The Visitor

The doors won’t budge, they’ve closed for now.

Apparently, the city halls close after midnight. I really shouldn’t be surprised. However, it is much to my inconvenience.

After finishing the list, I thought I’d be able to turn it in the same day.

“Well…No luck.”

The reason why I want to get this over with as quickly as possible is pretty obvious: I want to get the state’s eyes off me, and maybe they’ll even do something about the gang. Besides my infiltration, I haven’t yet had an encounter with those hooligans, which is good…but it makes me very anxious, as if they’re planning something. And walking through the relatively empty streets at night only adds to the tension further.

Guess I can finally rest though…

“Oh, it’s you…”

The doors are suddenly open.

He stands there.

“Already finished?”

“Yeah, and I risked my life for it.”

“That was expected. Come on.” He waves me to follow him.

Back in his office, I lay out the items: The IDs, marked list and the bloody shoes.

“Alright, good,” he comments, inspecting the list first, then the IDs.

“Well, it would have been nice for the three to be alive, but…no matter.”

His eyes then shift towards the boots.

“And this is…?”

“Boots…with blood on them. Pretty sure this fits with the people that got stomped to death. And I’m pretty sure the state wouldn’t kill their workers, right?”

“Yes, quite so. Still, it’s nothing of importance really.”

Baffled by his response, I keep silent. I know he’s cold, but really?

“That’s all, thank you for your support.” He sorts the papers in his folder.

“What about the gang?”

“Nothing that you have to do with and nothing you must know about.”

I stare at him for a bit, before standing up.

“Goodbye.” I leave, perplexed and angered.

Away from the state and onto the main road, I can’t think of anything besides how much this guy pisses me off.

“I can't believe I did all that just for him to leave me in the dark.”

However, once I pass the gates, there’s a huge feeling of relief drowning out my spite.

Though, just as I was about to head home to my dusty old cabin, my eyes wander off road.

I hope she’s doing alright…

Even though I said I won’t return until this whole deal is over, something lingers over me, something other than simple worry. Irrationality moves my feet away from the solid path over to the grass.

Through the forest, along the fields, across the river, I eventually arrive at the tree house.

To be honest, it has kind of become like a second home.

What if she’s awake again? Can I really look her in the eyes like that? Of course I wasn’t the one who stabbed her, but I can’t act like it’s my fault, can I?

These thoughts fly through my hand, paralyzing my hand that is already curled up to knock on the door.

“Man it’s cold tonight…Huh? Well, if it isn’t four-eyes.” a small old man opens the door, relieving me of having to knock.

“Ah. Yeah…I’m back…”

“So, does that mean you found the culprit?”

“Yes, but I still have to deal with him.”

“I see…Well, I was just gonna retrieve some water.” Boyle says as he already makes his way past me.

“Wait! How…is she?”

“Look for yourself,” he says unremarkably as he walks away.

I enter the house. It’s quiet. The only sound is the wood creaking under my steps.

The noise follows me, getting louder as I step onto the stairs.

Slowly but surely, I arrive at the door. Behind it, the last glimpse I got at her.

I gently open the door…

“Aye! Friedrich!”

Alyssa’s still in the bed, though, she’s managed to almost sit upright.

“Are you…alright?” I ask despite knowing the obvious answer.

“Eh, could be better.” She shrugs.

Despite her dismissive answer, the poor state of her body is all too evident: The weak movements, overall, eyebags and most apparently, her lunged shoulder, wrapped in a fresh bandage.

Seeing her like this…it severely pushes me on the verge of tears.

“Alyssa…I-I’m sorry…” I apologise with a shaky voice, “It’s my fault, I shouldn’t have left you on your own- I shouldn’t have let you get hurt-”

Her hand reaches out, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder.

“Hey, I mean it. It’s fine, really. It’s not your fault. And I’m not saying this just because I’m higher than cloud nine.” She adds with a wry tone.

She of course means the lit joint on the table next to the bed, that I have only witnessed now.

“Well, that didn’t take long.” I chuckle, “Please, be more careful from now on.”

“Aye, I will.” She picks up her joint again.

Deciding to give her some space, I leave the room, taking a last glance at her. It brings a smile onto my face.

As I went down the stairs again, I headed into the kitchen where another familiar person greets me.

“Oh, Friedrich! Didn’t expect you so soon again.”

“Me neither, to be honest.” I answer Alyssa’s mother.

“How have you been holding up-”

A knock on the door.

“Must be the geezer.”

“I don’t believe so, he already came back with the water just now.”

I go to the door, peeking through the little hole to see who it is.

A shiver runs down my spine and my breath leaves me. Cold sweat forms instantly on my forehead, like I’ve seen a ghost.

But it’s worse.

Normally, it would be hard to see anything in the pitch black of the night. But I’m certain what, or rather who is on the other side.

Black clothes, with a ribbon on his right arm. He walks in smeared leather boots and his face is shrouded by a large hood. However, there is a key difference between him and ‘them’. He’s a giant, taking up my entire field of view, his torso accented by a studded, leather vest.

“It’s the guy I ran into…” I mutter under my breath.

Is that…their leader?

“Won’t you open it?” Boyle suddenly reaches for the door handle.

At once I grab his arm.

“Knock it off, will ya?”

I come closer, anxiously whispering in his ear, “You have to buy me some time, please!”

Finally understanding the urgency of the situation, he nods.

“Hey! Open the door!” The knocking gets louder and more violent.

“Hold on! I’m not as fast as I was back then. Now, who is there-”

While the old man starts to stale him, I run up the stairs quickly, pretty much bashing into Alyssa’s room.

“Huh?”

“Alyssa! We have to hide, quickly!”

“Hm? Why?”

I look back down the stairs, unsure of how long Boyle can distract him.

“There’s no time to explain.” I answer, looking around for any hiding spot inside the room.

Though, after a quick view around, I realise there’s no chance of hiding up here.

“Can you walk?”

“Uhh, aye? A bit maybe.”

I let out a sigh.

…

“Alright, you have to be strong now, okay?”

“‘Aight.” She shrugs, lighting out her blunt.

Since her legs aren’t hurt, she would be able to walk normally. But due to loss of blood and wound, she’s severely off balance. So I help her get up, laying her arm with the damaged shoulder around my neck to stabilize it at least a bit.

Even though she’s limping, only taking short steps, Alyssa seems not to be in pain. At least not much. It must be the cannabis numbing her senses.

“Open the door already!” We hear as we descend down the stairs carefully.

Boyle doesn’t respond.

Once we’re on the ground floor, I start turning the gears in my head, thinking of any hiding spot inside the tree house. The living room maybe? Or the bathroom?

That’s when I also spot Alyssa’s mother holding her son’s arm with a worried expression.

Dammit, I have to hide them too.

They’re currently in the kitchen…

The kitchen, that’s it.

Back during my alchemy training, we moved the catalyst to clean it. Below it, there’s a trap door…

I tap Boyle’s shoulder, pointing at the catalyst. He thinks for a second before nodding.

“Hold her for a second.” I lay Alyssa’s arm around her mother.

Suddenly, a fist crashes against the door.

Shit, he’s gonna break in.

Boyle and I push the catalyst aside, revealing the dark hatch.

First, Alyssa’s mother and I cautiously carry Alyssa inside. Her family joins in pursuit.

With one last nod, I also climb inside, closing the door and trapping us in total darkness.

From below, I can hear Boyle gather all his strength to push it back into place by himself.

At the same time, the door slams open with a loud thud.