Episode Six: Truth Seekers (A)

We were about to head to his room he's been blabbering all about. I was looking and listening to every heartbeat I'd encountered on these German soldiers. Some were totally serious doing their job, some had doubts to continue this mess, and some had that blue inside. When staring at their faces, you'd never guess what they're really up to in life. Pokerfaced, I'd say, they wouldn't show those freaky faces to their trailblazer.

"Stairs." He mumbled 'cause I wasn't paying attention to where we're going. I jerked back and continued.

My meter beeped fast because of my nervousness and fright. I would really look like I was a tough person for this sort, but that's just my physical appearance.

"Keep that silent please." He mumbled with a distinctive sigh.

"Why? You're annoyed? Sorry, that's not even a mobile phone for you to just shut it up." I replied with my eyes rolling.

"Ugh! What I mean is that you just need to chill down. I won't shoot you or anyone here." He chuckled in a low tone so that none will suspect that we're working together to betray that old dumb wombat.

"I'm just frightened of someone who points a rifle at my back." I said, irritated.

"Pfft!" He burst out a laugh yet resisted to make it obviously loud. "It's empty, you dumbass."

Stopped and beheld back at him real quick, "I didn't even know that, dumbass." With a matching double quote gesture.

"Quit your whining and walk ahead!" He said in a serious tone, but it was too easy of me to identify that he's just playing along.

Until we've reached his room, he's still giggling. This place was too au fait. Too familiar. It really looked like that this had been our speech lab back when I was in 10th grade. And that there's a faded label at the top of the entrance.

"Here it is. My little mansion." He told me, then he opened the door. "After you." He chuckled and extended his arm like a megalomaniac.

I just rolled my eyes followed by a sassy looking smirk while walking inside. And again, he laughed though it gives us that awkward atmosphere.

"Why are you so grumpy? Try to smile a bit."

I responded in a sarcastic tone, "You know what you did back there, right? Is that worth smiling?"

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry… for… that filthy mess… I've done." He looked down as he closed the door. I somehow managed to break his annoying aura because this situation ain't something to be happy about.

Everything's fresh in here. He's right that this room's clean and convenient, like the room wasn't destroyed at all. He turned the inverter in a maxed level and immediately I felt the presence of the cool wind coming from it. In our country, having aircon is a must or in summer days, you'll fucking melt under excessive sun exposure.

I sat down on his comfy bed and observed every single dust in the room.

*sigh* "I suppose our school isn't ruined at all. Only the speech lab appliances had gone missing." I sighed.

He was fixing himself up, changing his sweaty garments, "Wait, is this your school?"

I took off my lab coat and lied down on the floor, "Yeah, long before I graduated junior high here… This room became our training corner for our broadcasting team. I was the station manager that time, I handled everything here."

"Why are you lying on the floor? You can just use my bed." He questioned, and he already got himself dressed. He now wears a somehow decent camo shirt and sweatpants.

I smiled and replied, "Nahhh, I'm good. I just missed doing this. One time before, we had our training here. Our trainer got mad at us, especially at me. We were sleeping around and not taking the training seriously."

"Wow. That's rude of you. Like what you did to me a while ago." He chuckled.

"Wait… You started it first, you asshole! You almost took my life." I clenched my fist. "Well, you have given me a chance to escape but I've re-enacted that scene again. Kinda rude, yeah." Then took a deep breath and calmed me down. "But that doesn't mean I'm gonna forgive a person who took my purity."

"Coffee?" He asked while I heard a beep from his coffee maker. He kept on avoiding my rebuttals since a while ago. I'm really ensuring that he's gonna feel fucking guilty for what their kind has done.

"I drink milk, weirdo. That coffee shit triggers my seizures." I answered in my calmest manner.

"Easy, okay? I'm not gonna try to kill you again or what. I'm just offering something for your clemency." He fought back as if I wanna forgive him. "I'll just prepare milk for you and cook noodles for us."

