I Am Lucario
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon
Chapter ten will mark the conclusion of the Absol saga. Chapter eleven will begin the next phase, in which the story might skip ahead a few months. More on this in the next chapter.
In response to Anonymous1; thank you! Indeed, Eevee is spiteful. I must confess though, she turned out a little differently from what I originally intended. The previous chapter, for instance, was not in my original plans for this story, but it'll tie in just nice with a future chapter. Thanks once again!
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It was not often that Lucario found himself in the city at night; especially not this late. The moon peeked through the clouds, shining down on the Aura Pokémon as he followed Absol. His white-furred friend had not elaborated on what he needed help with, but from his expression, Lucario could tell that it was something big and serious – certainly not like the harmless pranks he had done with Eevee earlier.
Even without being told anything, Lucario had guessed that Absol would lead him to the city's outskirts; and he was right. They passed Celia's bakery, dark and lonely without any lights or the usual delectable scent wafting from it. Greg's mansion could be seen in the distance – the lights in his room were on, despite the lateness of the hour.
Absol kept peering up and down the desolate streets, looking wary and battle-ready. Lucario couldn't help but feel nervous; Absol was acting as though they would be attacked at any moment. It did not help that he had forgotten to don his scarf, though he noticed that Absol lacked his green kerchief as well.
"Absol-sir, do you know what time it is?"
Absol turned his head towards Lucario, staring at the Aura Pokémon sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't interrupt your sleep."
Lucario shook his head hastily. "No, I was not being sarcastic. I was just wondering if you knew the time."
"Oh." He resumed scouting the streets, looking distracted. "I guess it is past midnight, but I can't be too sure."
They did not speak much after that. Absol continued prowling about, leading Lucario towards a housing area. As Lucario ran along on the sidewalk, his eyes fell upon a metallic sign that seemed to shine in the moonlight: "Welcome to Silver Lane".
Silver Lane… the name was familiar somehow, but he was not sure where he had heard it before. The area consisted of a single, straight road, with houses on both sides of it. At the very end, there was a cul-de-sac, and a solitary house. Several tall trees of Silver Forest could be seen looming over the house.
From the look on Absol's face, Lucario deduced that his destination was somewhere in the vicinity. "Absol-sir, why did we have to make a detour through the outskirts if this area is connected to Silver Forest?"
"The streets are easier to navigate, don't you think? Besides, I wanted to scour the area. And of course, no one's about. But it doesn't change a thing even if they were here… ha." There was such scorn in his voice that Lucario did not dare probe further.
After making absolutely sure that there wasn't anyone, Absol broke into a sprint. Bewildered, Lucario followed, their shadows dancing under the illumination provided by the streetlights. It became clear where Absol was heading: the lone house at the end of the cul-de-sac.
They stopped at its front, and Lucario took the time to gaze at it fully. Even in the darkness of the night, its white coat of paint was apparent. A few potted plants lay on a rack next to the green front door – they seemed well-cared for. Absol walked towards the plant nearest to him and bent his head. He then turned back to Lucario, a key dangling from his mouth. He tossed it over. "No one knows it was hidden there. Except my ex-roommate… And me, of course."
Absol jerked his head towards the door. "Go on. I think it's easier for you to use a key."
Lucario looked from Absol to the door, the key in his paws. "Ex-roommate… so this is where you used to live, Absol-sir?"
He grinned. "You graciously welcomed me to your home… now it's my turn."
"Is it really okay for me to go in as well? Won't your ex-roommate or anyone else be surprised to see a forest Pokémon with you?"
Absol shook his head and stared wistfully at the door. "Nobody's home."
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Chapter Nine: No One Was Listening
"The thunder roared, the rain was screaming; the world was ending, but no one was listening."
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Lucario felt a strange chill the moment he set foot into the house's wooden floorboards. There was a certain aura surrounding the place unlike any he had encountered before, and it was difficult to identify it. For some reason, he felt frightened, suddenly filled with a desire to step back out into the fresh night air.
Steeling himself, he peered around. "It's a lovely home," he told Absol, and he was not lying. Sinister aura aside, the home looked incredibly welcoming and cozy, even in the darkness. From the entrance hallway, he gazed into the living room, where he could make out a large carpet spread on the floor, topped with a few sofas and tables. At the corner of the room stood a television set, looking as though it was inviting Lucario to turn it on.
The moon outside shone through the window, dimly illuminating a shelf where several vases were displayed neatly, boasting various exotic flowers. Lucario could just picture Absol sitting on the sofa, watching television with his roommate, who remained faceless.
A sudden click startled Lucario. He spun around to find that Absol had flicked a switch on. There was a low buzz, and a few seconds later, the lights flashed on to reveal the living room in all its glory.
"Are you sure it's okay to turn the lights on? Won't the neighbours notice it?"
Absol considered this for a moment. "You know, you are right." He quickly flicked the switch off, and they were swallowed by the darkness again. "Do you think you can make your way around without the lights though?"
"I think so. Er… what do you want me to help you with?"
"It's… why don't you take a look around first?"
Lucario hid his surprise. "Okay."
Just like the time in Greg's mansion, Lucario began to walk around the house, with Absol following behind like an ever-ready tour guide. The atmosphere this time was different though – it was no longer light-hearted exploration; instead, it felt like a bizarre investigation. Absol skulked behind him patiently, but the tension radiating from him was overwhelming.
The hallway they were in connected not only to the living room, but to several other rooms as well. As Lucario walked slowly down the hall, he spotted a bedroom, a kitchen, a study, and yet another bedroom towards the end of the hallway.
"A little light over here wouldn't hurt," Absol said. He turned on another switch, and a small lamp on the wall sprung to life, giving a dim, orange glow. "I doubt the neighbours would spot that."
Lucario nodded, and looked around again with the aid of the lamp. The eerie waves were still reverberating around the walls; he could not even pinpoint the source of it. Trying his best to ignore them, he slipped into the study.
"Well, you needn't worry about the lights here," Absol exclaimed brightly, fumbling with a switch on the wall. The room was then bathed in a white light – Lucario squeezed his eyes shut, not used to the sudden brightness.
After looking around the room carefully, he saw what Absol meant. "No windows."
"That's right."
