Lucas and Mariam had gotten home. Mariam was quiet and didn't say anything to Lucas. Lucas didn't care. He wondered what kind of images and conversations he had seen and heard while at the bus. Then, he bashed the thought out of his mind.
Nanny Doodlehead welcomed them warmly as she served them a cup of tea each. Mariam and nanny Doodlehead talked about her project all through. Lucas then left for his room.
He swung the door wide open and shut it immediately he got into the room. Then, he brought out his sketchbook from his bag and placed it on his reading table as he sat on the seat in front of the reading table.
He began sketching all that he had seen earlier in the bus and wrote the things he had heard people say in a corner of the page he drew what he had seen. After drawing, he realised that the images were that of supernatural beings. He gasped.
"I know that I'm a demon but I never imagined these creatures to be real. I thought they were myths and folktalkes!" He said to himself as he paced in the room. Then, he looked at his palms and fingers. They were normal. He then sat on the bed and took in some deep breaths. "No one's coming for you Lucas Thompson. You'll be fine and free soon!" He said to himself. Just then, his phone began to ring. He looked at the caller ID. It was Philip. He sucked his teeth, then he picked the call.
"Yo! My man! You good?" He asked.
"Yeah. You?" Philip asked.
"I'm chill". Lucas replied.
"So, uhh, I've been doing some research concerning your recent anger issues and I think you need to see a social worker, I mean a therapist". Philip said. Lucas was quiet. Then he burst into laughter.
"Tell me this is a joke!" He said amidst laughter. Philip was quiet. "You're not joking?" Lucas asked.
"I'm not joking!" Philip replied.
"Bro chill. I was just having a bad day and basketball made my mood better". Lucas said. Philip was quiet. "You don't believe me?" Lucas asked.
"I don't know what to believe". Philip answered.
"Philip you're just overthinking. Everything's chill. I promise, I won't get angry at any damn thing tomorrow". Lucas said.
"For real?" Philip asked.
"Yeah bro". Lucas replied.
"Okay then, we'll see tomorrow!" Philip said.
"Sure!" Lucas replied. Then, Philip hung up. Lucas scoffed.
"Bro wants me to see a social worker! What the hell?" He said to himself as he laughed. Just then, there was a knock on the door. Lucas rushed up to his reading table and kept his sketch book back in his bag.
"Come in!" He said. The door swung open. It was Nanny Doodlehead. She walked into the room slowly as she shut the door behind her. Lucas sighed.
"Can I help you?" Lucas asked.
"I can help you!" She said. Lucas was quiet. Then he laughed.
"Please, Nanny Doodlehead, I value my privacy a lot and would be of great joy if you can leave". He said. Nanny Doodlehead sighed. Then she walked up to him.
"You've been having weird changes in your body lately and then, they become normal after some time". Nanny Doodlehead said. For some minutes, Lucas felt like his heart stopped beating. He froze on the spot he stood but remained calm. Then he sighed before he spoke.
"And who told you that?" He asked as he sat on the bed.
"I sensed it!" Nanny Doodlehead replied. Lucas laughed.
"You sensed it? So you're a spy now?" Lucas asked.
"I'm not a spy, I just know what you're going through and I can help you if you let me!" She replied.
"Huh? Listen Doddle, I don't know who the hell told you whatsoever you think is going on in my life and why the person would tell such a blunt lie, but, I'm not experiencing anything you just said I'm going through!" Lucas said in a sharp tone.
Nanny Doodlehead was still. She wondered how Lucas could be so good at lying even though she knew he was lying.
"I guess I was just overthinking then!" She said.
"Yes you were!" Lucas replied.
"I'll take my leave now". She said. Lucas shook his head. Then she walked out of the room and shut the door behind her.
Lucas stood up from the bed immediately and began to shake. He wondered how she knew what he was going through and also wondered if she experienced it or had experienced it when she was much younger. Then, he realised that he needed to be extra careful and vigilant.
**************
The time was some minutes past four. Lucas had been in his room playing a video game when a knock on the door disturbed his peace.
