SOS
Chapter 8's

ALEXANDRA saw the white cat in Ed—'s arms standing beside Max. He was so sure that the cat that was now in his room was Michi. Michi's eongan voice sounded— made Alyx approach Ed. He was eager to see the cat more clearly, but he stopped a few meters away. Immediately her memory was fixed on the day she found Michi weakly rubbed. It was even himself who buried Michi.

“Who came that?” Ed spoke to the cat while stroking its very soft fur. “He's your master? Ah, not anymore. But, play a little, because it seems you still remember him.” Ed dropped.

The cat that was only a short distance away ran small to Alexandra's feet. Alexandra leaned over, looking

the cat for a while, and immediately hugged him.  Michi meowed loudly in her master's embrace. She must have missed Alexandra too.

“Michi—how is it possible?”

“That's how— makes something possible,” murmured Ed.

Alexandra could still hear Ed muttering that and knew clearly he was now who they were. But, Alyx still ask them, “you guys from SOS?”

“You just found out? Really very slow.”

“What is your relationship with Benjamin?” Alyx asked the question he had made earlier.

“He is not very useful to us,” said Ed leaning on the table. Max was just staring out the window, like he did yesterday. Tonight he was also wearing a hat like the one he wore yesterday. “It looks like you're starting to ask a lot now.”

“You guys made me ask questions like this. Can't you tell me the meaning of arrival

you guys. You and him make me unable to think clearly.”

“Hey... hey.. You make that cat can't breathe.”.

Alyx was too emotional that he had unconsciously hugged Michi very tightly. “I'm sorry, baby,” Alyx whispered to Michi.

Ed laughs. “He's not your old cat, you remember how you buried him with your own hands.

That cat is just the result of cloning your diseased cat.”

“So you guys killed Michi?”

“I told you yesterday, we didn't kill that pity cat, it's just that we sped up his death. He's too weak to live and how could you not know that cat is sick. Aren't you a doctor?”

“How do you know all about me? What is my importance.”.

“No-no, you are not important at all,” interrupted Max who had been silent. He turned around, “that's what confused me. Nothing scares me so much about your appearance. Well at least I know that my opponent is increasing and I can finally meet you before we meet in the real place.”

What's more, Alyx became very confused. He did not understand what his interlocutor was saying.

“He tried to keep you away from our world, but he himself showed you where you are.”

Alyx thought about who the man he meant.

“After some thought, he might want to bring you into my world, that means you will face off

with.”

“What world do you mean?”

“Do not pretend not to understand, the boy's errand boy should have told you a lot. Enough now, the position of the leader is controlled by a woman,” he said more precisely on himself and turned around, looking back at the buildings outside the window.

“You guys talk about SOS? But, you need to know, if I have no intention of dealing with anyone

from you, or your SOS world, or whatever you talked about earlier. You guys really make me sick.”

Ed, who had been silent, was now right in front of Alyx. He was moving very fast, even Alyx himself

not even realize it. Alyx retreated a few steps away from Ed.

“It looks like he really doesn't know anything yet,” Ed said after looking at him closely.

Max turned. “What did you say?”

Ed walked over to Max's side.

“As I told you, I really don't understand what you're saying,” Alyx vocabulary

it seemed to be less faced with these two people. “But, if you explain everything more clearly, I think everything will be as bright as this place.”

Max and Ed did not notice what Alyx said. They even argue something.

Alyx tried to catch what they were talking about. He took a few steps forward without making either Max or Ed turn around.

“We should have known from the beginning, but for what Dad put so many people to follow him. What

they really are Dad's man? But, Darrell said so. If in SOS no one knows about this girl, from the beginning, I can do it immediately.”

 “Then we almost made SOS know about his whereabouts, but why didn't dad immediately tell one of them to finish him off immediately if he didn't even know about SOS?” tanyanya again—exactly asked himself. “Didn't dad want me to be the only successor.”

“I think he has another reason.”

“No. No. gabe. Dad doesn't seem to know about this. Then I'll run as soon as I

it says Darrel.”

“No, sir Max,” Ed emphasized the word master, as warned of Max's current standing. “This will be

problem for you in front of the top brass.”

“Then you take care of it.”

Alyx was surprised to hear Max's words. Alyx took a few steps back. Even more so when Ed approached her.

“I don't carry a gun. What should I do to you,” said Ed and raised his hand shoulder-height Alyx.

Alyx.

“Obviously everyone has been prepared by that person.” Ed tried to get close to Alyx again. Once again Alyx managed to break away from Ed's grip.

