Syndicate Origins: Persona [NaNoWriMo2014, 2015]

CHAPTER TWELVE: THE EXPERIMENT

It was Friday now, Halloween day. School had been as normal as it could be with the exception of never coming across Anthony. I wasn't sure if he had been afraid of me mentioning what had happened, or if he had simply skipped school to prepare for his party. Honestly, I wasn't entirely focused on what had been going on at school because I had stumbled upon an entry towards the back of my mom's diary. The entry was about Yin, but I hadn't been able to read it until now. Kyle was now in his room getting ready for the Halloween party that we would be attending in three hours. I had to get dressed as well, but I would have the time to read more of Mom's diary.

April 5, 2006

Dear Diary,

Yin is looking for something. She let something slip, a slight misstep on her part. Why won't she tell me? Why all the secrecy? Am I not her friend? Surely she knows that I can help. Lawrence and I have money and with money, you can make almost anyone talk. So why not ask me?

Furthermore, why is she here?

The entry ended with that last question and continued to the next entry.

April 12, 2006

Dear Diary,

I finally had the courage to ask Yin my questions. She waved away from questions, saying she was looking for her life. I'm not sure that I believe her. I've heard her on the phone, talking to someone she calls Len. I'm never able to catch most of the conversation, but I have heard her talking about a boy multiple times. Is she looking for a runaway? If so, why all these lies? Why doesn't she trust me?

Whatever it is, I'm going to find out.

It seemed that Yin was as mysterious then as she was now. Maybe the following entries would tell me more about her. I looked at the date of the next diary entry and it was two months after the previous entry. Why had Mom waited so long to write again?

June 16, 2006

Dear Diary,

Yin has finally told me the truth. I know what she's looking for now. Her brother. A man named Aion took her brother some time ago. She won't tell me why Aion took him and for what reason. I don't care, though. I just want to help in any way I can. Yin says that she has a feeling that her brother is in this town, but doesn't know where to look.

I'm sad to say that I don't either.

My mind was overwhelmed by the information that I had just gained. She had been looking for her kidnapped brother? And my mom had tried to help? I couldn't believe that Yin's secret turned out to be that. It made a little sense if she was stilling searching for him, but it didn't explain everything. How was Yin able to seemingly disappear within moments? Why had she taken an interest in me?

There had to be more in the other entries. Mom would have surely written more in her diary.

July 1, 2006

Dear Diary,

Though we're on the lookout for her brother, Yin insisted on meeting my baby girl, Mae. They got along well and Yin enjoyed playing tea party with her. Yin made a comment that Mae looks like someone she knows. I wish she hadn't said that.

The entry ended abruptly and had no other information. This frustrated me, but I knew there were others so I continued reading. Hopefully the rest of Mom's entries wouldn't be like that.

July 23, 2006

Dear Diary,

I saw her do it. How had Yin done it? How does someone disappear in one place and appear in another? I know I'm not crazy. I saw her do it! How is she able to do that? Is that why her brother was taken? Is he like her? I can't get rid of the image of Yin disappearing in front of her television and reappearing in her kitchen. I had opened her apartment door and witnessed it with my own two eyes. She doesn't know because I quickly shut the door and knocked, pretending that I hadn't just seen something . . . different.