Puppet-Master

6- Typical Unexpectation

"My name is Andrew Lapis, everyone," Andrew muttered, raising the collars of his dark grey coat to shield his neck from the chilly evening wind as he strolled away from the coffee shop. He fumbled for his smartphone in his pocket, eyes focused on the time: 1:18, etched in the device's center. "As you can clearly see, the fun is over. And a great voyage is awaiting me to get back to my hometown." A lengthy yawn escaped him, his eyes struggling to stay open as he forced his legs to keep moving. "Well, I hope I don’t fall asleep before finishing this long road."

To his surprise, he noticed a suspicious figure standing alone in the dimly lit neighborhood. As he drew closer, a spark of recognition lit up Andrew's mind. "Isn’t that… The wanderer?" he thought, puzzled to find the man here. "I came a little later than usual, so I didn’t expect to encounter him on my way back."

Despite his thoughts racing, Andrew didn't hesitate to remove the coat; he needed to return it to its owner, after all. "Hey… Wanderer!" he called out, catching the wanderer's attention.

"Oh, it's you!" the wanderer exclaimed as they faced each other. "Aren't you later than usual?" he asked, accepting the coat back from Andrew with a polite nod.

"Well… The same could be said for you," Andrew replied, scratching the back of his head. "I mean, you do leave this place at midnight, after all."

"Yeah, yeah, I do," chuckled the wanderer, slipping on his coat before slowly walking away. "I just had to wait for 'a certain someone' who happened to be running later than usual as well." He laughed again, waving goodbye at Andrew, who watched him retreat into the night.

"Waiting for someone…" Andrew couldn't help but connect the dots. "First, the wanderer's unexpected act of kindness," he mused, his expression indifferent even though his mind was in overdrive. "Second, those three dudes dressed just like him. They were clearly observing me... Clearly."

Suddenly, Andrew's eyes widened, his mind racing to a startling revelation. "I'm getting targeted!" he thought, his head snapping up as he noticed the wanderer still slowly walking away. "They were watching me because I had HIS coat!"

"And, last but not least," Andrew began walking toward the wanderer, determined to close the distance before the man got any farther. "This wanderer said he was waiting for someone. And he left the moment I returned his coat."

"He was waiting for me…"

"Good night, wanderer!" Andrew's voice cut through the night, surprisingly louder than his usual tone. The wanderer halted his steps, and in that moment, Andrew's mind raced once more. "It can't be just a coincidence," he pondered, watching as the wanderer slowly turned his head to face him. To Andrew, the man before him seemed to be caught in a potion of slow motion, each movement deliberate, as if he had been waiting for Andrew's next move all along. "This can't be a mere coincidence. You were walking as leisurely as ever, almost as if you were expecting me to take action."

"What are you people?" Andrew voiced his thoughts, the question hanging heavy in the air. His heart quickened its pace, though he struggled to maintain his facade of calmness while engaging in the intense eye contact with the enigmatic wanderer.

Unexpectedly, the wanderer started to chuckle, his hand lifting to adjust his hat before he responded, "Yeah! Yeah, good night, Andrew Lapis!" With that, he swiftly departed, his pace notably quicker than before.

As the stranger uttered his name, Andrew felt a sudden wash of intense sweat soaking his face. Panic gripped him, and without a moment's hesitation, he turned on his heels and sprinted towards his house. "He called me... He called me Andrew Lapis," Andrew whispered to himself, his breaths ragged as he pushed himself to the limits, switching to a hurried walk as he approached his house. "How the hell did he know my name? I never told him. I'm certain I'm the only one foolish enough to talk to him! The neighborhood is practically deserted at night; I'm the only one wandering here!"

"What are you people?" The question echoed once more in his mind, his hands trembling as he fumbled with the key to unlock his front door. Once inside, he dashed to his room, his heart pounding so hard he feared it might burst from his chest. The weight of what he had witnessed pressed heavily on his body and mind.

Collapsing onto his bed, Andrew inadvertently slammed the door shut behind him. His heart raced unabated, and his breaths came out in ragged gasps, as if he had narrowly escaped a speeding bullet. "What in the world is going on?" he wondered aloud, his eyes wide open despite the heavy bags beneath them. "Is something dreadful about to happen? Or am I overthinking this?"