Alyx had not put up much resistance, as it sensed something had landed on its nape. He fell, he fell,

his knees hit the floor. Michi who had been hugging him with her left hand, slipped off. Instantly his gaze blurred, after the second blow was landed on him. But, he still had time to turn around and see who hit him, before his cheeks and hair touched the floor.

Max stands behind Alyx. He smiled cunningly and pulled out a gun from his suit pocket.

“No sir. Darrell just said it's best to take him.”

The faint voice of Ed could still be heard by Alyx. If not argue first, Alyx might

shot him. At the time of Max and Ed's debate, Alyx's eyes were opened slightly to see the door of his apartment open. The legs he saw ran fast towards him and seemed to be smashing something behind Alyx. And then he didn't know what else was going on.

*

When he woke up, Alyx was already in a place he did not recognize. Alyx blinked his eyes many times. This was the first time he had been unconscious like this. After realizing it well, he woke up and sat on the sofa he had been sleeping on. He looked around the room.

Alyx was in a wooden house. Round wood arranged into walls. A table that was no wider than the brown sofa he was sitting on now, only contained a candle that had burned out. He saw the fireplace in front of him. With the help of the fire that was still burning, he could see the room where he was. There were some scattered wooden chairs.

There were no decorations or paintings on the walls. Only a round wall clock hung beside the window. Too simple and the owner must be someone very simple. There's a window that's tightly closed. Glass outside window, wet—Alyx can see it from far away. After seeing the clock that shows at 5, he knew that wet glass must be because of dew. Alyx's gaze then turned on the two fully filled cardboard boxes beside the door.

Alyx stood up. But, sit back. He still feels a little dizzy. He wondered at himself who might have been kidnapped and held captive. But the kidnapper could not have left a key hanging from the door. Except really sloppy.

Alyx held his head. Trying to make his headache disappear by pressing his temple.  And at that time the door that was next to the room— was opened. Alyx gasp.

“You okay?” asked the man then who saw Alyx's expression was surprised.

“Tom?”

*

Tom came out of a hall—it seemed like the door was heading to the kitchen. And sure enough Tom brought him a tray of warm food and drink when the clock was six and a quarter from inside. He hasn't told me anything about what happened. He asked Alyx to calm himself down first.

The fireplace has been extinguished, making the temperature quite cold. That's natural—because Tom said, they are indeed in the mountains. Alyx immediately received the blanket offered by Tom. But, to his surprise, he recognized the blanket. The blanket was his own.

Tom answered Alyx's surprise by looking at the neatly arranged cartons. “For a while I just

can pick up important items first.”

“Michi?”

“They brought him back. Even though she and Michi are the same, I don't think you need to look for her.”

Alyx stared at the glass filled with warm milk in his hand. He sipped it a few times and put it on top

tabletop.

Alyx could only breathe out a long breath. “Then what really happened?” alyx asked while outside the house was already completely bright.

“I don't know where to explain.” It was obvious that Tom was confused.

Alyx raised his legs and hugged his knees in the blanket. “First of all maybe about you. Aren't you a receptionist apartment—if I could say so.”

“Iya, that is if you are also in the apartment.”

“When I'm not around?”

“I told others to replace me.”

“And next you follow me, do you?” Alyx shook his head, he was confused. Tom's expression showed that the answer to his question was yes. “If you're not a receptionist I've known all along, then who are you? One of them?”

“It's not like that. We are different, it's just that we are from the same place.”

“Can you tell me more clearly, Tom? I'm starting to get irritated.”

Tom was a little sorry to make Alyx feel irritated. “I applied for a job in that apartment, the day before you moved there. The owner of the apartment has promised not to tell me about myself to other workers. I told him I didn't need a salary and I was leaving when I had to go, and the job I wasn't going to vacate, I asked Jane to replace me as long as I wasn't in place. He even came even though I didn't tell him to come, but it's good that we're somewhere at some time— said.”

“Looks like him,” Alyx interrupted, an indistinct mutter came out on his own, recalling the expression from Jane while next to Tom.

Tom did not display the slightest expression at Alyx's sudden opinion and continued back. “According

Jane, the other apartment dwellers would find it strange that we were never seen together in public. So I let him. Of course it doesn't matter because other than college there's nothing he can do anymore. Jane's dad also asked me to let her work the way she wanted— as an experience. I let him act as he pleases, but unfortunately he made the mistake of giving you those letters.”

“The letter without the sender's name?”

Tom nodded.

“Indeed why?”

