[A map is discovered with stars on certain areas.]

"Why do we have to do this?" Janet whined as she wiped the beads of sweat gathering on her forehead. "Because we're the good Samaritans in the town of the apathetic." The rebuke from Liam was smooth and instantaneous.

Albeit expected, I couldn't help but cringe internally at the snide in his voice. I didn't blame his animosity. The disdain of the townsfolks towards Uncle Kevin wasn't exactly subtle either.

"Maybe they're just busy or something," I pointed out, trying to be helpful. Liam rolled his eyes, unimpressed. "Well, maybe, but I doubt they would be busy until the weekends." He crouched to stack another box of book, but his mouth was still moving. "I don't understand. Everyone gets old and health issues are to be expected. What's more of an old man who has schizophrenia at the age of 86?"

Janet scooted near me. "There he goes again," she muttered over his rant. I could only give her a commiserating smile.

"Now when he finally complies to go to the old folks' home, no one comes to help. Have these people no shame?" he was fuming about and harshly tore the tape off its roll.

"Okay, Mr. Justice. We get your point." Janet got to her feet and brushed invisible dust off her jeans. "Yes, he is a kind old man, just a little senile, but we can't exactly blame them. I mean, I would freak out too if I see my neighbour shuffling about doing god-knows-what almost every alternate night."

Liam looked like he was about to bomb us with a bunch of hardcore facts and ethics, so I piped up before one word escaped his mouth. "Speaking of which, where's Stacy and Uncle Kevin? I haven't seen them for some time."

Janet pointed out of the study room. "Stacy's helping him to change his gauze. I saw her passing by with the first aid kit just now."

I espied a light hue rising across Liam's features. I smirked.

"Maybe she needs some help," I slyly suggested. "Liam, why don't you check on her or something?" I nearly cracked out laughing seeing the brunette's immediate glare at me. "Why me?" he sourly retorted, though it was weaker than his usual grumbles.

Before I could reply, however, the door creaked open and a slim figure slipped through, gently shutting the door behind her. I nudged Liam, who had abruptly sank into his clean-up task with a mask of concentration.

"Uncle Kevin is asleep now," came her tender voice. "He said we could stay for however long we wanted, and he welcomes us again tomorrow."

"Oh, great! We should definitely come back again- er, yeah, the four of us, if everyone is free," Liam agreed a little too quickly, fumbling a little at the end. I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. Captain of the school's debate team and on his way to Cambridge for law, yet he still stuttered over talking to his four-year-old crush.

Stacy gave him a shy smile and tucked a loose strand of black hair behind her ear. "Yes, I'm free, and I would like to come help out again." At this, Liam perked up, hazel eyes lighting up like a kid on Christmas night. "That's awesome! What time are you available? We could..."

I almost groaned. The two were just too oblivious. I was about to turn back to my own tasks away from the ridiculous, subconscious drama of flirting when I heard Janet's voice.

"Hey, Will, guys, look at this." She was crouched over the very bottom of the antediluvian cabinet at the corner of the office, where the narrow shelves held one ornament in one, serving nothing more than an embellishment. I raised my eyebrows. What was she doing? There was nothing beneath the cabinet.

But all we heard was a click, and a small slat popped out.

We all gathered around as Janet gingerly tugged at the slat, revealing a concealed drawer that accommodated a furled paper, which edges were already bent and surface yellow from the lost of time. Without much hesitation, Janet's nimble fingers uncurled it.

The paper was a map of the house, and certain parts were marked with a star.

"What? That's it?" Janet's blurt echoed all our thoughts. "Why is this so secretly hidden away, then? Does he think someone would steal it know where to rob in his house?"

"This is like a treasure map," Stacy mused. "Remember? He used to tell us stories when we were younger, and once or twice he would set out a map for us to play around with, and we would get candies and fake jewelleries as our reward."

"Maybe.. it is one?" I felt dumb the moment those words tumbled from my mouth, but my friends merely seemed convinced. Liam nodded. "Yeah, that's plausible. Perhaps he had left it here as a game for us, but overtime forgot about it?"

"We could try playing it," Janet suggested. "I'm bored with all these packing, and we could use one last tour around the house before he leaves."

At those words, a sudden melancholic ambience hung over the room. Uncle Kevin was one of the friendliest neighbours I knew since young. The four of us would occasionally visit him, and he would play with us when he was free. We loved listening to tales and fables he spun of faraway lands, ones that no books scripted. These were before people said he went "crazy", and we were forbidden from visiting him until we could handle ourselves.

"...let's do it," Liam's words broke everyone's state of reminiscent, and no one said anything else except silent agreement.

*

"...and this leads to the attic," I murmured, before glancing at the square panel in the ceiling. This was the third marked place on the map we visited, and so far found nothing out of usual, except a small, old radio in the kitchen. Out of amusement, Janet had taken it along to fiddle with the "aesthetically retro" item.

Liam reached up with ease and hooked his fingers on the latch. With a tug, the panel flipped open and attic ladder tumbled out. Liam climbed up first, followed by the girls, and I finally went last.

The attic wasn't as shambolic as one would imagine. We hadn't had the chance to clean up here yet, but it was fairly bearable, only a few items misplaced and the slight musky smell. The sun illuminated through single window pane, where golden dust particles danced in the ray of light.

We wandered a little, sinking into our own thoughts, when a sudden static burst through the comforting silence.

"What the hell?" I could hear Janet hiss. "That scared the shit out of me."

The radio had crackled to life, except it was nothing but a buzz of static. Janet shifted from her spot near the window in vain hopes of getting a signal, but as soon as she was a few feet away, the static died out. She moved back, and the noise returned.

Now all of us were curious. We gathered around while Janet toggled and twisted the buttons.

"Can you sync it?" I asked. Janet scowled at the machine while continuing to fiddle with the machine. "Yeah, but this is weird. It shouldn't even be able to catch a signal in the first place."

"What do you mea-" before Stacy could complete her sentence, Janet twisted a button, and there was a long and clear beep.

Before we knew it, there was a bright light, then a weird, disorienting sensation, and blackness hit me as quickly as the light detonated.

*Bonus*

Kevin craned his neck towards the attic entrance when a familiar beep greeted his ears.

"Oh? They've found it already?" A light child-like voice echoed in his head.

Although he knew no one was watching him, he nodded. "...Yeah, they did. I'm counting on you."

The voice responded with a giggle. "Don't worry. They're in good hands."

With a small smile, Kevin lowered his gaze to his palm. On his wrist a faded mark was engraved, but the wrinkle of his skin had distorted its actual shape. He regarded it fondly.

"Take care, kids. And don't take too long."

♧[18/5/2020]♧

I humbly request yall ignore the almost irrelevant picture and (once again) too-stretched plot.

:)