Sweven

4

Hey there guys! I hope all of you are doing fine and staying safe. The wait is over! Chapter 4 brings you a new character. Keep reading. Once again thank you for sticking by. I really appreciate it. ❤

Happy reading fellas🤍
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“Dreams are road signs along the nighttime highway of sleep”

I hit the bed as soon as I reached back Cayden’s apartment. The first day was over and honestly I was glad that it is done and dusted. I had eight non-stop classes and the professors are way too strict here. I was able to stay alive through the whole assembly. On the brighter side, I actually befriended the girl standing behind me. Shayla was a reserved, and a very shy kind of girl. I really liked her personality as it made me comfortable around her. I got to meet with her other two friends, Arya and Rayne. We shared the same classes and a part of me was actually happy that I could get along with them.
Lunch was good as I was with Cayden and the group. Rieka joined us too and there were moments of awkwardness between her and Thyone, but Thyone is a wonder at handling such situations. I kept my gaze away from that weird girl most of the time. What if she shoots laser beams out of nowhere and I go blind? She tried talking to me but I gave her answers keeping my head low. Cayden noticed my uneasiness but I shrugged it off saying that the first day has just taken a toll on me.  
“Crescent, are you up?” I heard Cayden’s voice and opened my eyes still lying flat on my belly.
“mmmm… What do you want?” I mumbled exhausted.
“I know you are tired, but I was thinking of taking you to the book store where you will be working. You can settle everything with the owner and then start working.”
“Sounds good. But can we go in an hour. I really can’t move.” I said half-asleep.
“Yes. However, I didn’t ask you, how was your first day baby shark?” He ruffled my hair. I opened my eyes once again with a lot of effort.
“It was good. I made some friends. They are good to get along with. I will introduce you to them tomorrow.”
“I would love to. I am glad you liking it. Did you encounter any problem today?” His question made my eyes shot open.
“Nothing as such. But I wanted to ask you about Rieka. What’s the deal with her?” He gave me a disinterested look.
“Nothing goes unnoticed by you, does it eh? God! Look, it’s nothing serious but Rieka maybe likes me. Or that’s what the rumors are about. Thyone gets insecure about it at times but she handles it well. I personally feel that that’s Rieka’s natural behavior. But, don’t worry about it as these are daily shitty stuffs that come up.” I nodded.
“Does Rieka live at the academy?” I pried on.
“I am not sure. I really don’t have much knowledge about her. She never has been troublesome to me or Thyone either. So, I am okay with her. Anyway, why are you so inquisitive about her?” He cocked up his eyebrow with a serious expression.
“Nothing. I felt I should know about her a bit since I will be seeing more of her now. By the way, who lives in the Ashleigh property?” Cayden smirked at my question.
“You couldn’t figure it out, could you?” I looked at him all demented.”… It’s where Thyone and her family live. Thyone’s family name is Ashleigh. Thyone Lucetta Ashleigh. I knew it in the dean’s office that you didn’t get it.” I just blinked a couple of times processing every information that Cayden gave. He chuckled at my bewildered expression and then started walking out of the room. “On another note, do get changed before we head out. You look like a homeless retard right now.” And he headed out. I did not have the energy to talk back to him so I let it pass.
I don’t remember for how long I passed out. Cayden’s constant loud voice to get me up finally succeeded. I got up and looked into the mirror. My hair was all messy and my cheeks were puffed up from the sleep. Huh, ugly af! I removed the duvet and made my way to the washroom. I got changed and headed out to meet Cayden.
The sky was all in pink and orange color with cotton like fluffy white clouds. A gentle breeze was blowing which made my hair fall all over my face. I brushed them back and waited for Cayden. He came in a while after locking the apartment.
“Let’s go.”
“Eh, we aren’t taking your car?” I asked amused.
“Uh-no. The shopping district is just nearby. I want you to see the way since I will be joining back my night shift soon.” He explained. I gave him an understanding nod and we both started walking.
I saw our block for the first time. There were not many houses on this street. Quite a handful and all of them were kind of far from each other. As we walked past a beautifully decorated house, a lady in her 40s waved at Cayden and he waved back with a smile. We passed her home and got on the main road. Cayden took a left and I could see how busy the streets were. The place was already full of people. It felt good to see how lively it was considering the fact that the town usually stays quiet.
“Who was that lady who waved at you?” I initiated a conversation.
