Hollow Twilight - A LitRPG Novel

Chapter 27

The sky was still clear on a Saturday. The unchanging nature of the weather was starting to irritate Reid, reminding him of Hollow Twilight. It wasn't unheard of; this was typical as winter approached. Cold and empty yet bright.

Reid felt the beam of sun cutting through his window. It warmed his hands as he played with his fingers, watching minutes go by. He needed to leave to go see Reily soon. He had her address and everything, knew exactly where she lived and how to get there. Knew that she was currently waiting for him to come over.

There wasn't anyone home to ask him where he was heading today. His dad was out to meet with some friends. They hadn't spoken much since Reid's outburst, just kind of mumbling and grumbling past each other. Things would eventually slide back into normalcy like it never happened, just one more thing sitting under the pile they ignored. It was easier that way.

The walk to Reily's house wasn't much either; part of why they were able to walk to school together. And it was a literal house Reid stood in front of, a pretty simple-looking thing similar to the many ones around it. Two windows on the second floor, one bay window on the front and a door on the left, with a small covered porch out front. Other than some finishes and colour choices, the same as all the other ones on the block. A little patch of grass in front with a tree in the corner.

For as plain as it was, it was strikingly different from the lousy apartment Reid lived in. Maple lived in a much larger apartment tower, though it wasn't in great shape, and Issac split his house with his grandparents. This felt different. This was a nicer suburb with houses set back from the road and people walking dogs. It wasn't above a salon like Reid's, nor was it on a bedbug watch list like Maple's. This felt wealthier.

Reid walked onto the stone steps that formed the path to the door. He got one foot onto the deck before he stopped and sent Reily a text he had arrived. He wasn't about to knock on their door, especially if he had somehow gotten the wrong house. He hadn't, he knew he had it right, but his brain was doing an excellent job of convincing him it could still be wrong and someone would come out yelling at him to get off their property. Or Reily's parents could come out. He wasn't sure which was worse.

The door creaked open and Reily's vibrant eyes popped out. She gave Reid a smile and waved him into the house, baggy pink sweater bouncing with her motions. "Come on, come on, shoes go over there." The door sealed behind him.

The smell was old. It came off the wood everywhere, floorboards sagging underfoot. The house itself was dark, walls painted grey with small light fixtures above from a prior era, though little rays of light would glitter with dust.

It was all very different. Reid's apartment was also old but in a very different way. It was degraded and unkept. It had never been a glorious building that had fallen to its current state. This was a more regal age. It was foreign and strange, compounded by the fact it was his first time in a girl's house who wasn't someone he ate dirt with at five.

Reily bounded up the stairs on the left, barely giving Reid a chance to get off his coat. He carried it with him, awkward and unsure where it would go. He had only gotten instructions for the shoes but he didn't have time to ask as the young woman was already around the corner above him. He scrambled to keep up with her.

Upstairs was more of the same in appearance, with two doors left and two doors right. Reily was already left and Reid came up behind her as she stopped in front of the first door, left open to her brother sitting on his bed. He was playing on a game console. Reid heard a certain ding from the game and recognized it instantly.

"I thought you weren't allowed friends," the brother said as they arrived.

Reily tapped the frame of the door, staring daggers at her sibling. "I thought that got taken away when you were grounded?"