There was nothing in the study that looked out of the ordinary. It was furnished with the usual furniture, and perhaps the thing that stood out the most was a large bookcase laden with humongous tomes. Lucario walked over to it and ran his eyes through the titles printed on their spines. All of the books looked as though they had never been read before…
"My ex-roommate was never much of a reader," said Absol, chuckling softly. "She told me that these books were meant to deceive her visitors – give them the impression that she reads a lot."
"Oh, I see." Lucario walked away from the bookcase; he had just spotted a computer sitting on a table strewn with documents. It was covered with a dusty white cloth.
Absol walked up to it and removed the cloth. "This is a computer. People use it to do all sorts of things."
In spite of himself, Lucario felt excitement building in him. "I know, I've read about them. Is it still functional?"
"I think so. Let me turn it on." Absol pressed a circular button on a large rectangle device next to the monitor. The computer remained lifeless. "Might be broken…"
"Is it plugged in?"
Absol stared under the table. "Oh. It isn't."
"I'll do it!" Lucario bent under the table and took the plug in his paws. He found the socket and inserted it forcefully before turning the switch on. "There."
"Right." Absol pushed the button again, and the monitor began to flicker. The Disaster Pokémon stared at it for a moment before he shoved a strange looking object towards Lucario. "This here is a mouse."
"Yeah, I know." Lucario moved the mouse around, staring amusedly at the little arrow in the monitor as it mimicked the mouse's movements. "Technology is amazing, isn't it? I could do this all day." He clicked on a random icon, and a new window popped up.
"Uh oh, you've opened the music player. Any second now, it's going to –"
Absol's words were drowned by a loud melody that seemed to be emitting from the computer. Absol quickly took control of the mouse and made some adjustments; the music grew softer and softer until it was barely audible.
"Built-in speakers," he explained to the bewildered Lucario. "My ex-roommate was a music lover."
"Do you like music too?"
"Me? Sure… I listen to a number of songs… what kind of songs do you like, Luc?"
"Hmm…" Lucario paused. He had never really thought about his music preference before, seeing as he had never listened to much music in the first place. "I guess something that would remind me of the forest."
"Gotcha." Absol twiddled with the mouse again, decreasing the volume slightly as he chose a different song. "You might like this – it's an instrumental song."
Lucario closed his eyes and listened carefully. The song started off slow, but it soon broke into a fast-paced tune, incorporating various sounds that he associated with the forest such as the rustling of trees and the rushing river. It was indeed very beautiful; even when the song ended, he could still hear it playing in his head.
"Good, eh?" Absol said, grinning.
Lucario nodded. "What's the title?"
"Um…" Absol gazed uncertainly at the screen. "I can't read, you know… but I think it's these white words over here."
Lucario looked at where Absol was pointing. "Geo Echoes… Wait, if you can't read, how were you able to navigate around these menus, let alone pick this song?"
Absol shrugged. "I recognise the shape of the letters. And I do know some of the letters as well, and all the numbers. I never really saw the need to learn them thoroughly though."
"I see. Well, thank you for introducing the song to me. I'll remember it forever."
"You like it that much, huh?" Absol closed the window with a click of the mouse. "To be honest, I have forgotten what it sounded like – I just knew it was very… well, 'foresty'. Do you still want to play with the computer, or should I turn it off?"
"Sure, turn it off. I don't think I should spend the whole night at the computer, haha…"
After shutting the computer down, Absol covered it with the cloth again. He instructed Lucario to pull the plug out as well. "Leave no trace of our coming here."
Lucario's next stop was the kitchen. The room was rather small and narrow, with a cupboard and refrigerator taking up most of the space. They did not turn on the lights, but the moon shone through the windows, providing enough illumination for Lucario. On closer inspection, there was something wrong with the windows…
"Absol…" Lucario moved closer to the windows and stared at the glass. They were broken. A few bits and pieces still stuck to the sides of the frame, but there was a large, gaping hole where the rest of the glass should have been. "What happened here?"
Absol did not answer his question. Lucario stared down at a large wooden table propped against the wall directly under the window. There were some shards of glass scattered across the table's surface.
Lucario turned to Absol, who was skulking in the doorway. The dark-type was staring straight at the window, his mouth quivering. Lucario felt a surge of foreboding. "Absol?"
"Something happened that day," Absol said in a shaky voice. He shuddered suddenly, taking his gaze away from the window and looking wildly around the kitchen. "It – it –"
Lucario rushed up to Absol and knelt down. "Absol… calm down! Come on… let's get out of here…"
He pushed the shivering Absol back into the hallway. "Can you tell me what happened, Absol?"
Absol gulped and stared straight into Lucario's eyes. "Later. Please continue exploring the house."
Try as he might, Lucario could not persuade Absol to stop this strange tour of his home. The sight of the broken window had unsettled Absol incredibly, and his waves of fear and morose were now mixed with the savage aura that seemed to engulf the house. Lucario could not deny it: he was terrified now.
His heart pounding, Lucario strode up to the end of the hall, where the master bedroom was. Fearing what he might find inside, he took a small step into the room and glanced around. Like the living room, the floor was carpeted with an exquisite-looking rug. A large cabinet stood to the left of the queen-sized bed, which in turn was next to the window. Lucario quickly turned his attention to the window, and felt relieved that it was intact.
His relief did not last long. The unknown aura he had felt earlier was now rushing towards him, as though they knew he was an intruder, and wished to chase him out. Lucario crouched down, clutching his head. A foreign, disembodied voice seemed to be shrieking in his ears…
"No…"The voice began slowly, echoing in Lucario's head. "What are you doing? Stay away… how could you…" Lucario squeezed his eyes shut, wishing for the voice to go away… "Why? Why? After all I've done… Tell me!"
Lucario swayed a little as the voice suddenly grew louder. "White – help me! No… get away… get away…" And then, after a bloodcurdling scream, it subsided. Lucario opened his eyes tentatively and looked around. Absol was standing in front of him, looking fearful.
"Lucario, what happened?"
"A question I should ask you, my friend," gasped Lucario, withdrawing to his full height. "I heard… something… bitter memories… there is a malevolent aura in this house." He cleared his throat. "I've never encountered anything like it."
Absol stared at Lucario, wide-eyed. "Bitter memories?" He then shifted his feet, and appeared to steel himself before saying, "Come with me, Lucario."
Lucario was led back to the dimly-lit hallway, standing at its end. Absol raised his paw slightly, and Lucario looked upwards. A painting hung on the wall, depicting a beautiful hourglass against an oceanic background with the sand particles floating in both the upper and lower half of the contraption. "It's beautiful."
