Chapter 5: The Old Man

The world swam into focus, a blurry mess of colors that slowly sharpened into distinct shapes. A wave of nausea washed over Kelly, and she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to fight back the throbbing pain in her head. A cool, damp cloth pressed against her cheek, and she opened her eyes again, squinting at the figure looming over her.

"Are you okay?" A familiar voice, laced with concern, cut through the haze. It was John. His face was etched with worry, his dark eyes searching hers. He knelt beside her, gently wiping the water from her face.

Kelly blinked, her vision clearing enough to see she was still in the same room, the same chair. But she was untied. A quick glance to her side revealed another figure, bound and slumped against the wall. He was an older man, his face pale and drawn, his eyes wide with fear. The sight of him, the memory of what had happened, sparked a cold dread in her stomach.

"How..." she croaked, her voice hoarse. "What happened?"

John's brows furrowed as he moved to stand. "When you entered the room, he was hiding behind the door. He hit you in the head..." John's voice hardened. "He didn't see me. I knocked him unconscious, and then...well, here we are." He gestured to the bound figure, his expression grim.

"John, please wake him up." Kelly's voice was barely a whisper. She looked at the old man, his fear palpable in his trembling hands. "We don't have to tie him up in his own house. Just splash some water on him. He seems...innocent."

John stared at her, his face etched with disbelief. "What? He hit you, and you want to let him go? Kelly, what's wrong with you?"

A sharp pain lanced through her head, and Kelly winced, clutching her temples. John's hand grasped her arm, his grip firm. "Easy, Kelly. Take it easy." He helped her sit back in the chair, concern deepening in his eyes. "We'll figure this out."

"Just sit here okay? Alright, I will wake him up. You are not well, just sit there and don't get up," John said angrily, and went to grab the bottle. He splashed it hard on the man's face, and the man woke up with a jolt. It was as if he had been waiting for that water. Kelly and John stared at him. The man widened his eyes and looked around. He saw those two new people.

"Who are you?" he said, glancing from Kelly to John.

"None of your business," John said angrily. Kelly saw John's anger and knew he was ready to pounce. She cleared her throat and said, "Uh, sir, we're so sorry for breaking into your house like this. We are new around here, and we just needed some help." She tried to sound as sincere as possible. The man looked at her and saw the truth in her eyes. But he still suspected, maybe someone had sent them to follow him.

"Liar!! What are you doing in my house unless you need something, or you're hired by someone?" He said, his voice edged with suspicion.

Kelly looked at John, and smoke was practically coming out of his nose. He was ready to jump on the man and break his neck, but Kelly gave him a killer stare, and he backed off. Then Kelly looked back at the old man and said, "I am so sorry again, papa, but we need your help. We were so curious to know why you're living alone in such a place. You know it's dangerous. And some weird things have happened in this street. So, we thought, you might have seen it. So, we needed your help. Don't worry, we are not here to hurt you." She looked sad, her voice clear and innocent. The old man saw her, and tears formed in his eyes. He was about to cry. Kelly saw his tears and motioned John to untie him. John hesitated at first, then he untied him. The old man could see these people weren't here to hurt him. They needed his help. He moved his hands, stiff from being tied so tightly, then bent his head down and started talking.

"This is the first time someone calling me papa after 7 years… I was married and was living with my wife here. We got a daughter as beautiful as you and named her Silvia. We were living happily. But then, my wife died by car accident on a taxi. She took a taxi with Silvia. But when the accident happened, Silvia was nowhere to be found. They just found one body and it belonged to my wife. Not even the driver's too. And here I am, after 7 years, I decided not to leave this house because a lot of good memories are here. My soul wants to live here with the good memories," the man said, tears streaming down his cheeks. Kelly's eyes were forming tears too. She gets too emotional when she sees someone crying. She looked at John who was still holding the stick up, but then he putted it aside.

"I'm sorry, papa, I mean sir. I didn't mean to bring up those memories at all. I am sorry again," said Kelly, feeling so sorry. The man looked at her and said, "Will you…will you please call me papa? It sounds good on your voice." He said, while still tears are falling from his eyes. Kelly looked at him and said shyly, "Of course!" The man looked so innocent indeed, Kelly thought to herself. The man looked at John, waiting for him to say something when Kelly again interrupted. "Uh…sorry. This is John. He is my friend," said Kelly introducing him. The man smiled, looking at John and said, "My name is William." John looked at him. He didn't care…why should he care? John was doubting that the old man was lying. The man didn't seem to care about John too, and he totally shifted his gaze back to Kelly.

"My sister is missing, and I found out that she was kidnapped from this road. So, I came here in case you know anything about the man or anything like…related to it since you're the only one who lives here," said Kelly, waiting for a positive answer. The man's face turned into terror. His face was showing something horrific. Kelly couldn't understand how his face turned into terrible emotions. The man got up and started walking here and there. Kelly was confused and she also got up, but her head's pain was still uneasy…She touched her head, her hands trying to touch something to hold on. When she found John's hands, she looked at him, and he was standing beside her, holding her hands to keep her from falling. The man looked at them and said, "What does your sister look like?" He sounded too scary.

"Umm…She has brown eyes, her hair is long. She is a little tall, but not as tall as me. She kept partying the night off, and she was passing through this road when someone kidnapped her. She is the daughter of CEO Anderson. The country is shaking and trying to find her. Have you seen her before she got kidnapped?" said Kelly, looking at the old man.

"When did she get kidnapped?" said William, looking on Kelly.

"Yesterday night," replied Kelly, and her heart skipped a beat thinking she might get something that can lead to the abuser of her sister.

"I…I have recorded everything," said William, looking on the floor.

"Um…sorry, but what did you record?" said Kelly, unable to understand his speech.

"I have recorded the scene…while she was being kidnapped," said William, looking on his desk. Kelly couldn't believe it. She was waiting for evidence, and here it was, a witness. Kelly looked at John, and John was the same as her. Unable to say anything, it was like she had lost her tongue. Her voice trembled and said, "Can…can you show me?" She looked at him with pleading eyes. The man looked at her and headed to his desk's drawer. He found his phone and turned it on. He then sat on the chair, motioning the phone towards them so that they could see it.

"It was a video of Anna walking tipsy, when a man started following her. A man with a mask. Both of them were wearing black. Somehow Anna tried to run but she slipped off to the ground. She was crying. She then yanked his arms away. There is no sound, but you can see her movements. He then grabbed her by her hair and knocked her out. He then carried her and went to the dark…" The video ended, and William looked at Kelly who was stunned, her hands covering her mouth due to shock. John saw her and said, "Kelly, are you okay?" His voice was trembling. William also saw her and got up.

"I…that man…is the same man I saw in my nightmare," said Kelly, almost tearing up.