He prepared two water heaters for my milk and the instant noodles. Later on, the aroma of the noodles filled the room. Set up a low table on the floor and placed the bowl of noodles with his coffee and milk prepared for me. "Is it okay if I prepared a spicy one? I'll just prepare another if you won't eat."

"Pfft!" I snorted. "I'm not that typical person who's gonna be choosy on the given opportunity, okay? Ight. I can and will eat food if I want to." I laughed, lacking gratefulness for his offering. I deserve this shit and my so as my people back there.

As we ate our lunch, we were staring at each other's faces. I took off my glasses for me to eat properly. He watched me slurping up the noodles as he took a sip of coffee.

I was just madly starving that I intend to eat without daring to breathe.

"Hey, take it easy. There's more if you wanted to." He went snickering.

"Aren't you gonna eat?" I asked him with a mouthful of food.

"Nope. It seems like you need more than I do. You're thin, by the way." He teased.

"I am aware of that asshole! We're losing food supplies back there at the rural area we're temporarily living in." I reasoned out. "And… I'm kinda lonely there. I only live by myself." I added but I didn't look like I'm sad about it or something.

He stared at me like hell. My eyes widened as if I was shocked.

"Well, your family? Where are they?"

I began reminiscing those bitter pasts coming right at me. The time I saw them being killed one by one by those Germans. "Uhhhh them? Well, they're long gone ever since the invaders came. They're… killed." I spoke softly, keeping my tears from falling down but was too unsuccessful so I just looked away.

"Hey, are you crying?" He asked, sounding so concerned.

"Nah, just some dirt entered my eyes for pete's sake." I lied, tryna wipe off the tears stuck on my face.

"I'm… really sorry for asking… And I'm terribly regretful for us being here to just destroy everything." I heard him apologize. No, I'm not gonna fall for it. Him being the good guy right now was too good to be true.

I wiped my tears and finished drinking up my milk. "I saw them in the hands of a powerful old man in Nazi uniform. The one that has sundry pins as you do. I saw them with my own eyes… He… He killed t-them." I went shaky and I could hear it again beeping rapidly. I lied down on the floor, weeping.

"Oh no, not now, please. Just, relax." He scooched closer to me but still kept his distance from me.

Not a little while later the beep slowed down. I gazed at him. His heartbeat sounded concerned, real anxious. I could see his heartbeat pattern and his noticeably troubled face. I'd put my other hand on his chest then he paused. Yes, I did it to make sure of things. I hate it when people lie, so reading their thoughts and feelings will do for me to ease my anxiety of getting stuck here in this place.

"You are a kind-hearted creature after all." I mumbled. "But don't ever think of taking advantage of that thought or else."

"What do you mean?" He said with his face wrinkling in confusion.

"I can sense what a person feels inside. I can see and hear people's heartbeats. Like, I can just close my eyes right now and feel the pattern of your heartbeat. It eases me. A bit ironic but it calms me down. I like your heartbeat. I, somehow, in love with it rather." I said, and the beeping silenced.

Then I just realized how cringe-worthy that line was, so I followed, "It's not like I'm having affection towards you doofus. Don't get it wrong. Ew."

I yearned heavily. And he just stared at me with confusion and amazement. "I have these amazing abilities. At first, I thought this is merely a curse. But now, I see its beauty like, it makes me feel that I should embrace myself more." Then I hinted at a quick laughter. "I don't know what this is called. Maybe something to do with telekinesis and matching x-ray vision or somethin'. Pretty childish but it's kinda cool."

Silent he became, still staring at me. I heard his heart thumping faster, turning out nervous.

"What's the matter? Too amazed?" I bragged with a jaunty tone.

"N-no… J-just… ugh, forget it." He stood up and fixed up the table. He looked puzzled, like he couldn't manage to remove it for me not to feel fretful of him.

I was observing him all afternoon, just to know his real intentions. Somehow, he came out clean. I don't wanna believe it first but since I got these abilities to check on people, I couldn't even imagine myself being beheaded by this guy. I couldn't explain why but my guts knew what I sensed on him were right.

Until the clock stroked 6, I was still trying to figure out his character. These powers of mine made me a psychopath. Or was I really?