"Huh?" Absol looked surprised. "Oh, yeah, the hourglass. There's a meaning behind the painting – frozen time, you know, with the suspended sand instead of it sliding downwards… but no, Lucario. I meant… look a little higher."
Curious, he looked up at the ceiling. A square outline was visible in the cream-coloured surface.
"It leads to the attic," Absol said. He pointed at a small panel attached on the wall. "Go ahead, push the button on the panel."
Lucario reached out and tapped the button. He gave a start when he saw that the square outline seemed to fall down towards him, but soon realised that it had expanded into a miniature staircase. It evidently led to a room upstairs.
Absol gave Lucario a slight push. "Go on up."
Feeling a little uneasy, Lucario carefully ascended the narrow stairs and poked his head into the attic. It was fairly dark and cluttered, but there were several panes of transparent glass on the slanted roof which allowed light from outside to seep into the room. Behind him, Absol clambered up the steps noisily, almost bumping into Lucario, who had yet to get off the stairway.
Lucario moved aside to make way for Absol. The white-furred Pokémon jumped the last step straight into the attic. He did a quick scan of the area, and then stared intently at Lucario. "This is where I come whenever Ellie has visitors. I never show myself to her guests – unless it's Celia and Umbreon."
Ellie… it was the first time Absol had mentioned his old roommate's name. "What about her parents then? They've met you before, right?" asked Lucario.
"Her parents?" Absol repeated, his eyes widening again. "Well, I expect they're dead, aren't they? I mean, she's not exactly young, is she?"
Lucario did a double-take – all along, he had pictured Absol's human as a young girl. Clearly, he was wrong; he had never expected her to be an adult. Recovering from the surprise quickly, he said, "So… so… she lives alone in this house?"
"With me, yes." Absol hung his head. "Her children sometimes come to visit. I suppose her husband is dead… I never actually asked." He then chuckled bitterly. "What am I talking about… I can't speak human language…"
He then beckoned Lucario to follow him as he walked towards a large cabinet at the far end of the attic. Absol pushed it aside, revealing a small cavity in the wall. He squeezed inside the hole and gripped a handle at the back of the cabinet with his teeth, pulling it back to cover the hollow space. Absol was now hidden from view.
"I usually just stay above the stairway until the visitors go home," Absol said from behind the cabinet. "In the extremely rare event that they come up here, however, I retreat to this super-secret hidey-hole."
He then pushed the cabinet away forcefully and stared at Lucario once more. "I was in the hole that night." He then took a deep breath and said quickly, almost in a panic, "That's what I need your help with, Lucario – that night, I need to know what happened that night! You can use your aura thingy, can't you?"
Lucario backed away automatically as Absol took a sudden step forward; the Disaster Pokémon looked quite deranged and desperate. "What do you mean, Absol?"
"You can read minds – you can read memories! You can find out the truth… you'll be able to help us, whereas I… I couldn't do anything… I –" he broke off, and Lucario was startled to hear a small sob.
Lucario knelt down again, mulling over what to say. This was undoubtedly what had been eating Absol lately, and he was unsure if it would be wise asking Absol to relive the memories once more. Still, it was the only way. "Absol… something terrible happened that night, didn't it?"
Absol nodded, not meeting Lucario's eyes.
"Then I want you to think about it. Think about everything you want to tell me – think about Ellie; how you met her, the things you did, and – even though it's painful – think about that night. Let out your emotions."
Absol nodded again, his gaze still on the dusty floorboards.
Lucario paused momentarily, allowing Absol to gather his thoughts. He then placed a paw on the dark-type's back. Absol raised his head hesitantly, finally staring into Lucario's crimson eyes.
"Absol," Lucario said, peering deep into his friend's eyes, "do you trust me?"
A small smile tugged at Absol's mouth. "With my life."
And Lucario was off, diving into Absol's memories. He found himself staring at two Absol running in the forest. The Absol that he knew was the smaller one, doing his best to keep up with the larger Pokémon – Absol's father. They were running freely – not from impending danger, but merely a carefree romp between father and son.
"I'm faster," said the tiny Absol. "I'm faster than yesterday, right, dad?"
The older Absol smiled as he looked around at his son, still running through the forest path. "Sure you are… but you're not as fast as me!" And he increased his speed, much to the indignation of his son.
The scene shifted quickly, the forest vanishing as it was replaced by a swampy terrain. The young Absol was now larger, crouching in a defensive stance. In front of him was a Toxicroak, leering maliciously with his arms raised, about to attack.
"Absol!"
Both of the Pokémon turned their heads to the source of the noise: Absol's father had arrived, a branch full of berries dropped at his feet. He charged at the Toxicroak, leaping into the air with claws outstretched.
Relief swept over the little Absol – he was safe now. His father took a few swipes at the Toxicroak, who retaliated with a heavy blow that struck the larger Absol's chest.
Absol watched as his father landed in the marsh, fur soaked and dirty. He closed his eyes and cowered, not daring to look anymore. He was terrified – every inch of him wanted to go and help his father, but he could not find the courage to move. So there he stood, listening to the sounds of the battle as it raged on.
There were groans and roars, yells and thuds, but Absol had no inkling of what was going on. He could only pray in the darkness that his father had the upper hand.
And finally, just after when he thought he couldn't take it anymore, he could hear Toxicroak grunting as the Pokémon ran off. Absol opened his eyes in delight, searching for his father. His father was covered in dirt and cuts, but remarkably, he seemed okay. The larger Absol flashed a comforting smile.
"Dad!" he cried, running up to him. "Thank you…"
Once again, the scene faded away, transitioning into the forest. The two Absol stood by a lake which was much smaller than the one Lucario frequented. The older one was lapping up the water while the younger Absol watched on with a look of concern.
"Dad, you've been drinking a lot lately," Absol said.
His father peered round. "Really?"
"Not only that, you often appear distracted these days. Many a times I've seen you staring at nothing…"
The large Absol laughed heartily. "I'm absolutely fine." He circled on the spot. "See? Fine. You worry too much."
Suddenly, mild static began to fill Lucario's vision, as though he had been watching a television programme affected by interference. The memory had changed, but he could no longer see the two Absol clearly – he could tell that they were at a hillside though, in the middle of the night.
Lucario heard Absol's father began to speak slowly, "There is something you should know, son."
"What is it?"
The older Absol heaved a long sigh. "I haven't been feeling too well lately."
