The Unknown.

Archer paced restlessly back and forth, behind Leelam who sat calmly on one of the chairs, staring into blank space.

He appeared to be upset, upset about something, upset about the fact that Shania had not returned home since the previous night.

In the Evening of the Previous Day,

Archer returned home, hoping in his heart that he would find his sister at home, and she would laugh at him and say that she had been playing a prank on him.

"Shay?" he called out immediately he stepped foot into their house.

Still, she didn't respond. He turned left to see Leelam gazing at him, holding an old lamp.

"I thought you two went out together?" Leelam questioned. Archer tried to keep his almost shattered hopes up again, as he walked past Leelam to the inside to search for his sister.

"If this is a joke, it's not funny anymore!" Leelam heard him yell from inside.

He burst out again, staring at Leelam.

"Where's Shania?" he asked.

"Boy, you two went out together, I should be asking that..."Leelam said.

Archer went quiet. It couldn't be a prank. Even if Shania wanted to play a prank on him, it would have ended by now, and by the way as much as he knew Leelam, he couldn't be a part of these kinds of things. It was then he knew it was serious.

"Leelam I can't find Shania..." he blurted out, his heart beating faster than that of a newly born baby.

"What do you mean by that?" Leelam questioned, not taking his eyes off Archer.

"She took me to a hut she made in the forest. We were both together. Then I told her I was going to get palm fronds. She insisted on not going with me, so we both decided she'd stay and wait for me. I got back just a few minutes later, and I couldn't find her anywhere. I called out her name, and there was no response. I was hoping I'd find her here, and that's why I came back home." Archer explained, this time around, panting hard.

The old man stared at Archer speechlessly.

"I think we should go back to the forest to look for her. She has to be somewhere there" Leelam suggested.

"I don't know Leelam, my gut's telling me something, and I really hope it is wrong. A few days ago, I saw strange movements in the bushes, and when I went to check it out, no one was there, but I saw a wristwatch there..." Archer confessed.

"A wristwatch? Where is it?" Leelam questioned. Leelam dug his hands into his pockets, but could only bring out the white towel. He searched over and over again and he couldn't find it.

"I think I've lost it" he said as he slapped his forehead with his palm.

"And this was what I saw when I got back to the hut. It was on the ground. This isn't Shania's or mine, so I don't understand how it got there." He explained.

Leelam stretched out his arm, and Archer placed the still-wet towel in his hand. He scanned it with his eyes. He pressed his fingers on the towel, and perceived his hands. His eyes widened at the smell of the substance. He got up immediately. All this time, Archer's eyes followed Leelam, and his every move.

"You say you found this at the house Shania built?" he asked, and Archer nodded in affirmation.

"No point going out to look for her Archer, go to sleep, and we'll

talk about this tomorrow." Leelam said, stopping Archer on his tracks as he was about going outside.

"What do you mean?" Archer questioned, frustration beginning to

build up in him.

"You won't find her" Leelam said briefly before he stepped inside, going towards a mysterious door inside the house.

This door was named the forbidden door by Archer, since Leelam never let them touch or go close to it. He had strictly warned them never to open it, and even if they wanted to, they couldn't because the door had neither a knob nor a bolt.

Archer watched as Leelam pushed the door open slightly, and walked in without looking back, while the door automatically closed itself behind him.