Captivated

Carbon Copy

Thank you @BoBoBaggins94  for voting and reading all my chapters

I grabbed the hand holding me and twisted it over firmly whilst kicking the legs out from under my assailant. He fell to the floor with a muffled sound. I switched on my phone torch and peered at his face cautiously. The man on the floor looked like Karl - but an older and taller version.

"Wait, don't beat me up yet", he exclaimed holding his hands up to surrender. I watched him stand up quickly and dust the non-existent dirt off his jeans.

"Nice moves by the way, did you do Muay Thai?" He said appreciably.

I nodded, not many people could tell what martial art you knew from your moves so that was straight-up impressive.

"I'm Karl's brother- ".

"Luka?" I interrupted.

"Yes", he grinned. "Sorry about that by the way. I was trying to talk to you secretly. You're Arya right? My brother doesn't shut up about you".

"Yeah I am Arya, but come one, anyone would get freaked out by someone pulling them into an alley".

"Yeah", he winced. "I am sorry about that. I didn't think it through".

I nodded silently and scanned him head to toe. He was a carbon copy of Karl but better somehow - more muscular and mature. He seemed to be listening out for something. 

"Quick", he hissed. "Switch your torch off, someone is coming".

I switched it off and pulled myself flat against the wall. The people drew closer and I waited with bated breath until they entered the inn and the door slammed shut behind them.

"So, what did you pull me here for?" I whispered to Luka.

"I heard you asked about Caleb, that's the family that moved out four years back. Everyone in the village hates that family".

"Why, what did they do?"

"Everyone here idolises Holston's as it bought so much business as well as medical professionals. No one actually knows why but one day Mrs Laron - Caleb's mum - started saying bad things about Holston's and everyone started to get defensive and a spokesperson from Holston's said if the villagers were having problems with the institution, Holston's would relocate. But the village is heavily dependent on Holston's now so they shunned the Laron family instead and the whole family eventually moved out".

"Wow, that's messed up", I breathed out. "And that's why your dad acted funny when I bought up that name. Why are you telling me this? Don't get me wrong, I appreciate it but why don't you hate them as everyone else does?"

"When I was younger, I used to some babysitting and I looked after Caleb for quite a long time. They were a normal family, nothing crazy. When I heard something happened to Caleb, I tried to go see him - they used to live in your house - and there were people from Holston's watching over the house. They asked me why I came to visit and I said it was to get some stuff that I left in the house so they let me through. I quickly checked up on Caleb and he was messed up. He couldn't stop crying and was shaking like a leaf. I can never forget how he looked that day".

I stood there silently, absorbing all that information. Things were starting to make sense but at the same time, it was getting more confusing. I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that they used to live in my house.

"I always did wonder what happened to him", Luka said quietly.

"Wait let me show you this", I quickly pulled out my phone and showed the post I saw from before. After he finished reading it, he swore quietly and leaned back against the wall in frustration.