"I knew it," Absol replied, looking up in concern. "I could tell. It's something to do with that Toxicroak, isn't it? He – he injured you, didn't he?"
"Hm. Who knows? It might not have been him at all."
"But, either way, we have to do something!"
"Ha!" Absol's father moved closer to his son and placed a paw on his back. "What can we do? We're not doctors."
Absol stared into his father's eyes, and Lucario felt a pang of melancholy that he knew belonged to the present-day Absol. It must be extremely excruciating for him to be digging up these memories… it was, after all, painful just watching them.
"The Pokémon Centre can help you."
"I don't want to be hooked up to a machine, or to be cut open, or goodness knows what other horrifying things that happen there. You know what, son… I suspect internal bleeding." He laughed lightheartedly. "But as I said, I'm no medical practitioner."
"Dad… please… go to a Pokémon Centre…" Absol pleaded, his voice full of emotion. Gone were the days when he could romp around happily… it was as though all happiness had died away, withering into nothingness. All of a sudden, the world seemed full of worries and problems. All of a sudden, Absol was no longer a child.
"What you have to understand is that I'm old now. I really don't wish to say this, but even without this illness I'm having, I am not long for this world."
Absol whimpered, and his father nuzzled him lovingly.
"It's painful for me too. There's nothing more I would like than to spend an eternity with you. But we must learn to accept…"
"I don't want to accept it!" cried Absol. "If you are to die, then I'll die with you!"
"Absol!" his father said sharply, suddenly stern. "You have no idea what you are talking about. You are brought into this world not to be my companion – to live when I live, die when I die. You are brought here to live your life fully. Promise me, Absol… if I'm gone, continue onwards. Don't dwell on old memories."
"I cannot imagine living without you."
"But you must."
"But if you're not there with me, what is there to look forward to?"
"Even if there's nothing that you deem worth living for, keep on living, for you might find it one day!" his father said exasperatedly, pacing around in an agitated manner. "Everyday has its little treasures; you just have to look for them! It won't do you good to mope about when I die!"
At the mention of his death, Absol whimpered again. He was crying now, and the emotions that the present-day Absol felt were washing over Lucario, almost moving the Aura Pokémon to tears as well.
"This is all my fault…" the small Absol said, burying his head in his paws.
"I knew you would say that. Look here, son. It has nothing – nothing, to do with you. I already told you, the Toxicroak might not even be the cause of this. In addition, I've lived to a ripe old age. Don't you dare blame yourself for this."
"Dad…" Absol blinked back his tears. "Please… just one trip to the Centre?"
"Absolutely not."
"But why?"
The larger Absol looked up to the sky. "I am afraid that… if they find I'm a hopeless case, which I'm sure they will… they might feel it is kinder to put me to sleep." He turned to look at Absol once more. "And I don't want to end this just yet. I still want to be with you."
Static began to surround Lucario again as the scene shifted. Unlike before, the transition was not smooth, but noisy and rough. He could no longer see anything clearly – he could only hear cries of joy and laughter as Absol created new memories with his father in the next few days… weeks, perhaps, or months…
Then there came a heartbreaking cry from Absol. The static dissipated enough for Lucario to see Absol nudging a lifeless body over and over, trying to get a response. The Aura Pokémon subconsciously tried to reach a paw out to Absol, but of course, it was only a memory… there was nothing he could do.
And Absol was running, tears streaking down his face. There was no where to go, but he continued his sprint; ignoring other wild Pokémon and startling a few trainers. His father had constantly reminded him not to feel down after his passing, but Absol could not help it. In addition, a voice kept nagging in his head, blaming him for the death of his father…
Exhaustion soon took over, and Absol slumped to the ground, still crying. He fell into a slumber, but when he awoke, it was as though he had not slept at all. He wandered aimlessly, a feeling Lucario knew only too well. He punished himself by abstaining from sufficient food and water, only eating and drinking a little to stay alive. At times, he pondered the point of his continued existence. More than once, he seriously considered starving himself to death.
As the static began to clear completely, Lucario saw that Absol had somehow found himself wandering close to the city. The Disaster Pokémon found rows of houses, and the scent of food drifting in the air. In spite of himself, the white-furred Pokémon followed the enticing smell while looking around for signs of humans. Absol knew that his species were often seen as ominous, and he was determined not to let anyone spot him.
Using his nose as a guide, he made his way towards a house at the end of a street. An old woman was busy talking to someone in the pavement, her front door wide open. The smell was coming from within… After making sure she wasn't looking, he made his way inside.
In a dreamlike trance, he walked to the kitchen and sat in front of the oven, staring at something that was spinning in circles within the contraption. Whatever it was, he knew the smell was emitting from it.
He did not notice as the old woman entered the kitchen, looking very surprised at the sight of him. His first instinct was to flee, but his legs felt numb. Instead, he turned his head back to the oven.
As though by a miracle, the lady was a kind soul. She was not appalled in the least for whom he was, or by his bedraggled appearance. She took him in, and he was living with someone once more – a human this time.
So that must be Ellie, Lucario pondered. A short woman with white, curly hair; a heavily-wrinkled face, and yet one that radiated warmth, especially when she smiled. Her eyes were small and beady, yet sharp. It reminded him of Celia.
Quick memories flashed by again, detailing several of the happier moments Absol had when he lived with Ellie. They watched a lot of television together, it seemed, for many of the memories were of them sitting in front of the machine. There was also the occasional stroll to the outside world, including his first visit to the bakery.
Ellie had ushered him in. Celia and Umbreon looked on in surprise at the Absol, who did not seem keen to be there. After a quick introduction, Ellie walked off with Celia to the back, leaving Absol with Umbreon. She was the first Pokémon he had talked to in ages, and he found himself talking quite a lot – or more than he usually would, anyway. Fortunately, neither Umbreon nor Celia believed the stigma that was frequently associated with his species.
As such, Absol had found himself some friends. Perhaps those were the little treasures his father had told him about. It certainly made each day seem brighter.
And yet, it was too good to last.
Late in the night, Absol lay on the sofa, a large blanket on the top of his body. There was a saucer of hot milk in front of him, and a bowl of snacks. He was looking forward to a long show that would air in a while, and he would be watching it alone, since Ellie never understood what the show was about.
Ellie readjusted his blanket, and with a pat on the back, stood up from the sofa. Absol gave a little cry of gratitude which Ellie appeared to understand, despite the difference in language. She nodded, and was about to walk out of the room when the doorbell rang.
