” affirmed Anthony with as much gusto as a man of his age can muster. 

Navên stunned with how quickly this whole conversation went looks in utter silence. 

Navên quickly snaps out of his trance thinking about the consequences this “trip” may have. 

“I just remember; Mr. Anthony don’t you need help unloading the shipments off the van? How could I leave you to do all that work?” inquires Navên. 

“Oh! Don’t you worry about that! I can manage besides with how slow it’s been these past couple of months; I’ve cut back on the shipment anyway!” replied Anthony with a cheeky grin. 

“Well—how about the dishes? Are you going to be able manage cleaning all of them?” asked Navên. 

“Oh Brother! Kid; I have been in tougher bonds than this.” says Anthony reassuringly; as he puts his hand on Navên’s shoulder.

He then turns towards the kids and smiles with a gleam in his eyes. 

“Oh my God; he is not doing to me right now!” Navên thought to himself. 

He looks on in terror as he sees the siblings smile with look of admiration. 

“Oh thank you! I would really like that!” Chounie shouts in agreeance. 

“Thanks Mister!” says Macin with a smile wide as a valley. 

Navên looks up at Mr.Anthony and thinks “Damn You!”

He then rests his face from its scrunched up position and looks at the siblings and says “My — pleasure” nervously.

“Oh that sneaky old man! I should’ve listened to my mom and went to work at my scheduled time instead of going in early. Damn my overachieving mind!” thought Navên to himself. 

He sits back looking at the school over across the street through his hands. He notices that the two siblings from earlier are walking out of the building. 

He pauses for a minute as he glances over at the clock and notices it says 4:36 pm. 

“Why are out of school so early? Did they get some kind of special permission to leave because I’m taking them home.” he thinks to himself.  

“No that can’t be it! What teacher would excuse their student because someone was walking them home from school? It has to be something else.” he says to himself as they walk closer to him. 

Once they reach the middle of the left lane on the street Navên stands up from the bench. He puts his hands in his pockets and braces for them to speak to him. 

His scope is wider now that he’s standing as he sees the Chounie is dragging her brother by his hand. The boy seems despondent as his face is pointing forwards the ground like he’s dropped a spare nickel. 

“Uhm. Is everything alright?” asked Navên with a raised eyebrow. 

“Everything is fine. We just had a mishap at school but we’re good to go if you want.” says Chounie with a half cracked smiled on the side of her face. 

“Uhh—Ok!” said Navên with a hesitant shrug. 

“Ok. We’re off to you guy’s apartment.” Navên says as he turns around and walk down the sidewalk. 

He takes his hands outside of his pockets as he waves at them; as to signal for them to speed up. 

He slows down so he match their pace and have them walking beside him. 

Navên thought about rushing them to their apartment but getting another glance at Macin. He feels bad leaving them with how sad the boy looks. 

“So— how was school today?” asked Navên. 

“Well; I had a pop quiz. Well I guess you can say just a quiz as it really wasn’t much of a surprise.” said Chounie with an indifferent tone. 

“Well. Why wasn’t it much of a surprise?”; asked Navên curiously. 

Then Chounie gently nods then says; “Well it wasn’t really a surprise as we were scheduled to take it when it was 17 of us in the classroom.” 

Navên then prods some more by asking; “Well, what does there 17 students have to do with a pop quiz?”

“It makes a difference when 5 of the 17 classmates went missing over the last month.” she blurted out in frustration.

Navên stops in his tracks as he was not expecting that kind of reaction; to what seemed like reasonable question. 

He begins walking forward again; quickening his pace to catch up with the siblings. 

He begins to scratch his head slowly turning his head towards Chounie and mutters “ Sorry! I didn’t even think about that.”

Chounie stares ahead and responds with “It’s fine; it’s just so — I don’t know but it gets me spooked just thinking about it.” in an apologetic tone. 

The trio follow the sidewalk upwards towards their destination. Until they reach an abandoned building with all the windows boarded up. 

Once we pass it Macin buries his face in between his sisters armpit. Almost like he just saw a ghost or an apparition.

The sister places her hand on his head to signify that he is safe. 

“Come on now Macin; there’s nothing there. I told you before nobody lives in that building.” said Chounie in a comforting tone. 

The boy moves his head ever so slightly from his sister’s arm and towards the building . Looking at the building ever so intensely; as if he is inspecting the property. 

“What’s wrong with him?” asked Navên while glancing down at Macin.

“Oh nothing, he’s just a little on edge because he thinks he saw something peaking out from the chimney a couple nights ago.” Chounie said as she smiled convincingly. 

“No! I don’t THINK I saw something. I did!” grumbled the boy. 

“Oh stop it! What you probably saw was a bird or something. I mean it is an abandoned building after all.” said Chounie as she grabbed his head and placed it against hand to stop him from talking. 

She looks up at Navên and chuckles as if she’s trying to distract from her brother’s outburst. 

The trio walk for about 12 yards forward until they reach the turn in which they have to take to get to the apartment complex.

That is until he sees two boys stand in front of the apartment complex. 

In a moments notice; when Macin saw the boys he got tense and immediately jumped behind his sister. As to shield himself from an oncoming attack.

“Oh my God! Can you stop it Macin! They won’t bother you with me around. Especially with this guy around.” said Chounie reaching around her back and pulling Macin from behind her.

“You just saying that because he’s here!” he says pointing at Navên. 

“That’s definitely  not true! I’ve told them to leave you alone before.” said Chounie crossing her arms in reluctance. 

“Is—there a problem with those guys in front of your building ?” asked a concerned Navên.

“Oh! Not really they like to play around with Macin but they never get physical. They usually say dumb comments about us but I truly think they just want attention." said Chounie said looking down in embarrassment .

Navên looks to Macin who looks a little upset  and defeated.

“Hey no worries! If they do anything to you I got your back!” Navên says as he crouches down to look at Macin.

“Let’s Go!” says Navên as gestures to the others to follow him. 

They make their way to the entrance of the apartment where the two boys are. They both couldn’t any older than 12 or 13 years of age. One was short with husky build; he appeared to wear clothes that were baggy in fit with a tattered baseball cap to cover his buzz cut head. The other being tall and skinny with skinny jeans and  long hair covering up the majority of his eyes.,

They are standing in front of the apartment building trying to balance on a skateboard. As one falls the other reaches for the skateboard attempting to recreate a similar trick as the last. 

Upon reaching the cement walkway of the apartment Navên walks towards the two boys waving; "Hello!", he exclaims. 

The boys are somewhat startled as many people don't bother to speak to them when they are approached. 

They quickly turn around to see both Macin and Chounie walking behind Navên. They both look at each other to gesture that Macin isn’t alone but also assess who this guy is with him. 

*Meanwhile*

As the kids are walking in the apartment entrance there’s a shadowy figure watching them from afar.