WHAT NEXT

"Good day Sir, I got a call earlier, they said that the meeting can't hold today due to inconvenience of one of their board members," blotted out by the Secretary to her Manager.

 "So they brought me out of my house this hot afternoon, on a Saturday, just to disappoint me. Why will I ever respect their invitation," thundered Mr. Ruben.

 Mr. Ruben was the manager of a big firm, Problem Research and Detection Institute (PRDI), which was under Problem Research and Action Services (PRAS), an industry which was owned by his father. However, the office of the CEO has been empty since the father's death. None of the family member was able to enthrone the seat due to crisis between Mama and her husband's family members. They claim that their brother, Mama's husband, had left no will before his death, and therefore, inheritance of any of his properties by his children will be over their dead body. In respect to the conflict above, different odd things occurred in the family. Who knows what might ensue next especially as the extended family members have arrived Sylvercroft. Hmm, let's continue though.

 Mr. Ruben was nonetheless now in his office. "Come in," he ordered one of his staff. "What is the problem?"

 "Sir, our system detected a threat, some strange things are in existence. Presumably, the location indicates that they are found in the thick forests in Sylvercroft sharing a boundary with Eldoria," the staff said.

 Mr. Ruben rushes out of his office with the staff and reviews what he was told. "Can I see the side view? …Is this not a beast?" he questioned rhetorically while adjusting his goggles. "Print it," he ordered. He continued, "Send some copies to the correspondence department, and ask them to send the copies to Problem Action Institute (PAI). Send another to the Laboratory, let them provide me with details of that picture. I will be heading home. Tell the lab scientist to forward the feedback to my e-mail."

 "Oh! My office is yet to be locked," he stated while taking the direction towards his office. His employees paused, and moped at him as though he entertained them with his actions.

 "And… I initially locked my office before now. Maybe some sort of nuts are gone," he commented to who-knows while hitting his hand three times on his head. Please, no call," he said finally to the secretary and used the exit door. On his way home, he kept thinking of the information that was discovered in his workplace. Their family house is located, just beside the thick forest that was mentioned. He couldn't stop imagining why his father chose to erect their building in that location. "What could possibly be his reasons?" he pondered in his mind.

 The screeches from his car tires were heard as it parked in the garage. It was already evening when he arrived Lander drive. He yawned tiredly while he steps out of his car.

 "I'm home, finally," he muttered and steps forward going into the house.

*****

Mama was in her room swimming in the ocean of thoughts. She remembered having a likely experience as she had when she was with Tristan, few years ago. "Could it be that those dangerous beast have returned? Who will fall their victim this time?" These questions and so much more were struggling to gain abode in her mind. She was so lost in thought that she was not able to notice the presence of her son in her room.

 "Mum, is everything alright? I knocked severally on your door and got no response. Fortunately, it was not locked, so I opened it and walked in. I called you severally also but you're just answering now. You know I don't like it when you're so much troubled. Share it with me now, I am here," the son proclaimed.

 "Oh! It's nothing. I was just wondering…," she signals her son to sit on her bed as she adjusts on the bed turning towards her son. "…I was wondering what it could be, what happened today while I was with your son, my grandson."

 "Any strange thing?" Ruben asked looking more curious.

 "Today, while I was with your son in his room, I saw something that passed across his open window. I thought it was a shadow, or maybe that I was hallucinating since it was in the afternoon. But I noticed that Tristan saw it too." Mama answered.

 "Mumm! Just like you said earlier, it must be hallucination. Does Tristan know anything? He's still a baby, remember. Shit, is this the reason you want to generate high blood pressure for yourself. Please…" Ruben was interrupted.

 "Nooo, it's not the way you're seeing it. I observed it when I saw Tristan laughing while gazing his stare outside through that same window. He laughed strangely." Mama concluded.

 Ruben didn't say anything about it again. He does not want to bother Mama more, since he also planned to tell her about what happened at work. He just helped Mama to lay down and assured her that everything was alright and left to his own room. While Ruben arrived his room, he heard a beep sound from his smart phone. It was a mail from the lab scientist at his workplace. He then decided to refresh himself before he attends to whatever was contained in the mail.

*****

 It was a knock that was heard on the door of Tristan's room, then it slightly opened, allowing Ruben to get inside. Nnenna was on the same bed with Tristan, fast asleep. "I understand," muttered Ruben. "The day might have been hectic," he continued, and made for his own room, closing the door quietly behind him.

 "Today is just today, don't even seem like a Saturday. Whoosh, what next?" he asked himself. "Oh, how can I be forgetting my phone?" he asked rhetorically. "The mail…" he snapped. And bumped onto his bed, getting his phone.

 "What's wrong," Nana asked. "Sometimes I wonder if you actually need a soothsayer to tell you what you are, or have you suddenly gone insane. How could you had left your door ajar, and you even paced around like a bitch in its unrest periods," she sounded polite and concerned. "I am sorry for what occurred later the other day. I mean the information contained in one of the letters; your lost."

 "That's not the problem. You were not the murderer even, death was, no matter what conspired," he said feeling cool beside Nana. He felt this way when with Nana rarely. But what has got into her. Why is she suddenly nice, I mean she spoke in a concerned manner? Ruben thought to himself.

 "Uhm…, I am tired already, and yet, restless," he had to let it out. "Mama told me something that happened today, and the workers at the office were able to detect a creature. From the mail that was sent to me, which I read while you came in, the creature was a Lycan. I've not really heard of or experienced any of their activities, but they were the cause she had to disappear. I mean my wife," he complained in a soberly manner now.

 "Yeah, something really happened. Everyone in the house noticed the bright day suddenly become dark and then, bright again. But I'm afraid…" she paused abruptly.

 "Afraid?" Ruben asked enthusiastically this time, with his eyes wide open and his head poked out on his stretched neck. "Did something more uneven happen?" he asked almost at the same time.

 "His eyes turned black at the sight of the shadows of the creature. Tristan is something else. The Lycans are very close to us, and like the so-called Urnals in that letter, I think Tristan's safety is crucial at the moment," she concluded.

 Nana had been spying on Tristan since she read that letter that was offered to her on the couch. She had been present when Mama left his room, and when Nnenna screamed. At this action, she found herself making her way into the room to witness what made Nnenna scream. At that juncture, Nnenna had talked to her as if a witness of the Lycans saying, "Miss, I think this boy needs protection at its utmost, especially in this period of time."

 "So, Tristan…is…" Ruben lacked words. "But is he alright?" he found himself bluntly asking his sister.

 "You should check it out early tomorrow. Have a cool night rest, brother," snapped Nana sharply as she made out of the room, leaving the door closed.

 "She could be as cool as this, but why?" Ruben asked himself and thought to himself at the same time. He was already tucked in his pyjamas, so he worried less of undressing, as he was tired. "Will Tristan be like that half-animal like guy? What next?" he thought and fell into slumber.