"No way..." Andrew lifted his body, sitting upright on the bed, his hands clutching his head in a gesture of desperation. "Every time I follow the trail, I catch the fish! That's how it works. But I sincerely hope I'm wrong this time." He let himself fall back onto the bed, sucking in the air from the room and then exhaling slowly as he pondered one last time. "I mean, if my suspicions are correct, those guys might be some kind of mafia..." The word hung in the air, laden with a foreboding sense of danger.

Just as the overwhelming thoughts threatened to consume him, Nadine gently opened the door to his room, allowing a stream of light to spill in with her arrival. "Andrew?" she murmured softly, her voice laced with concern. Andrew raised his head to meet her gaze, deliberately shaping his eyes to appear half-closed, concealing the heaviness in his breathing to spare her from further worry.

"Hi, Nadine," Andrew greeted her, his voice maintaining the calm tone she was accustomed to. "You haven't gone to sleep yet? Were you waiting for me?"

"You came back later than usual," Nadine replied as Andrew adjusted himself on the bed, making room for her to sit beside him. "The way you opened the doors and rushed up the stairs, it seemed a bit aggressive and hurried," she continued, her voice gentle as she studied his typically apathetic face. "Is everything alright?" Her hand found its way to Andrew's back, a comforting touch seeking reassurance.

"Yeah, everything's fine," Andrew responded, punctuating his statement with a yawn. "We just played more rounds than usual, that's why I got a little late." His attempt at nonchalance barely masked the unease that lingered beneath his composed exterior. Despite his efforts to reassure Nadine, a cloud of uncertainty hung in the air, casting a shadow over his seemingly casual explanation.

"I see..." Nadine's voice softened, a hint of relief flickering in her eyes, though worry still lingered. "You know, your father, Marcus, wasn't trying to pick a fight with you. He just had a tough day at work; he didn't mean any harm."

"I know, I understand," Andrew affirmed, meeting Nadine's gaze and finally allowing his guard to drop. "I just didn't want him taking his frustrations out on the little ones. They're still so young; there was no reason for him to get angry with them."

Nadine's lips curved into a genuine smile, gratitude shining in her eyes as she rose from the bed. "I'm grateful for you, Andrew," she said, her voice filled with appreciation. "Even though they're only your half-siblings, you're still looking out for them."

"They're my family," Andrew added, his hand absentmindedly brushing the back of his head as he spoke. "I'll always protect them. And the same goes for you, Nadine!" His words hung in the air, wrapped in sincerity, and Nadine felt a warm, comforting sensation envelop her.

"I appreciate that," she replied, her tone softening as she gradually made her way to the room's door. "I'm sorry I haven't been able to spend as much time with you as you'd like. But I promise I'll make an effort for more family time, okay?" Added Andrew, satisfying Nadine’s heart even further.

"That would make us all happy," she said, her voice lifting with a touch of liveliness. She smiled at Andrew while she waved, her laughter like a soothing melody. "I'll let you get some rest now. I could use some sleep myself," she chuckled softly, glancing back at Andrew before closing the door behind her.

"Yeah, I could use some sleep too," Andrew added to the empty room, his voice barely above a whisper. "Good night." The door clicked shut, leaving Andrew alone with his thoughts once again, the echoes of their conversation lingering in the room like the fading notes of a bittersweet melody.

"That was too close..." Andrew's words were a mere whisper, his breaths coming in ragged gasps as he struggled to steady himself. His hands trembled uncontrollably, a manifestation of the fear that had nearly engulfed him. "If I hadn't managed to calm her down," he thought, his voice barely audible even to his own ears, "she would've noticed me shaking like this."

"I barely salvaged the situation at the very last moment," he mumbled to himself, sinking his head into the pillow. He shielded his eyes with his forearm, attempting to steady his breathing through slow, deliberate inhales and exhales.

"Now... if my recent interpretation is correct," he contemplated in the darkness, his mind racing with anxious thoughts. "What on earth am I going to do?" The weight of uncertainty settled upon him, a suffocating shroud that seemed to engulf his very existence, leaving him adrift in a sea of troubling possibilities.

“What on the world… Is about to happen?”