As Kolie and Kaipo kept screaming, the cold hands released their grip on them.
"Hey, hey! No reason to scream, kids!" the voice said.
Kolie and Kaipo ceased their screaming and backed slowly away from where the voice was coming from.
A spark from a match flared, and a small flame appeared at the end of the match. The flame was transferred to a candle, and the candle was sat on a table. A faint glow lit up the face of the mysterious voice, making Kolie and Kaipo gasp.
***
"So, you iwere/I trying to scare us, but only because you thought we were burglars?" Kaipo examined the grey experiment. He seemed old, almost ancient. The skin under his eyes had begun to droop, and crow's feet appeared at the corner of his eyes. Despite his age, he seemed very wise.
The past-aged experiment nodded.
"Yes, it's my way of frightening off intruders. But you two are only a couple of teenagers. Oh yes, before I forget, why did you come here anyway?"
Kolie leaned forward, making the old chair creak.
"It's an extremely long story, but I'll tell you anyway."
So Kolie told the experiment how she met Kaipo, and how her parents had gotten mad at her for befriending him. She explained how they had slept the last couple of nights on the beach, and how Kaipo had gotten attacked.
"So, would you mind if we stayed here for a while, until we find a place of our own?" Kolie looked at the experiment with pleading eyes.
The experiment smiled.
"Sure, stay here as long as you like. Oh, and, by the way, my name is Zeroun. I have been quite lonely, and I would much enjoy your company. There is a room on the second floor you can stay in. Just walk up those stairs and it's the second room on the left." Zeroun pointed to the stairway.
Kolie and Kaipo thanked Zeroun, and headed up the stairs to the second floor.
***
When they reached the room they noticed there were blankets and pillows lying on an old mattress with the springs jutting out of the sides.
"Weird," commented Kolie.
Kaipo looked at her strangely.
"What?"
"It's almost like...like he knew we were coming." Kolie stared in awe at the bedding.
"Nah," Kaipo denied, but couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy from the thought.
Kaipo decided to change the subject.
"Might as well get some shut-eye. I don't know what we're going to do tomorrow, since we've already found a place to stay, temporarily."
Kolie nodded in agreement.
"Yeah. Well, I'm going to sleep. I'm so tired from that long walk over here." Kolie grabbed a blanket and a pillow and climbed onto the ragged mattress. She leaned over and kissed Kaipo goodnight. "Goodnight."
"Night."
Kaipo lied down beside Kolie. Kolie snuggled closer to him, falling asleep not much later.
"Hey, hey! No reason to scream, kids!" the voice said.
Kolie and Kaipo ceased their screaming and backed slowly away from where the voice was coming from.
A spark from a match flared, and a small flame appeared at the end of the match. The flame was transferred to a candle, and the candle was sat on a table. A faint glow lit up the face of the mysterious voice, making Kolie and Kaipo gasp.
***
"So, you iwere/I trying to scare us, but only because you thought we were burglars?" Kaipo examined the grey experiment. He seemed old, almost ancient. The skin under his eyes had begun to droop, and crow's feet appeared at the corner of his eyes. Despite his age, he seemed very wise.
The past-aged experiment nodded.
"Yes, it's my way of frightening off intruders. But you two are only a couple of teenagers. Oh yes, before I forget, why did you come here anyway?"
Kolie leaned forward, making the old chair creak.
"It's an extremely long story, but I'll tell you anyway."
So Kolie told the experiment how she met Kaipo, and how her parents had gotten mad at her for befriending him. She explained how they had slept the last couple of nights on the beach, and how Kaipo had gotten attacked.
"So, would you mind if we stayed here for a while, until we find a place of our own?" Kolie looked at the experiment with pleading eyes.
The experiment smiled.
"Sure, stay here as long as you like. Oh, and, by the way, my name is Zeroun. I have been quite lonely, and I would much enjoy your company. There is a room on the second floor you can stay in. Just walk up those stairs and it's the second room on the left." Zeroun pointed to the stairway.
Kolie and Kaipo thanked Zeroun, and headed up the stairs to the second floor.
***
When they reached the room they noticed there were blankets and pillows lying on an old mattress with the springs jutting out of the sides.
"Weird," commented Kolie.
Kaipo looked at her strangely.
"What?"
"It's almost like...like he knew we were coming." Kolie stared in awe at the bedding.
"Nah," Kaipo denied, but couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy from the thought.
Kaipo decided to change the subject.
"Might as well get some shut-eye. I don't know what we're going to do tomorrow, since we've already found a place to stay, temporarily."
Kolie nodded in agreement.
"Yeah. Well, I'm going to sleep. I'm so tired from that long walk over here." Kolie grabbed a blanket and a pillow and climbed onto the ragged mattress. She leaned over and kissed Kaipo goodnight. "Goodnight."
"Night."
Kaipo lied down beside Kolie. Kolie snuggled closer to him, falling asleep not much later.