Chapter 10: Unexpected Encounters

We return back to Harrison and Christian as they begin their journey. They get a ride from a stranger on the side of the road to drive them to a new destination in an old pickup truck.The old pickup truck bumped along the country road, gradually leaving the city behind. Christian watched the familiar cityscape disappear in the distance as he sat beside Harrison in the back of the truck.Curiosity piqued, Christian turned to Harrison and asked, "Where are we headed?" "I have a friend at an orphanage that I want you to meet."Christian's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Why would we go to an orphanage? Are you planning to put me there? I'm too old to be adopted, you know!"Harrison chuckled and playfully tapped Christian on the head. "No, Just wait, and you'll see."Hours later a first came within sight of the truck and as the truck ventured deeper into the forest, Harrison suddenly spoke up. "This is close enough."Christian barely had time to finish his sentence before Harrison grabbed him and leaped from the back of the truck. Regaining his balance, Christian glared at Harrison. "What do you mean, 'close enough'?"Harrison wore a mischievous grin. "From here on out, we'll be walking."Christian's displeasure was evident as he grumbled, "Great, just what I needed." Nonetheless, he followed Harrison's lead as they began their trek into the dense forest. Hours passed, and the surroundings remained seemingly unchanged.Growing tired, Christian couldn't help but complain. "I want to take a break." He pouted and decided to sit on a fallen log.Harrison's grin turned into a playful smirk as he swiftly punched Christian on the head."Ouch! Fine, fine, I'll keep moving," Christian muttered, rubbing his head in pain."We don't have time to sit around. Once we reach our destination, you can rest all you want." Harrison says as he constantly looks behind him to make sure he was not followed. They trudged on for a few more minutes until finally reaching the edge of the forest. In front of them stood a run-down building, with a woman dressed in a nun's outfit seated at the entrance.Christian's expression soured. "Ugh, gross."Harrison delivered another light punch to Christian's head. "Be respectful. This is my old friend, they call her Mother Joyce."Still rubbing his head, Christian replied, "If this is the place we walked hours to get to, it's a bit underwhelming."The woman overheard their conversation and responded with a smile. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but this is only a humble orphanage, after all."When she said this it triggered something within Christian, and an unexplainable uneasiness crept over him. Harrison noticed Christian's reaction and asked if he was okay. Christian shook off the strange feeling and replied, "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Let me take a walk. Call me when you need me."Christian left the orphanage and ventured into the surrounding woods, leaving Mother Joyce and Harrison to their conversation.Inside the orphanage, the children, filled with cheerfulness, bombarded Harrison and Mother Joyce with requests to play. Mother Joyce politely declined, explaining that she needed to speak with Harrison.The orphans' disappointment was noticeable until Harrison saved the day. He kneeled to address the children, "Sorry, kids. How about this? Once I'm done talking with Mother Joyce, I'll teach you all a magic trick."The orphans erupted in cheers, allowing Mother Joyce and Harrison to retreat to a private room.As they settled in, Mother Joyce's warm smile vanished, and she turned serious. "So, why do you want to speak to Eve, Harrison?"Harrison laughed nervously, noting the lingering tension between them. "I can see you're still not thrilled to see me. But yeah I want to see her and as you can tell it involves the boy I brought with me."Mother Joyce placed her hand on her forehead, exasperated. "We both know why I don't want to see you, Harrison. You told me I would never have to see you again... But tell me, what is it that you need Eve's abilities for?"Harrison took a deep breath, his gaze meeting Mother Joyce's. "I need her to help me enter Christian's mind. There's something within him that I'm curious about." Harrison says as he flashbacks to that angelic power Christian wielded.The scene shifts to Christian wandering through the woods, pondering the purpose of their visit to the orphanage. "Why did we waste all this time coming here? Instead of teaching me fighting techniques," Christian muttered to himself.Lost in thought, Christian's attention was caught by a girl's voice nearby. Intrigued, he moved closer to the source and found a girl sitting next to a pond, engaged in a peculiar conversation."You don't like carrots?" the girl asked, seemingly talking to thin air.Confused, Christian approached her and asked, "Who are you talking to?"The girl smiled and replied, "I'm talking to this bunny rabbit."Christian's confusion grew. "What? Are you dumb?"Unbothered, the girl turned to the bunny rabbit while also thanking Christian for a compliment. Christian confused asks, "What are you talking about? I didn't say anything!"Startled, the girl refocused her attention on Christian. "Oh, I'm sorry. Sometimes I forget what to listen to."Christian, growing increasingly confused, responds, "You're weird."The then girl stood up from her spot and started walking toward the orphanage. "We should go. Mr. Harrison and Mother Joyce will be coming to get us soon."Christian was about to question her on how she knew that when suddenly Harrison's voice echoed through the woods, calling out for both of them.