They both looked at each other. Who could it be at this time?
"I'm sorry, but maybe you should go up in the attic for a while. I'll try to chase whoever it is away quickly."
Absol nodded and jumped off the sofa, the blanket sliding down to the ground. He hurried down the hallway, and Ellie pressed the button on the wall, causing the attic ladder to drop down. Absol climbed it quickly, and once he was at the top, he looked down at Ellie.
She smiled warmly at him. He nodded once more, and she pressed the button again so that the trapdoor closed itself. He was now alone in the attic. The theme song of his show could be heard playing downstairs, but it stopped soon after. Ellie probably turned the television off.
Absol sat down patiently, waiting for Ellie to tell him it was okay to come out again. He could hear her open the front door. He heard someone walking in…
"Oh, it's you!" came Ellie's voice. "What are you doing here so late?"
The visitor did not speak as loud as Ellie, however. He could not hear the reply – if there was one. Ellie picked up the conversation again, though she was speaking in a softer tone now. He heard the front door close, but the talking had not ceased; this probably meant that Ellie had invited the visitor in. He sighed – this could take a while.
Absol's attention wavered, and he began thinking about the show instead. Minutes flew by… could it have been hours? He didn't think so…
Static had started to reform in the memory, and Lucario felt a great sense of apprehension, figuring that something dreadful was about to occur. Sure enough, there came a cry from downstairs. Absol stood up, startled.
"No… what are you doing? Stay away…"
What was going on downstairs? All thoughts of the television programme evaporated as Absol's mind turned to Ellie instead. Was she in danger? He felt a stab of fear. What if… what if it turned out just like last time, with his father? No, he mustn't let that happen… he should go down, yes…
There were more screams, and Absol froze, his paw over the button that would open the trapdoor. He was paralysed with dread. Before he knew it, there came the most horrifying shriek he had heard that night. Then there was silence.
A sudden crash resounded. It was the sound of breaking glass… what exactly was happening?
Absol did not have enough time to ponder, for the attic ladder suddenly dropped downwards, which could only mean that someone had pressed the button on the other end. Whoever it was, Absol knew it could not be Ellie, telling him to go and enjoy his show. No. The person was panting heavily, climbing up the stairs in a fast pace.
Absol reacted instinctively. He dashed to the cupboard and pushed it aside so that he could squeeze into his hiding spot. The stranger was now up at the attic with him, and Absol could hear him or her closing the trapdoor.
Absol waited with bated breath. The stranger walked around the attic, but Absol could not see who it was since the cupboard was obscuring his view. And yet… this person was up to no good. If he could just catch a glimpse…
But he was not brave enough.
The stranger was fiddling with something, and all it would take for him to crack this mystery was to peek outside. So why was he not strong enough to do something as simple as that?
After a while, he heard the stranger opening the trapdoor again. It was too late – whoever it was had managed to escape, and Absol heard the sound of the stranger clambering down the ladder before the attic trapdoor closed once more. Perhaps it was safe to go out now?
Wait… Was that the sound of the front door closing? Yes, it must be. It was quite loud – the door must have been slammed. Yes, it must be safe to go out now; but… was that the sound of the ladder being lowered again? Why? Had not the stranger left? Or was this Ellie at last?
Someone ran up the stairs hurriedly, the footsteps louder this time, and jabbed repeatedly on the trapdoor button. No… certainly not Ellie. Why was the stranger back then?
Once again, the unknown person fumbled with something. Absol heard a sort of tinkling noise… his courage had failed him once more. He could not bring himself to see who the intruder was. And what had happened to Ellie? Dread began to fill him as he contemplated the possibilities of yet another loved one taken away from him…
Like before, the stranger left after a while. Absol had missed his second chance to take a look at who it was… he was a total coward… The answer was right in front of him, but he was too wimpy to grasp it.
The minutes passed again, but there weren't anymore sounds. It felt as though he was alone in the house. Anxiety was building up in him, and when he felt as though he could not take it anymore, he moved out of his hiding place.
Absol looked around the attic; there was nothing different about it. Apparently, the stranger had not taken away – or moved – anything from the place. Everything was at its usual positions. Why then did he or she come up here?
He tapped on the button and watched as the ladder dropped down. He descended warily as he looked for signs of anyone. Once he was down in the hallway, he pressed the button and waited as the ladder folded itself back into position. He then walked around, searching for Ellie. He did not have to search long.
A sudden shiver ran down his spine as he caught sight of a body on the floor inside the master bedroom. He walked nearer to it, not daring to believe his eyes. There was a slash on her neck, where blood was still dripping onto the carpet. Her eyes were focused straight ahead – at him – but he knew that she could no longer see.
Lucario felt sick; not just because of the horrible sight of the body, but because of how painful it must have been for Absol to witness something like that. Another loved one, cruelly taken away from him…
Absol's mind worked quickly, despite the sadness that filled his heart again. This was the second time someone close to him had died. And he could have prevented it! He could have dashed down from the attic when she began to scream! Why was he too cowardly to act? Yet again, it was entirely his fault…
He should not linger. As much as it pained him to leave her, there was nothing he could do now. Something sinister had occurred, and it would be unwise for him to hang about. He was an Absol. Should the police arrive and see him, no doubt they would think he was the killer, even if all the evidence pointed to a human.
He had to act quickly. He ran away from the room, tears in his eyes, and began taking a few of the items that were dear to him. He took a green kerchief and a few food items, as well as a photo of Ellie and him. He wrapped all the items in the kerchief, and carried it around in his teeth.
Absol tried to exit through the front door, but found it difficult to open. He walked away, trying to find a window he could exit from instead. He stopped in front of the kitchen, seeing another thing that made his heart skip a beat. The window was broken, though there were still glass on it. So that was how the murderer got in… but wait. Didn't the murderer enter through the front door?
He did not stop to analyse the strange situation. He ran forward and leapt through the gap in the window, causing another crash as he hit the remaining glass, with shards of it spraying everywhere. Landing on the soft grass outside, he took a last glance at the house and ran into the forest, hoping that Ellie would find it in her heart to forgive him for being such a weak companion.
Absol never wandered far. He hid all the items he brought in a safe spot, resolving to retrieve it another time. He hung around the area for the next few days, keeping an eye on the situation. The police was brought in – a bunch of fools that Absol believed quite incapable of solving the case. They did not even follow proper police procedure!