“Oh that was Mrs. Hazlitt. She helped me when I first got here. She’s the only one I like talking to in the neighborhood.”  Cayden replied.
“No wonder. To be honest, we were never people pleasers to begin with. I guess it is okay to get along with only a few though.”
“That’s what. Anyway Crescent, you take the bus from this crossway of Nosh and Kollock Street. You don’t turn anywhere and stay on the S Churton Street. I guess we will be getting an intercity bus in any minute now.” As Cayden said, we both saw the blue and white bus pulling up. It stopped in front of us and we both boarded on. Cayden and I both took a seat in the end and I kept looking out the window. Ten minutes passed and he nudged me that it is time to get off. We both walked to the door and got off at the signal.
“Now this is the crossway for King Street. You see that Saratoga Grill takeaway; remember that as the important landmark. You have to get down here and take the west side of the King Street.” He kept explaining and took a left. I listened to every word of him ardently as I kept following him. “….. a few more steps, and there we have reached the book store I was talking about.”
Cayden paused and I did the same, looking up. A small but vibrant bookstore stood in front of me. The name ‘Purple Crow’ was inked on the glass pane. I could see small soft toys and chairs placed inside. An ivy plant ran outside the store and gave it a magical look. It was like a literary treasure that I found in this ghost town. A Cheshire cat smile spread on my face as I couldn’t stop gazing at the perfect sight in front of me.
“Seems like someone is in love with the view.” Cayden’s voice broke my trance and I looked at him all smiling.
“THIS IS PERFECT. I can’t wait to work here.” I said gleefully.
“Let’s go. You can talk to the owner about your timings. Just make sure they won’t keep you late.” Cayden advised. I nodded and headed in. There was a small cafe in the corner of the bookstore decorated with soft toys and, racks of all genres. It was decorated with fairy lights and posters of recent books. One can easily get lost among the delicate décor of the room.
“How can I help you?” I crashed down to reality as I heard the unknown voice. A lady in her late 30s stood beside me. She had black bob-cut hair with a round face. Her brown eyes stared back at me as a small smile tugged at her lips.
“Oh..Uh, hi. I  was just wondering… if you are looking for.. You know someone who can help you around?” I said all nervous. I really need to up my game of socializing with people. Her eyes twitched into as in she knows about it.
“You must be Crescent. I am Maia Carter. Your brother came in a week before and told me about it. We do have an opening as the assistant. Are you interested?” She asked sweetly.
“Yes definitely.” I said all smiling.
“Follow me. Let’s settle your working hours.” She turned around and walked towards the counter. I was so engrossed by the atmosphere surrounding me, that I didn’t realize that Cayden was outside on a call. Now that I think about it, I didn’t even see him entering the store!
“Are you the owner of this shop?” I asked timidly.
“Well, I am kind of a manager. Mrs.Wheeler is the owner and she checks on this place only on weekends….. Well, Crescent, you can be okay with the afternoon shift I guess. It’s from 3 pm to 8:30 pm at night on weekdays, 2 pm to 5 pm only on Saturday and you get a holiday on Sunday. How does it sound?”
“Perfect. When can I start?” I asked all excited.
“You can start from day after tomorrow. Let me show you around and the work that you need to carry out. Follow me please.” I nodded and treaded behind her footsteps. She showed me where the storage room was, the places where I have to place the books, how to distinguish among them according to the shelves and, a few other odd jobs. In brief, it wasn’t all fun as I predicted it to be. However, the thought of spending long hours among the books is what mattered to me.
“….. and this is where you can change or rest for some time. Help yourselves to coffee and the snacks if you are hungry. This is the end of your tour. Do you have any questions or like anything to ask about? Shoot em.” Maia came to a stop and turned to look at me.
“Uhhh… Well, how about the stipend?” She looked a bit taken aback but come on, MONEY is necessary.
“You start with 15$ an hour. Is it okay? Or do you want me to negotiate?” She asked fixing her glasses. Is that a threat?
“umm No, I am okay with it. I will start from Wednesday then.” I gave her a smile and she smiled back.
“That will be amazing. Here, fill this out and bring it back on Wednesday. Looking forward to work with you Crescent.” I smiled and took the form that she already handed out. Biding her goodbye I walked out of the store, all cheery. It was already past seven and I was amazed that I spent so much of time inside the shop without even realizing it.
“All done?” I turned to look at Cayden with an inquisitive expression. Seeing him, I let out all my excitement and jumped on him. He was taken aback by my sudden outburst but held me on time. “Whoa whoa, calm down baby shark. You look excited.” He smiled. I gave him my gummy smile.
