𝐅𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐑| 𝐋.𝐂.

41: The cave

"Hey, you. Why is it I feel like we live ten feet away from each other, and yet I never see you?" Dad says as I shut the door behind me, then walking over to him.

"They keep us, uh, pretty busy here." I tell him.

"Well, sit down. What a coincidence, the Eagles are playing Los Angeles. How is the life of an Eagle, anyway?" He asks me as I sit on the edge of the couch.

"Actually, they're not so good with dealing with losses. My Eagles, I mean." I say.

"Oh. You know, I was the one who convinced your mother to let you stay there." Dad tells me.

"Really?"

"Yes. Cause I trust you, Valerie. You know what you're doing." He says, patting my hand.

"Thanks, dad." I grin back at him as I walk over to the fridge.

I'm then confused at the beeping sound I hear, so I close the fridge. The beeping noise goes off again and I slowly get irritated.

"Do you hear that?" I tell dad.

"Hear what?" He says.

"Listen." I say and he mutes the tv and the beep goes off again.

"Ah, it's probably just the car alarm." Dad says.

"No, it's too high pitched. Dad, don't you hear this?" I say.

"Thanks for the reminder that I'm old." He says and I hear the beep again.

"I know that sound." I mutter.

                                          ||

"Hey!" Brooke says to me.

"Hey. Hey." I nod at Leo and he nods back at me.

I then walk past them, getting to the juice bar.

"Hi. Can I have a mint shake, please?" I ask the cashier.

"Sure." He says and I nod as I wait for my shake to be done.

I then hear Leo and Brooke talk about her being hypnotized and I get a flashback from the cave.

"The beeping came from the cave!" I exclaim to myself.

"Valerie, are you okay?" I hear Leo say and I turn to him.

"Guys, I have to tell you something. I was at my parents' place, I mean, the headmaster's residence, and I heard this beeping sound, and I swear I could have heard it before. It was sort of like a...beep, beep, beep. And now I've realized it was the beeping sound I heard in the cave when I was locked in there with my mom! It came from behind the wall in the far corner of the kitchen." I say.

"What's behind that wall?" Leo asks Brooke.

"My brother's old room." Brooke says and Leo and I look at each other.

                                         ||

"Do you hear it?" I say as we enter Jason's old room.

"You're right. It is similar to the beeping from the cave. But...I don't know." Brooke says as we walk by a closet into the wall.

"That's it. I'm sure of it. I'll never forget that sound." I say, looking up the ceiling.

"I think it's coming from there." Leo says, pointing to the closed door and him and Brooke put their ears to it.

"Wait. What is this?" Brooke mutters as she moves a painting hanging off the wall.