Tree of Life

Book I Chapter 10

TREE OF LIFE BOOK I

CHAPTER 10

Julian raced home. On coming up to his building, he noticed that there was a police cruiser parked outside, which was nothing special really, given the neighbourhood. But when he walked into his apartment, he found that the police officer from the cruiser downstairs was sitting right there at his kitchen table, talking to his mom.

“Julian, this is officer Donnelly.” She indicated the officer.

Julian said hi.

His mom went on to tell him that their apartment had been broken into while the two of them were out. Things were messed up a bit, especially in Julian’s room, and a little cash was stolen, but all in all, it could have been a lot worse. They could have been home. Anyway, after checking out the apartment, the officer thought it was probably just a random burglary.

Yeah, right, Julian added to himself.

The intercom at the front door beeped. Julian went and got it. It was Brian. “Hey, is it Julian?”

Julian called out into the kitchen. “Mom, I gotta go downstairs…” He zipped out of the apartment.

His mom stood up from the table. “Julian!” But he had gone already.

~~~

Downstairs, in the lobby, he found Brian waiting for him. And Nicole too.

Julian walked up to them. “Hey you guys, I have to tell you…”

“Julian,” Nicole interrupted him. “Just listen, okay? The two of us have been talking about it all day and…”

Julian shook his head. “No, wait…”

“…no, Julian, really, we…”

“But…”

Brian joined in. “We just wanted to say sorry and that…”

“No, but…”

“Julian!” Nicole stomped her foot. “Can’t you just be a gentleman about this? We said we were sorry!”

“Yeah!” Brian chimed in. “What more do you want?”

“Yeah,” said Nicole. “And jerk for brains here…” She thumbed at Brian.

“Hey!” Brian glared at her.

“Stop it!” Julian held his hands up. The other two stopped. Julian let out a breath. “My apartment was broken into.”

“What? Really?” Nicole’s eyes widened. “Is everything all right? Was your mom hurt?”

Julian shook his head. He took his friends by the arms. “No, just listen! Listen to me…” He pulled them in closer. “…this is very serious. I think we’re all in real danger.”

Brian squirmed out of his grasp. “What are you talking about?”

Julian told them. He told the two of them about what he had found out with Mr. Cohen at the lab, on the computer and what he thought the thing really was. He also told them about Professor Willibald in the park and how his own locker at school was broken into and now his apartment too.

“So, you think it was him?” Brian furrowed his brows.

Nicole nodded. “It’s got to be him. It all fits…”

Julian nodded. “…and he must know I have it…”

Nicole’s eyes widened. “…and he must want it back and that’s why he’s broken into your locker and your apartment…”

Brian took his friend by the arm. “We have to tell your mom…no! We have to go tell the police…”

Julian stepped back. “What ever happened to ‘don’t tell anyone’? And ‘they’ll take it from you’ and all that?”

“Well, so what? So what if they take it from you? If you don’t have it anymore, he’ll stop coming after you!”

“But…” Julian looked to Nicole.

Nicole nodded. “I’m afraid I’ll have to agree with j…”

Brian ignored the implication. “Is this worth getting hurt over? You should go to the police and give them the thing. I mean, who knows what the old guy is capable of?”

Julian turned and began to pace. “I don’t know, I…” He held his head with his hands.

“You don’t have a choice, Julian!”

“But…”

“But what?” Brian strode up and took his friend by the shoulder.

“…there’s…there’s something I need to do first…”

Nicole raised her hands. “Like what?”

“Julian!” another voice called.

They all spun around toward the elevator. It was Julian’s mother. She was holding the door open and calling out to him. “Julian, the officer needs to talk to you.”

Julian turned to his friends. “Listen. Just go home first. I’ll text you two later tonight.” He started backing away.

“But…”

“Julian!” His mom called again.

“Just…go! All right?” Julian spun around and jogged back toward the elevator.

~~~

That night, Julian waited until well past 2 am, after he was sure his mom had fallen asleep.

He sent out a message to the other two. “You guys awake?”

“Yup,” came the replies.

His fingers blurred over the keys. “Meet me out in the alley behind my apartment in ten.”

Ten later, the two boys stood in the cold, in the snow, behind Julian’s building, stomping their feet.

“Where is she?” Brian blew into his icicles for hands.

“How should I know?”

“She’s your girlfriend.”

“She’s not my girlfriend!” Julian adjusted his glasses.

Brian talked into his gloves calmly. Straight face. “She so is…”

Julian slapped him on the arm. “Don’t say that!”

“She sooo…”

“Stop…” Julian checked down the alley. “…here she comes!”

Nicole trotted up to them.

Brian crossed his arms and faced the newcomer. “And where were you?”

Nicole coughed. “I was brushing my hair.”

Brian’s jaw dropped. “You, what?!”

Julian rolled his eyes. “Come on, you two.” He began stamping down the alley.

“Hey, this is not the way to the police station.”

“I know. I have to go do something first.”

“Like what? We have to…”

The three froze.

Up ahead, in the distance, beneath the glare of the street lamp and amid blowing snow, stood a lone figure in an overcoat, leaning on a cane. The man had dark skin and a flowing white beard.

“Master Julian. I have been waiting for you.”