Macabre: The portrait

Unanticipated

The days passed by, and there were no more strange occurrences. I was able to go home, take care of myself, and come back to the hospital. Jake and I spent a lot of time together, talking and laughing. It was during those moments that I truly got to know him on a personal level. Jake is a good soul, and I'm grateful to have met him. But the lurking darkness, the "Shady darkness," still haunts our thoughts.

D-Day:

I was wondering how Jake's doing while eating. He must be feeling cold. I know Mom and Dad will go to sleep after dinner, but what time will my sister sleep? I have to wait for them all to sleep to sneak Jake in. I promised him I've taken care of everything, but I'm sure he wasn't expecting me to leave him in the garage.

"I'm going to wash the dishes," I said, standing up from the table.

"Okay, my daughter," Mom replied with a smile on her face.

An hour passed, and they're still sitting? It's like they can sense something's going on here. "I'm off to bed," the least expected person to sleep first: my sister. I pretended to be busy with my project until my parents went to bed.

Now, how will I get Jake in here without letting them know or making a sound? I can't carry him up the stairs. That would be too much work. Wait, why am I even thinking of taking him to my room? That's oddly inappropriate. Yes! The basement. It's a bit dusty, but I'm sure he's used to that. LOL.

Jake's good on his crutches. I can't believe he mastered them on his first day. "Here you go. It's not much, but it's better than staying in that 'maybe haunted' house right?! I brought you some food from dinner. I didn't bring you any drink since the bathroom is upstairs, and no one can see you," I said, showing him the basement space and the food in my hands.

"I appreciate it, Lisa. Thank you for caring for my safety," he said, staring directly into my eyes. "I didn't expect it to be this neat and big," he added, looking around the basement.

"It's not much, but I'm glad you like it. I'll come let you out tomorrow."

"Good night, Mel," he said, while I'm slowly making my way to the basement door. I smiled and made my way to my bedroom, sitting on my bed, lost in thoughts about how my summer break wasn't going as planned. Instead of spending time with Elaine, I found myself chasing after unknown faces. It's had its ups and downs, I said to myself as I scrolled through my phone. None of this would have happened if I hadn't decided to change groups. Jake would have been living his normal life, and I would have been working on my project alone, like always, while hanging out with Elaine. Sigh!"

Sun peek over horizons:

I made my way to the basement, and there was Jake, sitting on the bedding I gave him yesterday. "They're gone. Let me show you the bathroom," I said, leading him in that direction. "We should keep investigating. You can't stay in the basement much longer. Someone might walk in anytime soon," I said as we slowly climbed the stairs due to his crutches.

"I understand, but where should we start?" Jake asked. "I'll let you know after you're done bathing. We'll meet downstairs in the kitchen," I said, guiding him to the bathroom. "Okay, cool," he replied, closing the door.

The clock ticked away, marking 30 minutes. I could hear Jake's crutches getting closer. "I don't think I need these anymore. I can walk now, and my body has recovered," he said, placing his crutches down and sitting in the kitchen chair. "I want to thank you, Melissa, for everything, including the accommodation. I wouldn't have known what surrounds me if I hadn't met you. I know my presence has caused a lot of baggage, and I'm truly sorry for that. I'm also grateful that you decided to keep all of this to yourself and support me. Talking to you in the hospital lifted a lot of weight off my shoulders, and I'm glad I could share that with you. You're a generous person, Melissa," Jake said, and I could tell how much this meant to him.