Perhaps he was too harsh in his judgement. The team was led by Ellie's son, who was working in the police force. Of course he would be upset about his mother's death. His thoughts and actions were clouded by grief. He should have just let someone else handle the case instead…
But Absol had always hoped they would crack the mystery. He lingered in the forest, occasionally coming back to the outskirts to keep an eye on the investigation. Once again, he was living by himself, trying to avoid contact with humans and Pokémon alike.
One fateful day, however, he decided to stop by the lake for a drink. The present-day Lucario watched with mild amusement as a little Riolu ran frantically by, carrying a basket full of berries. The Riolu tugged at Absol's fur, begging for the Disaster Pokémon to help him.
Absol looked up and saw that the Riolu was being pursued by three Pokémon. He stepped forward, demanding them to stop. Pokémon had always been afraid of who he was, so he hoped to use the negativity surrounding him to his advantage. It did not work.
Uncertain, he turned to Riolu. "Hey, little buddy, what do we do now?"
"We run!"
Together, they fled as fast as they could. Unfortunately, Absol was soon knocked aside by a Focus Blast. The trio had caught up with them. They had no chance to escape. Memories of the past flashed by him again as he recalled how his father stepped in just in time to save the little Absol from a Toxicroak. He had always been a coward, but no more.
He leapt forward to attack; and as he did so, he mouthed to Riolu, commanding the little Emanation Pokémon to escape. He took on the Machoke and Medicham, releasing all the frustration and anger he had accumulated throughout his whole life. To his horror, the Riolu was still there, fighting the Primeape. Absol had no chance to help him.
Moments later though, all eyes turned to the Riolu as he began to change in form, becoming larger in size. Lucario watched as his past self evolved, turning into who he was today. The newly-evolved Lucario roared, and formed the bone staff in his paws. Machoke beckoned the other two to follow him, and together, they left.
The present-day Lucario continued to observe the scene as Absol dashed forward to examine the newly-evolved Pokémon, amazement in the white-furred Pokémon's eyes. They began to chat, and once again, Absol found himself talking more than he usually would to anyone else.
He had found yet another friend, but he must be careful. All the people or Pokémon he stayed with so far had ended up dying. He could keep the Lucario as a friend, but he should distance himself a little, so as to not spread his bad luck to him. The Lucario invited him over to his home… Absol briefly wondered if he should go. Would the Lucario's father be pleased to see that his son had brought back a Pokémon often associated with disasters?
Perhaps another day. He gave the Lucario an excuse, saying that he had something to do – which was not entirely a lie, for he planned to scout the police and their investigation again.
It was only after many days did he finally travel to the top of the mountain. He was surprised to see that there was nothing there, but he was too tired to travel down again. He had been to retrieve the items he hid the other day – all the food stuff were gone now, and the only thing he had with him was the kerchief and photo.
He had brought several berries as a gift to the Lucario and his father, which he placed inside the kerchief. The photo was kept wrapped up too, with the berries. Absol walked around the summit, taking in the breathtaking view. Starting to feel sleepy, he lay down and took a nap.
And then he was woken by a loud yell that seem to come from his mind. He looked around wildly and saw Lucario, smiling at him.
Lucario led him inside the cave, which Absol thought was incredibly beautiful. They had another chat, and after some time, Lucario uttered the words that tempted Absol immensely: "You can stay here if you want."
He really wished to, but would it be all right? Would the same fate await Lucario if he decided to stay with him? All the others he had lived with were dead because of him. Absol hesitated, torn between the two decisions. In the end, he decided that he could not bear seeing another innocent soul die.
But Lucario revealed another bit of information that made Absol reconsider. The Aura Pokémon had said that a large-scale crisis would befall Ferrous City soon. Normally, Absol would not care, but in light of a citywide disaster, the investigation of Ellie's murder might be called off.
He must not allow that to happen. He took his leave after pouring the berries he brought into the basket, making sure that the photo was not accidentally thrown to the basket as well. Absol wished to ponder this matter further, and the solution soon came to him: he could stay with Lucario for a while; and when the investigation was resolved, leave the cave into the unknown depths of tomorrow. Yes. That should ensure Lucario's safety.
Was he being selfish though, putting Lucario in danger like that? At times, he wondered if Lucario would be mad at him for not disclosing how he brought bad luck to others. But the Aura Pokémon hadn't cared at all that he was the Disaster Pokémon…
But the decision was made. He would stay until the mystery was solved.
That was how Absol came to live with Lucario, following the blue-furred fighter into the city in occasional human-watching jaunts. They've been through several adventures… met a demented Eevee… a playful Infernape… and he had even visited Celia and Umbreon again. Fortunately, they did not blame him for Ellie's death.
Life went on, and sometimes, Absol quite forgot that he had a mission in mind… he quite forgot his resolve to not get so chummy with Lucario… It would only make the day he had to leave much harder…
He was happy, until one day, Lucario himself reminded Absol of the task that he had forgotten.
With a jolt, the current Lucario realised that the scene had shifted to Albert's garden shed. There was Eevee, lying near the front door. The chessboard was on the ground, and Absol was staring intently at it. The blue-furred Pokémon's past self was reading a newspaper.
"Are you really reading it or just looking at the pictures?" said Eevee, looking sceptically at the memory-Lucario.
"A little bit of both. Why?"
"I don't believe you."
The past Lucario then proceeded to prove that he was not lying by reading out several titles of articles in the newspaper. Absol ignored him, but a particular title caught his interest.
"'Investigation of Silver Lane Murder Case Hits Dead End – Wrapping Up Soon'," said the memory-Lucario.
Wrapping up soon? The fools! They were giving up? But what about Ellie? What about her murderer? Weren't they going to bring him or her to justice? He had always known they were not up to the task… How could Ellie's own son allow this to happen? Or was there something sneaky going on behind the scenes?
The mystery was all Absol could think about the next few days. He remained in the cave while Lucario disappeared to the school to keep an eye on Albert and the teacher. He replayed the scream over and over in his head, all the while wallowing in regret. If only he stuck his head out from his hiding place that night…
And then he considered something he had not bothered to think about before. The motive. Why would the murderer kill Ellie? Surely it was someone she knew, for she welcomed him or her into the house that night. And yet, the kitchen window was broken… that was a clear indication of forced entry.
