The mother and son duo were only a few steps away from their lawn, and if James's eyes weren't playing tricks on him, he would have sworn the man who just passed had glowing yellow eyes like the image in his nightmares.
Just to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks, he asked his mom.
"Did-did you see that? The man that just passed?"
"What's that? What man? I didn't see anything," Serena replied with one of her eyebrows slightly raised.
"Ah, never mind," James said.
"You know what, we need to talk about these things you've been seeing and the constant dreams, or should I say nightmares, you've been having," Serena said with an annoyed tone.
'Right! Now I'm hallucinating. Can things ever get better?' James was in his thoughts again.
They were at the doorstep, and with a slight twist of the knob, the door opened.
A girl with brown curly hair ran out with her arms swung open.
"Jessie! We were only gone for an hour or two, and here you're acting like we were gone for a year," Serena squeezed her daughter in a tight embrace and gave her a huge kiss on the forehead.
"He keeps acting like a guy with a stone heart. You can't even hug your little sis," Jessica teased her brother.
One would expect remorse or a gentle response, but James just shrugged.
James didn't hate his sister or have any feeling like that towards her. No, he was just the type that didn't show feelings.
"Let's not forget we have some chatting to do. Go freshen up while I make lunch."
With that said, the two headed to their rooms.
"Lunch is ready! Come out of your holes," Serena called with a vivid smile on her face.
On the dining table, two plates of fried potatoes and scrambled eggs with diced and fried veggies lay.
"Why... why aren't you eating, Mum?" Jessica muffled with a spoonful of potatoes in her mouth.
"Be careful unless you want to be choked," James said with an evil grin on his face.
"I'm okay for now, dear... you might want to congratulate your brother. He's now a student of Braxton High," Serena replied to Jessica before giving James an irritated look for his comment earlier.
"Really, bro? Congrats! I knew you'd pass. Now, I'd like to see the look on that loser, Jeremy's face."
"Please, I don't want to hear that name!" James was furious upon hearing Jeremy's name. It seems he had a history with this said person.
The siblings were done with their meal, and Jessica went to the kitchen to wash the plates.
"Now, let's talk," Serena said.
"Please, Mom, you've said this ten times."
"I know you once said there's this grey blur that relentlessly haunts you in your dream. Tell me, what's the problem? Have there been any changes? You've been unstable for a few days now. Is it the same constant thing?" Serena continued with a straight face, showing how serious she was.
"There have been no changes, Mom. It's the same thing over and over. Only lately, it's been very constant. I hardly sleep, and I'm scared, Mom," James replied with a soft tone that was a bit shaky.
"Ah! I wish your father were here now. I know he'd solve this in a heartbeat. He's a genius, after all. But fear not, son, once I accumulate enough, we'll go see a therapist. I really wish I could stop this trauma now and here," Serena said with a saddened look on her face.
She was about to go for an embrace when she saw James stood up with his face scrunched.
"I don't know why you bother about that man!" James shouted as he stood up. "He's been gone for ten years, Mom, and what did he leave for us? An old box with a rickety stone! What are we supposed to do with that? Sell it for millions? He doesn't care, Mom!"
"He's still your father, James! He left that thing for you because he deemed it important, and hopefully, we'll meet him again!" Serena too, shouted with a tear rolling down her cheek.
James scoffed before rushing to his room and slamming the door shut.
"What's wrong, Mom?" Jessica rushed to the dining with soapy hands. There, she saw her mother crying uncontrollably.
In James's room, James was leaning on the door, also crying.
After three minutes or so, he went under his bed and brought out an old metal box. The metal box had a diagonal line running from the middle to both sides, making it look like two halves.
Both sides had halved upright and an upside-down triangles placed on each other, and also a halved moon. The symbol only made sense and was vivid when closed, just like it was now.
Dials with strange symbols were placed on one side of the box, for the box required a specific combination to be opened.
With four random dials pushed, the box was opened. Although, random wouldn't make sense, for the combination had been revealed to James when he was five.
The box was opened, and a white crystallized stone that glowed was revealed.
'I don't know why you gave me this rock; all I know is there's this tingling sensation I feel whenever I hold it. I wish you were here to see how your children have been coping. Will you ever come back?' James thought with tears in his eyes.
Just as he was about to put the box away, a tear managed to drop on the stone before he closed it and placed it under his bed.
Unbeknownst to James, this drop of tear had a reaction. The stone shone brighter, almost illuminating every angle under his bed, even as it was placed in a box.
Outside, standing on their lawn, was the man in the elegant suit, the same man James saw earlier.
If one were to peek through James's window, one would see a man with neatly gelled jet black hair. He stood there staring at James's window.
"I can feel it. I can sense the power. Finally..."