"Who's it?" He asked.
"Marie!" Mariam shouted from outside.
"The door's open!" He replied. The door swung open. Mariam remained standing where she was. Lucas waited for her to walk into the room but she didn't. Then he sighed in frustration.
"What?!" He asked.
"Dad's back. He asked me to call you. He's at his study room". Mariam said.
"Tell him that I said I'll be there in a jiffy". Lucas said as he fixed his gaze on his phone.
"He wants you there now!" Mariam said in a mean tone. Lucas looked at her in frustration. Then, he got up from the bed and walked out of the room shutting the door behind him.
Lucas arrived at his dad's study room and met him writing something in a big notebook. He rolled his eyes around the study room before fixing his gaze on his dad who was already looking at him with his glasses on.
"Uhh, hi". Lucas said in a nonchalant tone.
"How are you son?" Thompson said as he smiled faintly.
"As you can see, I'm good!" Lucas replied. His dad shook his head.
"How was school?" Thompson asked. Lucas scoffed.
"Fine". He replied as he looked at one of the books in a corner of the study room.
"Friends?" Thompson asked. Then, Lucas looked at his dad and gave him a dead stare.
"I don't want to believe you called me here to talk to me like I'm Mariam". Lucas said in a rude tone. His father laughed softly. Lucas arched a brow.
"No son". His dad replied. Lucas shook his head.
"Good". He said.
"Mariam told me what happened to you in the school bus when you guys were coming home". His dad said. Lucas frowned his face.
"What did she say?" He asked.
"What she saw happen to you". His dad replied.
"What did she say she saw happen to me?" Lucas asked as he frowned his face the more.
"Son, what's going on with you? You don't like the school again? Tell me, I'll make sure you're admitted in another school, somewhere you feel more comfortable!" His dad said. Lucas was quiet.
"Listen Thompson. I didn't say anything was wrong with me! Mariam told you what she saw, so be it. But changing school? Hell no! I'm not changing my school for any invalid reason!" Lucas said. His father was quiet.
"Okay son". He managed to say.
"I'll take my leave now". Lucas said. Then, he walked out of the room murmuring.
Lucas was on his way back to his room when he sighted Nanny Doodlehead eating in the sitting room. Then, he walked up to her and sat beside her, switching on the television.
"Never watched TV or your job's restricting you from watching TV?" He asked as he checked the channels one by one for something interesting to watch.
"Never watched the TV". She replied.
"For real? What planet are you from?" Lucas asked as he scoffed. Nanny Doodlehead was quiet.
"So, where do you reside? I mean, where were you residing before you applied for a job here?" He asked.
"Los Angeles". She replied.
"Yoo! That's clean!" Lucas said as he settled on what channel to watch.
"Yeah". Nanny Doodlehead replied. Then, he looked at her with a confused look.
"So you left Los Angeles of all places to come work as a house help in West Virginia?" Lucas asked.
"No". She replied.
"So why are you here?" He asked as he fixed his gaze on the TV.
"I'm here to help you discover who you truly are!" Nanny Doodlehead replied. Lucas looked at her. Then he scoffed and fixed his gaze on the TV.
"I'm Lucas Thompson. Didn't say I didn't know who I was and don't need anybody to help me in choosing what course I would want to study in the university!" He said in a calm tone. Nanny Doodlehead laughed.
"We both know you think you're a demon". She said. Lucas stood up from the chair immediately.
"How do you know that?" He asked. She smiled.
"Whatever you think I think I am is none of your business and whoever or why you're here doesn't matter to me. You can keep your identity to yourself and fool the others with your stupid name and face!" He said almost angrily. Then he left for his room breathing heavily. Nanny Doodlehead looked at him as he walked out of the sitting room.
On getting to his room, Lucas walked up to his reading table and picked up his sketch book from it. Then he looked at the images in the book and walked to the mirror with his gaze fixed on his eyeballs. Nanny Doodlehead's 'I can help you discover who you truly are' echoed in his head. Then he bashed the thought of meeting her for assistance....