Could it be that someone broke into the house with the intention of robbing it, and then, when the intruder saw Ellie and her visitor, proceeded to kill the poor old woman? What happened to the visitor then? Ran away? But… did not the crash come after Ellie was killed?
The possibilities were endless. Yet, the answer was lying somewhere, waiting to be discovered.
It was only after Lucario's trip to the prize-giving ceremony in the school did Absol finally venture into his old home again, wanting to see what was happening with the investigations himself. There was the occasional police, but they definitely showed signs of wrapping up soon…
If the humans were not up to the job, perhaps he, with his mind-reading abilities could help…
Absol moved towards the sleeping figure in the cave. Night was the best time to visit his old home… he hated to rely on another's help, but this was the only way. Sighing, he reached a paw out and prodded the sleeping Aura Pokémon.
With that, Lucario was flying back outside of Absol's mind; back into the darkness of the attic. It was the longest he had ever spent in someone else's mind, and it was tremendously exhausting. He sank onto the floor, panting. His legs were sore – he had been kneeling in front of Absol all this while. Rubbing it, he stared at his white-furred friend, who was determinedly looking at the wall.
"Absol… wow. That was… you've been through so much."
The Disaster Pokémon inclined his head downwards, still not making eye contact with Lucario. "I… guess so."
His mind was still buzzing over everything he had seen – everything he had felt from the memory. Lucario paused, gathering his thoughts. "There are many things I don't understand, Absol… For starters, why did you not go to Celia and Umbreon immediately after that happened?"
Absol raised his head again, finally looking at Lucario. He appeared to be surprised by this question. "Well… I – I was afraid… I… I'm ashamed to admit this, but I was afraid they would blame me for Ellie's death. And… I don't really want to go near them… or I might pass my horrible luck to –"
Absol stopped suddenly and stared right at Lucario, looking horrified.
Stunned, Lucario stopped rubbing his leg. "What? Is something wrong?"
He lowered his head submissively. "Are you angry at me for not telling you about my curse? Everyone I lived with ended up in a bad way. You could be next."
Lucario waved it off, laughing. "I already told you before. I do not believe that you are a disaster harbinger. Both events were not your fault at all."
Absol frowned, but there were ripples of relief coming from him. "How can you be so sure? Are you brave enough to test it out?"
"I am."
"You –" he began, but stopped as Lucario's words sunk in. He looked extremely touched. "Thank you, but…"
"Earlier, you said that you trust me with your life," Lucario said firmly. "I place the same trust in you."
"I'm not sure if I trust myself though," Absol mumbled.
With that, Lucario now knew why Absol was always over-protective and concerned about his well-being. The dark-type had the constant fear that his presence would be detrimental to the Aura Pokémon…
"You need more confidence. I'm not the only one who trusts you. Celia and Umbreon certainly do, don't they? They were so delighted to see you that day," he said. "Speaking of that day… you were quite eager to meet them as well, were you not?"
"Well, yes," Absol said, looking sheepish. "It was quite foolish of me, risking their safety. I dunno… we were nearby, and I kinda gave in to temptations."
"No, Absol. Not foolish. You did the right thing."
The Aura Pokémon stood up and glanced around the attic. "So, on to business. You wanted me to help you, yes?" He turned his eyes to Absol. "Uncover the identity of the murderer?"
The wooden floorboards creaked slightly as Absol jumped to his feet too, looking hopeful. "It is a lot to ask, I know, but I was hoping you could do it. I mean, you can dive into the minds of others, can't you?"
"I'm not going to lie to you, Absol. It will not be easy."
Seeing Absol's crestfallen face, Lucario hastily continued, "My abilities are not perfect. There are many limitations, and especially for someone like me, who never took the time to perfect them…"
He broke off and walked to where the panes of glass were on the roof. Staring up at the sky, he began to wish that he had practised his abilities more. "I frequently browse through a person's mind, but I only see what they are thinking at that time. This event happened quite some time ago, no?"
Lucario turned back to Absol, who was listening attentively. "Even if, by chance, we stumble upon the real murderer, there is no guarantee that he or she will be thinking of the crime at that time. You see what I mean, Absol?"
"So…" he looked down again, "there is no chance at all then?"
"There is a chance – there always is," he said, and Absol looked back up eagerly. "But it will be extremely difficult. To search for a specific memory… it is no simple task. How should I explain this?" Lucario scratched his head and thought carefully. "It is like… searching for a needle in a haystack."
Absol looked surprised.
He grinned. "I'm not completely clueless when it comes to expressions, you know. And I just bought a book too – I haven't read it yet… but I digress. Imagine for a while, a particularly large haystack…"
"Like your bed?"
"No, larger. Imagine a whole field of them. Now, if I were to hide a needle…"
"Excuse me? A needle in a whole field of hay?"
Lucario shook his head sadly. "Unfortunately, an individual's mind is even larger than just a field. But you see, if I were to hide a needle there, it would take ages to find it."
"I see…"
"It gets worse, Absol. Memories and thoughts stir around ever so frequently. Every time you think of a different thought, you scatter your memories once more. In other words, the 'needle' changes position often."
"Oh." Absol lay down dejectedly. "I guess it is impossible, then."
Lucario folded his arms, gazing at him. "Well… it will be hard, but I will do my best. It will really help if you have a suspect in mind, so as to narrow it down."
"The son."
"Excuse me?"
"Ellie's son is a policeman. I'm not too sure of his exact rank, but he's got to be someone significant if he was allowed to lead the investigation here." He shifted his paws, staring blankly at the floor. "I don't know why the investigation went so badly… maybe it was on purpose?"
"Ah…" Lucario said, pondering this statement. "I guess I see what you mean." He recalled Absol mentioning something about Ellie's children coming to visit occasionally. "How many children did Ellie have?"
"Two; a daughter and a son. I'm not too sure what the daughter is working as, however."
"And they both don't know you're staying here?"
"No one knows except Ellie, Celia and Umbreon." He then smiled sadly. "And me, of course."
If that was the case, the murderer would not have known that there was an Absol lurking in the attic that night. Lucario wondered if this was significant – Absol had not seen what the killer was doing in the attic after all; not to mention that the killer was there twice…
"Let me show you something, Luc."
Absol walked towards the other end of the attic, pushing away a few cardboard boxes so as to create a path for himself. Lucario followed behind, picking up the faint traces of nostalgia Absol was leaving in his wake.
With one paw directed towards a rectangular antique-like table, Absol turned to Lucario. "It's still here after all. The box I told you about."