“I start from Wednesday. It is so beautiful inside Cayden. Damn, I was mesmerized. It was literally my dream world. I can’t wait for Wednesday Caddy. Thankkkkk youuuuuuu! By the way, why didn’t you go with me?” I asked with my cheeks all puffed and a glare. He giggled and pulled them.
“I got a call. It was related to the cabinet and I was busy. I know you are a smartass to deal with everything on your own. I am glad it went well.” I smiled at his words, when his tummy made a loud sound. Cayden’s face turned red and I held back my laughter.
“Hunger pangs eh? I am hungry too. Let’s go.” I said taunting him. He gave me a glare but started chuckling.
“Let’s eat at Saratoga. The last bus is at 8:30. You can catch that.”
“You are not coming with me?” I asked quietly.
“I have to start my night shift Crescent. They have an important guest tonight at Saratoga. My band is up.” He said with an apologizing tone. I looked at him all scared. Cayden caught the fear in my eyes and gave me a pat on my head. “You will be alright. Don’t worry. I am just one call away.” He assured.
“I can take a cab.”
“No. Public transport will be better. If you want we can stay on a call. How does it sound?”
“uh… Nah, I will be okay. I will go and call you. Let’s eat. I am really famished.” Cayden nodded and we both made our way to Saratoga. The place was lively. I was greeted by all the members as they knew about me. It was a fun dinner and I enjoyed it thoroughly.
It was around 8:25pm when Cayden escorted me towards the bus stop. It was cold outside and I mentally cursed myself for not bringing a jacket along. I was a bit scared considering the fact that there were anti-socials all around and many murder cases. My hands were already cold but I put on a brave face.
“The bus is here. You call me when you reach okay. Stay safe. You got the pepper spray right?” Cayden asked and I nodded. He gave me a smile. “I will see you tomorrow ok. Lock the doors and windows before sleeping. Take care. And call me if you need anything.”
“I will be okay. Do not worry. Take care and play well.” I give him a peck on his cheek and board on the bus waving him a goodbye. The bus was mostly empty. A couple was seated in second row in front. There were three guys occupying the last seats. I took a seat near the window in the middle and plugged in my earphones. The streets were empty and not many souls were out. My eyes kept following the passing by houses and trees as I was vibing to Arcade by Duncan Laurence. I suddenly felt the seat beside me getting occupied and I turned around. There was a good fifteen minutes left before I would reach. A guy of my age was sitting beside me. He wore a turtleneck tee in black with a black long coat over it. I eyed him from head to toe and it was all black. Weird! His side face profile was really breathtaking. The chiseled shape jaw line looked as if someone has carved out his face with a lot of patience. My eyes moved over to his perfectly contoured cheekbones. His hair was golden brown and was all messy. It really gave me the urge to run my fingers through them. A subtle lock fell over his forehead. WHO. IS. THIS. GREEK. GOD ? I couldn’t see his eyes but my gut feeling said that it has to be blue or green in color. I heaved a sigh not realizing that I was holding my breath all this while, comprehending the beauty in front of me. He has to be some type of model, or being so attractive is literally a crime. I was lost in the sight when I saw his lips moved. I blinked a couple of times. This time he turned his face towards me, hiding his eyes and said something again. I removed my earphones.
“Did you say something?” I asked. My stupid ass voice was all hoarse. Amazing! Talk about first impressions.
“You are going to get down with me in the next stop.” His voice hit a wave inside me. That’s the sexiest deep voice I ever heard but is he for real?
“Huh? Are you out of your head? Why will I get down?” I asked annoyed. I really got scared. Is he like a serial killer or something? I mean, not that I am wrong. Most of the serial killers are good-looking and lure women using their handsome face. Is he the third Menendez brother? I saw a small smile playing on his lips, as in taunting me. Maybe not a serial killer, but a psychopath for sure!
“Look, I don’t want to create a chaos right now. Those guys sitting in the end don’t turn around…” I quickly turned to him again. So dumb of me! “….they are bad news and has been watching you all this while. You are coming with me. Don’t argue.” He said in a low but strict tone.
“Why will I trust you? I don’t even know you. And if something has to happen, the driver will interfere.” I replied in a chirped voice. He chuckled. Oh my, what a beautiful sound! Ughhh, snap out of it Crescent. He is a psychopath.