“Yes, I'm lucky that you didn't bother with that at all. I saw you didn't ask Jane about the letters either, but I was waiting for Jane and told her to say the same character as I told you on the phone.”

“I trust you and I was busy at the time, I guess.”

“It is better.”

“Then who sent the letter?”

“Maybe..” Tom stopped and looked at the door together with Alyx.

Door opens. A girl slightly younger than Alyx came in. Brown hair on her pigtails.

With a big smile decorating her face, she walked over to Alyx and Tom. “Am I late? Have you told him?” ask Tom.

“Quiet, Jane.”

Jane pulled the wooden chair next to the sofa. Take him to the position he wants. “Sorry, I

too expressive.”

“Nobody is a receptionist anymore?” asked the curious and half-mockingly Alyx.

“I heard that you have been moved to this place from dad,” Jane did not stop smiling as she spoke. She's very sweet. “I don't think anyone needs to be a receptionist anymore.”

“I've been looking for another worker.” Tom turned to Jane.

“Dad is coming today, or maybe tomorrow, it looks like he's a lot of work,” Jane replied first before

Tom asked. Alyx is not stupid to know that Jane in front of him can read Tom's mind. “No. I can't read minds. Just guessing,” said Jane laughed complacently.

“You read my mind?” ask Alyx then.

“I say just guess,” Jane saw Tom standing from his place, her gaze following Tom who

then disappeared into the kitchen. “He doesn't like it when I read his mind.”

“So it's true?”

“Not with you, miss. I just guessed your expression.” Jane switched seats. He threw himself on the sofa beside Alyx. “Seeing a thousand times, I can't. But we can easily look into your eyes when you glare like that.”

“As the man did, he looked at me so closely that I froze.”

“Ed.”

“How can you know?”

“There are only a few who have mind-reading skills like me who come from the East. And the bad ones are only two people. The other is in time for punishment. The other was wandering around with his young master—and it was Ed.”

“Then..”

“Why can't we read your mind? Because it's not time yet,” Jane giggles.

“Everyone is too convoluted,” said Alyx leaning his head on the shoulder of the sofa.

“Say a chip, which is being embedded in your head, making others unable to read your mind or find where you are,” Jane stared fixedly at Alyx. “True. Not wrong again, you are the one.”

“What other people? You mean the chosen one?”

Jane laughed broadly while holding her stomach. “It is indeed a gravestone, shaken, and you are the chosen one.”

Alyx sneered.

“Chip it's just something small— really-small from its size. The guy who put the chip in your head, of course, means you can live safely, without being bothered by bad-SOS—that's my word for a guy like Ed,” Jane whispered to Alyx, “but, <TAG1>but, its efficacy decreased and made you finally found,” Jane added. “Did you hear Tom was swearing?” ask Jane then.

“Who does it feed on? Not me, right?”

“He couldn't have dared to curse you. I.”

“Why?” a moment later, Alyx understood that Jane meant himself.

“She doesn't like it when I look into her mind,” explains Jane still with a smile on her face.

“It's best not to, uh, so she knows that you read her mind?”

“Of course because Tom's brain function is like that.”

*

The clock shows at eleven. Not noticeably, Jane had been talking for several hours and there were no signs of fatigue from her face.

“I became the most reliable speaker on campus,” he said when Alyx asked about this.

“Very good.”

“You don't ask anymore? I'm glad that if you ask me something, it means that you're pouring something inside

your mind—that I don't know.”

“You know, I have a lot of questions right now, and I'd rather you or Tom tell me without me asking, because I don't even know which one I should ask first.”

“I will prepare lunch first,” said Tom and returned to the kitchen.

“What his work is related to the kitchen, it seems he really likes to go to the kitchen,” Alyx said after seeing Tom

disappear from behind closed doors.

Jane was giggling again.

“You too. You're so happy to laugh.”

“I'm too easy to put out an expression that should be mediocre.” Jane smiled. “It's easy for me to laugh—when thinking of something funny or otherwise, it's easy to tear out a tear— when I see something sad. My shortcomings,” he said adding.

“That's no shortage, Jane.”

“No, you don't know. It's very painful. Especially when you are sad. So, dad made me always able to

laughingly. Father said, I was very sweet as he smiled,” he continued later after seeing the approving nod from Alyx. “But you won't want to see me sad. So, I hope you don't grieve in front of me.”

“Tak will, Jane,” says Alyx, make an appointment, and smile. “But, by the way, you were talking about your father. Looks like he knows me. Do I know him?”

After that question, the door opened.

*