Atop the table, sitting side by side, were four identical safes. They were not as large as some safes Lucario had seen in books, but together, they struck a rather impressive sight. Though they were inanimate objects, there was a certain air about them, as though they were silent observers of the room.
Absol padded over to the fourth one and leapt up, his forepaws resting on the edge of the table. "This one's mine. We all have one, see… Ellie, her two children, and me. We know only the code to our own safe, except Ellie, who knew the combination to all four of them."
Upon closer inspection, Lucario realised that there were several buttons on the safe's surface, like a telephone. He placed a paw on the top of the safe; it was surprisingly cooling. "It's beautiful. But Absol, surely the two children will have wondered to whom this fourth box belonged to?"
"Probably, but Ellie knows I don't want anyone else to be aware of my presence. I'm a hundred percent positive she did not tell them." With one paw, Absol began to jab at several of the buttons quickly. There was a click and the door of the safe jutted out. Absol swung it forward, revealing a small compartment within.
The inside of Absol's safe was quite empty, with the exception of a small stack of what appeared to be photographs. Absol stared at the bundle with a distant look in his eyes. "Luc, can you help me take those photos?"
"Sure." Lucario reached his paws inside and retrieved the stack gingerly, picking them by the sides so as to not smudge the pictures. The topmost one was of Ellie, Celia, Umbreon, and Absol. They were smiling brightly in what seemed to be the bakery, with the exception of Absol, who was merely staring at the camera with a straight face.
"I never fancied taking photos much," said Absol, staring at his own expressionless face. "Ellie loves them, though. According to her, a photo records memories."
Lucario began to sift through the photographs, walking down Absol's memory lane. Absol would occasionally make a comment or two, but he kept mostly to himself as Lucario continued browsing through the pictures. There were quite a number of photos, and in most of them, Absol was depicted as trying to escape from being shot by the camera.
After looking at the last photo – a picture of Absol besides the television set – Lucario handed the whole stack to him. "Here, Absol. Your memories. Are you going to keep them here, or do you intend to bring it back?"
"I'm bringing it back," he said. "The only reason I did not take it with me the day I left this house was because I did not want to linger around for long. I merely took one photo – our favourite one, kept downstairs – and left the rest here. Now though, I'm definitely taking them all back."
"I agree."
"Um… would it be all right if you help me bring them back? I don't have my kerchief with me, so I can't wrap it up…"
"No problem."
"And Lucario…"
Lucario peered at Absol from the top of the photographs.
"Thank you. For… for agreeing to help me." Absol sat down and gazed at his paws. "And for not believing that I bring bad luck."
With those words came waves of gratitude from the white-furred Pokémon. Lucario nodded and smiled. "It's the least I could do for a friend."
:::::::::::::::::::
The stack of photos was placed neatly in the crate that was filled with books. Apparently, the other photo which Absol had taken with him the day Ellie was murdered was kept down the path leading to the deeper part of the cave, carefully hidden among some rocks. Lucario, who rarely went down that path, had never spotted the photo.
"This was Ellie's favourite photo of us," said Absol, pushing the photograph towards Lucario. "I guess if I knew what would happen to us, I would have taken more photos with her…"
Lucario picked the photo and held it up so that the moonlight pouring in through the wall's openings illuminated the picture. In it were Absol and Ellie, sitting on the living room's sofa. Unlike all the other photos he had seen, Absol was actually beaming in this one. He could definitely see why it was Ellie's favourite.
"You look photogenic in this one," Lucario commented approvingly.
"You mean I'm not in the others?" Absol replied in a tone of mock indignation.
They both laughed. Lucario handed it back to Absol, who proceeded to keep it with the rest in the crate. The white Pokémon then curled up in his bed of hay, shifting around a few times to find a comfortable position.
"I'm going to sleep now, Luc."
"Good night."
"Yeah, good night. Sorry for waking you up earlier."
"No problem."
Silence fell between them, and it did not take long before Absol began to snore. He had probably lacked sleep for the past few days…
Lucario, though tired, did not try to sleep right away. The moment Absol snored, he reached out for his aura box and retrieved the journal. He sat on his bed by the moonlight, thinking about what to write. He had learned a lot that night, and he was unsure how to start the entry.
Mulling over everything that he had learnt by diving to Absol's mind, he unwrapped a small, round sweet and popped it into his mouth, rolling it about with his tongue. As it name implied, the sweet was sweet, though Lucario knew that there were other varieties as well. Sweets weren't particularly filling, but he enjoyed it all the same. The one he had in his mouth now was hard, yet smooth, and tasted like a mixture of berries from the forest.
Still sucking on the sweet, he began to write in neat footprint runes.
Yet another entry so soon after the previous one, but this is important. Absol has finally revealed what he had kept to himself all this while. Apparently, he was afraid I would be angry at him for not telling me about how he was "cursed". Of course I wasn't angry.
What Umbreon said was right. He really believed that he brought bad luck to others. First of all, to his father, who appeared to have been injured, dying some time later. Secondly, to Ellie, his ex-roommate. She was murdered in her own home.
The investigation to her murder would soon be called off, but Absol intends to uncover the murderer's identity. I'll be by his side – two amateur detectives, attempting to solve a mystery. I have never done anything like this before. I will need to sort out all the details once more, but I'll leave that for tomorrow. I'm too tired now.
Absol's photograph, a symbol of memories. Memories are extremely important, reminding us of our identities, keeping us from drifting aimlessly in the vast sea. For Ellie, the photo containing Absol's smile was the most precious of them all. For Absol, too, it was perhaps a reminder of the times they once had. He has expressed regret that he hadn't taken more photos with Ellie, but I am sure the memories will remain forever.
As for myself, I should go out and make more memories too. There are too many things that I want to remember eternally, none of them I'm willing to forget.
Keeping the journal back in the box, Lucario bit hard into what was left of the sweet, cracking it and swallowing the smaller bits. He walked over to the water barrel and drank a few gulps of water to wash away the taste before settling down on his hay bed once more, closing his eyes to let sleep claim him.
After all, sleep was what he greatly needed, if he was right in the assumption that tomorrow would be an incredibly long day.
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AUTHOR'S NOTES
No suitable preview for the next chapter, but it'll be about the investigation.
As I said above, it's not completed yet, but I hope to submit it in two weeks. It might take longer though, I'm afraid.
On a side note, this story is now over a hundred thousand words!
