Posted august 16, 2020

For the Wattys 2020

I wanted to know if the IP address that Ken brought me was right.

I was having a hard time understanding why he wanted to help me. I also had a hard time understanding if he was being truthful.

I needed to be logical. I knew that he was somehow food friends with Calumn. Although Calumn was nice to others, he was against Autumn Ace Air in this quest. I saw a text of them both saying they needed to knock it into me. That I had to be stopped. Calumn was working at the FAPCU. For the past couple of months, it stopped serving and protecting and started terrorizing and hurting.

I struggled for a generous amount of hours during the span of different days to make sure he gave me the right Ip address when I could have just asked Johnny to verify for me. But I wanted to be independent. And not let more people in.

Also, he was good friends with Ken. Maybe he was leaking some things about the surgery to him. Maybe they were both trying to frame Calumn?

I was intent on not asking Johhny or anybody no matter who they were for help the fourth day. But as the darkness started falling like a big warm cozy blanket on the world, it became clearer that work that I was lacking an important piece of knowledge in coding to decipher this IP address.

My phone buzzed a few minute after that thought, at around 8:30. I didn't know whether to expect a text from my silent friends. Or a threat.

To my bad luck, it was a threat again.

Eight words, but they pushed on my heart like a brick, making it almost impossible to breathe or see past my pain.

"You will never know who hides behind the mask."

I passed a hand on my phone. Maybe he was right, and I would never do so. I hadn't figured out who he was, and was not even close to knowing. I didn't even have a clear trail. Only bits and pieces sprinkled everywhere.

Did I want to let him win? Or could I easily overcome my ego, and ask Johnny for help?

It wasn't easy, but I was at a point to ask where I could beg him to help me.

My hand was shaking the whole time I was dialing his number. It was also shaking when he picked up. Maybe my voice was too, because he asked if I was okay. I said yes, just nervous. He didn't ask why. But he just said. "You're great, Perfect, which is why you sometimes need help. No one is an island on its own."

where did that come from? And great? Why great, and not smart, nice, clever, or good? What was with the noun great, and me that everyone wanted to use it?

What did it even meant to be great?

"There's nothing wrong with asking for help. I'll call you tomorrow."

"Okay." I hung up.

He did tell me the next day where it came from. Ken apparently had said the truth. But was Johnny saying the truth? What if they had come together to kidnap me. Or trick me? What if they were the opponents and they both hated me so much they wanted to get rid of me& Even my father wanted to get rid of me?

I think trusting people with such big things is a bit of dumb luck. They're either worth it. Or they're not. And you can't know unless you trust them with something.

One thing I knew for sue, is that I couldn't perform the experiment before unveiling my opponent. It was too dangerous. He wouldn't let me.

Next thing on the list was to inform Daniel. I knew he wouldn't come. I had to tack him down.

I lifted my head to my painted ceiling. It's going to be a long night again.