“Only if it was that easy. The driver won’t be able to do anything. Look, don’t make it more difficult for me. And if you think, I am going to harm you; you can call your brother once we get down. But for now, listen to me.” My eyes got wide at the mention of my brother. I really was having an inner conflict because my instinct kept saying that he wasn’t harmful and I should obey him. When I looked back, I saw the men. They were in formal attire and looked too dressed up for a ride in the bus. I turned back and looked at the mysterious figure sitting next to me. I could see the stop where he asked me to get down. I realized it was the cross before the one I had to get down.
“Alright. Let’s go.” He stood up and I followed him. I could see the men whisper to each other but I didn’t bother. We got down at the stop and as the bus passed, I could feel the stares on me from the window. It made me shiver but I tried acting normal. My mystery guy was walking in front of me and I fastened my pace to catch up to him.
“Heyyyy! Can you please give me an explanation of what just happened?” I asked annoyed.
“A thank you would have worked. Anyways, you are most welcome.” His words were dripping with sarcasm.
“What the fuck? Who do you think you are? I really need an explanation or I am not moving an inch.” I shouted out the words to make it clear to him. He stopped in his tracks and turned to look at me.
“Feisty eh? I like feisty. What if I tell you that I am the bad guy? I will abduct you. What will you do?” He asked coming closer to me. I stood my grounds but fear was visible on my face.
“Cut that shit out. I am not scared of you.” I said trying to cover up the fact that I am actually dead scared right now!
“Oh really, kitten? Well, your eyes speak otherwise.” He smirked. I was standing under a light post. I could see his face now. It was mesmerizing. He was so close to my face that I could make out the features on his face. My eyes moved up and I froze. His eyes were of amber colored. As I stared, I felt that someone was pulling me towards it. It seemed as if I was falling, there was no gravity. I was drowning in them… deep. A sense of familiarity shot across my body and I had this sudden anticipation, that I know those eyes. I have seen them before and there are many stories that bound us. My mind was trying so hard to recall it, but in vain. I got a feeling of nostalgia but I couldn’t remember from where. But I was assured that I know those eyes, like they belong to someone whom I have known for my whole lifetime. Someone whom I....
“We got to go. We can have this staring contest later.” Saying he broke away and started walking. I stood there for a moment all bedazzled by what just happened. Am I in my right state of mind? Am I drugged? I heard him stop a few steps away from me and turning to look at me. I shrugged all my stupid contemplations away and ran to catch up to him.
The walk was silent and calm. None of us spoke. When we crossed the Nosh and Kollock crossover, he just asked for directions to our block. I gave him short and curt answers and we started walking again.
We soon reached our block. It was around 9:10 and the whole block was dead silent. There was not a single soul outside. We could only hear the sound of the river passing by and the wolves howling in distance. Our apartment was the last in the block.
“One can easily disappear from your neighbor, and no one would know about it.” His words made me look up to him.
“I know. It’s the same way even during daytime.” I answered back. We reached Cayden's apartment and he walked with me till the entrance.
“You are staying with your brother?” He asked. I nodded. What is it with him? Being a cold dickhead all the way and now he decides to stir up a conversation?
“I will be moving out soon.” I answered.
“I see. Well, I should get going. Stay safe.” He turned around.
“Wait. Will you please tell me your name at least? Seriously, cut out that cold behavior. You really sound like a fool.” I couldn’t hold back my words. His face turned into an expression of amusement but he changed it quickly.
“It’s Lorcán Gray.” He said. I nodded.
“Well, thank you Lorcán for today. I hope to see you again…. Soon.” I said emphasizing on the word ‘soon.’ He smiled looking down. Bruhhh, if it wasn’t for his stupid, cold behavior, I would have been already head over heels for him!
“You will kitten. You will. Don’t worry about it. Don’t forget my name.” He winked and left, his words hanging in the air. I looked at his dwindling figure for a while when he completely vanished in the darkness, I made my way upstairs.
I got in my room, texted Cayden and locked all the doors and windows. Finally I let my body fall on the bed, and let sleep overpower me. Peace!
That night as I slept remembering the intense and intimidating stare of Lorcán, totally unaware that two pairs of eyes were already watching me through the balcony.
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Lorcán sounds so dreamy.. 🥺 Well, it's upto you guys on how you imagine him.  I really wanna visur the Purple Crow bookstore in Hillsborough. You guys can check it out on google. It's a treat for bookworms.
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Till then, Sayonara. 🌼