Ghost In The Vestige's Shadow - Chapter 8 - Box part 2

Albert’s POV

My vision spins quickly, as I struggle to steady myself, dizzy from the fall. Ah. That hurts. How did I fall? I lean on a shelf, getting my bearings back. Looking down
at my legs, a wave of shock passes me. Wait, i-is that… There was a black figure flat on the ground – a shadow. Pitch-black, like a puddle of water in the night.
Not only that, but a strange feeling makes me think that it could be mine.
But how could that be? Its shape doesn’t even resemble a person! I pace around the borders of my room – noticing changes in the shadow as I move around –
confirming my suspicions. So I guess it is mine. It follows me around and behaves how other shadows do. Deciding that it was all the confirmation
I needed, my short investigation ended there. “This could be a problem. Undoubtedly, at least one person would notice this if I go anywhere. Well,
I just have to hope the night’s dark enough to hide this.” Still with a sense of unease lingering in me, I stop myself when I try heading for the door.

What happened right now was too out of place for me to just brush off. I pause my thoughts for a while until something pops into my head. The package!
I open the door quickly, the rusty hinges almost giving out. It’s still here. There has to be something in here that could help me. Pressing down all instincts to leave the
object alone, I pick it up, and bring it in. Okay… don’t explode now, I think, gently laying it on my bedside desk. Now, how do I open this? The question
bugs me as I inspect the box. Seeing there aren’t any seems to open, or cut from. I feel around it more, gliding my hands through its surface. No crease, nothing to open it with,
there’s nothing at all. A sudden high-pitch beep! gets me on my toes. My phone. Taking it out, an urgent feeling races through me. Missed calls from Bea and Zach
flood my notifications, followed by another incoming call – it’s Zach.

“Hello? Albert, are you there?”
“Zach. Yeah, it’s me. How are you doing?”
“Oh, I’m fine, don’t worry. I just got discharged. What happened over there, though? We called you so many times but you
won’t pick up.” 
Come to think of it, I didn’t get any calls since I suddenly ended up at my apartment. “I-I don’t know, too actually. Maybe a connection error?”
“How’s that possible? The connection at Bea’s house is better than anywhere else! Wait, don’t tell me you forgot about me and just
went off and slept?”
I hear Zach chuckling at the other end. Bea’s voice is there too. “Don’t talk nonsense, Zach. What do you mean, Bea’s-” Wait!I almost forgot! Those two still think
I’m at Bea’s place. “I-I mean, just trust me, man. Connection cut off earlier.”
Zach’s voice suddenly shifts out. He was cheery before, but now his tone was cold. Each word pierced through the phone call like a spear of ice.
“Albert. Don’t. Lie. I know what happened. I know where you are right now. You don’t really have a choice on what to do. Just follow as what he
says, and don’t tell anyone about it. A lot of bad company’s bound to be on your tail sooner or later.”

Then, the call ends. I scramble to call him back but to no avail.

hey readers! This is the last chapter I’ll be uploading here on Luminary Novels – well, this year at least. To keep reading, you can visit Wattpad and look for my story there. Thanks a lot to everyone who helped me here! Bye!