||Hello Neighbour: A Better Timeline||

||Chapter 83: In Need Of A Key||

Gerda. . . Was in pain.
But then again, trying to run over a child, chasing two of them into a construction site and then getting pipes dropped on you; It hurt like hell.
"Afternoon."
"Afternoon Nicky, how was school?"
Nicky smiled,"Pretty good, Mr Murtaugh is a lot better and is getting back into the swing of things.", Gerda smiled,"Well, it's good to know he's doing better. What will you take today, dear?", Nicky put a pound note on the counter,"Just some biscuits and cupcakes for myself, Mya and Aaron; They're wanting to show me something.", Gerda smiled, calculating the change and getting a bag ready.

~

So Nicky walked home, he was planning to sit in his treehouse for a while.
Gerda seemed a little tired today, her hair was a little frizzy and she seemed to be in pain. . . Maybe she pulled a muscle or had a recent injury?
As Nicky came to his house, he looked across the street out of habit-
"Trinity?"
He saw Trinity slip inside The Peterson Household.
He frowned. . . They weren't home, and how did she open the door?
Nicky walked across the street.

=

"Just go check on her."
Maritza picked up her football,"You know how Trinity gets, especially with everything going on right now; I'm going for football practice, Lucy is at physical therapy and Mya is out with her family.", Enzo shuffled his feet, Ivan turning off the TV.
"What about her parents?"
"Couples Therapy."
Maritza left the house,"You're her boyfriend! Just make sure she doesn't go too far like she did years ago.", and it was just him and Ivan, Ivan stood up,"She's right. . . You know how things get; Let's go check on her.", Enzo nods, they wasn't wrong.

=

Crowface sighed.
"It's not here, it must be in the Police Station; Get it from the evidence locker."
Crowface sighed, breaking back in for nothing damn it.
"Trinity?"
They froze.
Oh fk.
Trinity Blades and Nicky Roth were in the house; It would have been easy to take her, but not with a witness.
. . .
Okay, this could work; Risky but it should do the trick for no witness.

~

"Nicky?"
Trinity didn't expect Nicky, standing in the doorway nervously while holding a bag of goodies from Gerda's Bakery.
"What are you doing, The Petersons aren't in. . ."
She looked more tired, her hair unkept a little but she looked scared.
"I know, it's just. . . I left something here from last week, and the door was unlocked so I just. . . I'll just grab it quickly and be out soon, I promise.", Nicky felt. . . Uneasy.
He knew Mr Peterson, Ike and Norman; Everyone that had a key to the household always lock the door.
But Nicky stood there, unsure of what to do. . . Why would Trinity feel the need to lie?
. . .
Hm?
Nicky's eye caught something, the basement. . . It was wide open.
Slowly approaching the door, leaving the treat bag on the sofa; He saw some light flashing down in the basement.
"What is that. . ."
Nicky glanced down the stairs, something was flashing on an off.
Maybe it was a light, he'll just go down and turn it off.
So Nicky walked down the stairs to turn off the light.

Crowface creeped to the door, grabbing the metal door as Nicky made it to the bottom of the stairs.
They slammed it shut!

Nicky jumped, running back upstairs to try and open the door only for it to have no handle, couldn't push it open or pull it open.
"TRINITY HELP!!!"

Trinity rushed to the cry of her friend, trying to pull open the door and push it but to no avail.
"What happened?!"
"The door suddenly slammed shut! It must have locked the moment it closed."
Trinity looked around,"There must be a key somewhere. . . Just hold-", then something smashed, making Trinity freeze and look into the dark house.
. . .
"I'll be right back, just hang on for a moment; I promise."
And Trinity left.

~

Trinity explored the house, finding it more scary empty.
She froze.
"It's You!"
Crowface or a Cultist; Having accidentally knocked down a vase. . . Probably.
And they took off running.
"HEY!"

~

Ivan and Enzo made it to Friendly Court, looking for Trinity and maybe Nicky.
"I mean, we shouldn't worry too much. . . But what could she do in an hour?"
"GET BACK HERE!!!"
And they saw Trinity chasing a Cultist out of the house and down the block.
. . .
"Chasing a Cultist down the block. Is what."
"After her!"
Ivan and Enzo took off running after her.

~

Nicky heard shouting, footsteps and then nothing.
. . .
While he waited, he walked down to the basement to find what was the flashing light was.
There was still some stuff in the basement, a bookshelf, tables, some boxes and a flashlight that flickered on and off, maybe cause of the battery.
Nicky noted a door in the basement, he remembered Mya telling him she and Aaron accidentally discovered it while playing, Mr Peterson never saw it before and said him, Ike and Norman would look into it.
Wonder if this was what Aaron was gonna show him.
He took the flashlight, smacked it a few times and it stopped flickering.
He returned to the stop of the stairs, with the flashlight and sat patiently for Trinity to return or even The Petersons and. . . Hope to explain how this happened.

=

Jay looked through the book, deciding what he could cook for Dinner.
"How does steak sound? I dunno, maybe that's better for Sunday Dinner."
"Anything you cook is good, Jay."
Jay nods,"Thanks Saul.", guess steak it is, would definitely be good-
Caw! Caw!
?
Jay looked at the window, a Crow was at the window and was pecking at the glass.
"What's the bird doing?"
"I dunno. . . But it's gonna scratch the window."
Jay put the book down, went to remove the Crow but the moment he stepped outside, it turned to him.
Caw!
It flew the car, perched on the car mirror and looked at him. . . Expectedly?
Jay frowned, walking towards the Crow before it flew off again and towards the Peterson Household.
"What are you-"
Then he noticed.
The Peterson's were out, but their door was wide open.
"Oh. . . That's not good."
As if to say yeah, the bird gave one last Caw before resting on the roof.

"Yeah, the doors wide open. . . They're not in, I don't see or hear anyone, but. . . Maybe could you come down since last time? Thanks."
"Dad? Dad! Help!"
. . .
"Wait, Nicky?!"
Jay rushed into the house, rushing to the basement door to find Nicky sitting with a flashlight.
"Narf, what happened?! What's. . . This door??"
Jay tried to open it, he couldn't; Completely shut.
"Well. . . Funny story; I saw Trinity come in on my way back from The Bakery, she said she left something here and was gonna grab it, and while I waited I saw a light in the basement flashing and went to turn it off, and the door slammed shut, locked immediately. . . Trinity went to look for a key, but I heard shouting and. . . I dunno where she is."
Silence as Jay let that process.
. . .
"I'll call Mr Peterson."
"Okay. ;-;",

~

"I am so sorry!"
Mr Peterson stepped away,"That door is very old, my father had installed it years ago to keep us out of the basement; Yes extreme, but how does it close on it's own?. . .", "Nicky did mention Trinity was yelling at someone to 'stop' or 'Get Back Here', I worry the person that broke in before came back.", Mr Peterson nods, clearing his throat,"Anyway: Don't worry, go into the kitchen and open the door below where the cutlery is; There's a number of keys, but the one you're looking for a slim, silver and big key.", Jay followed the instructions, looking in the drawer he was supposed of the amount of keys, all colourful and shuffling through them he found the key he needed.

"I got him!"
Nicky immediately hugged his dad.
"We'll be back soon, sorry again."
"I'm sorry. . ."
Jay pats Nicky's head, Jay holding the funny to Nicky,"Don't worry, it's not your fault; You were concerned and didn't know what would happen.", Nicky was glad he wasn't mad.