I blinked as goosebumps rose on my skin.

"No!"I screamed in huge denial. "M-My father will never do this.He never!"I screamed into the quietness.Nate's eyes widened then his face scrunched in confusion as the air got colder and darker.

"Um,I think your father wants to traffic you or exploit you!"Nate blurted as he pulled on his shirt collar.

"M-My dad wouldn't do this."I defended, my voice loud and shaky as tears glistened in my eyes."He'll wouldn't ever stoop that low.''My hands began to shake and my voice wavered, not believing a word that slipped my lips.But Cold he?I actually believed that he would.He cheated on my mom,he insults her ,he beats her and does the same to me.He doesn't seem to care about anyone other than himself.If selling me would make him cash.He would do it without a blink of an eye.

Tears stung my eyes as everything blurred.I blinked them away as I wiped them with a sniff,"My parents have been arguing alot lately.I-It's it because of this?Does my mother know?"

Nate gulped and placed a hand on my shoulder.He frowned,"Oh.Thalia."He said awkwardly as his tears turned pink.

My legs could no longer support me and my head felt woozy."I-I just can't believe it."I answered ,feeling detached and tired.I squeezed my eyes shut and pressed my hands to my eyes.

He averted his gaze and gulped,"Well,we gotta keep looking."I nodded,blinked twice then looked around.I nodded still startled as Nate sucked in a deep breath then pressed his hands to his forehead.He wheezed.

Oh,God.The lack of ventilation.

I frowned as my eyes landed on the top most of the floor-to-ceiling shelf.On the top caught my eyes,it was some packets filled with dried herbs pressed and balanced open a small,ceramic vase and a whole zip lock bag filled with dried leaves and other herbs.I rose a brow as I alerted Nate,"Hey ,I kinda need a hand?Help me up."He nodded but froze and pointed at the chair.

"My dad will notice someone's feet on the chair.We gotta be incognito mode."He gasped,neck red then he knelt then he hoisted me up on his legs.We wobbled a bit as I steaded myself as i grabbed the packets as its strong oily smells burnt my nostrils that caused me to sneeze ,loud.asas nate groped my feet hard.I glared at him angrily as the strong ,off scent made me feel weak and woozy.

"Hey,you okay?"Nate asked.

"Yeah,I think.?"I replied ,rubbing my nose.

A black shadow materialised out of nowhere and formed a hand with long black talons as the room seemed darker and glitched for a second.I shook my head as a cold breath settled on the room.The smell caused Nate tio sneeze and stumble back as I shook my head and sucked out of the hallucination.I observed the herbs as I noticed common ones and strange ones.

"What the hell just happened?"Nate asked,breathing ragged as he pabted.I looked down confused as I was.

"I have no idea."

Did he share that hallucination too?

Nate helped me down as he synched his muscles.He sniffed,threw head back then observed the packet like Sherlockas I returned the good.

"Well,that explains a lot."He remarked aloud,"did I tell you that I felt 'as if a monster was chasing me and hurting me in my head' .I'm guessing that the herbs combined with some drugs caused my delusions.But I wonder what caused my weakness and paralysis?And also where the hell did he get drugs and not get caught!"

I thought long and hard."It could be a common nut or fruit.But paralysis.I don't really know?"I snapped my fingers,"The internet."I smiled.

Nate shook his head unconvinced,"No,let's do some digging then we'll see."He said ,moved a bit then stopped to stare at me. "Um,so Thalia,"He began awkwardly,"Did you understand the letter?I mean the part about ...being pure.The word 'pure'."I shook my head as he bit his lip and scratched the back of his neck.He cocked his head then glanced at my the crucifix on my chest.Involuntary,I clenched my hands on the cross because I felt self conscious.

He raised his brows,"But you're a catholic .They must have mentioned it at some point like Christmas.Or Mary."He said,"Nevermind,let's search his desk.There might be more clues."But he didn't have to try because something got his eye.Under a spread of papers was strange biology book.

"The hell?"

"That wasn't there before?"Nate remarked.

No shit.

I removed the documents as I observed the book's green spine,cracked and used was labelled 'A Big Book of Poisons.'Excuse me ,what?Naste gaped at the book as I stood there confused.We shared a worried look then he pulled it out.Then he dropped it again in pain as it fell on the table

With a loud thud.It was thick.It had more pages than It combined.And that was a lot.

Nate opened and flipped through the book as clouds of dust floated in the room that caused Nate to cough and wheeze but he prowled through.The pages were yellow,dirty and speckled with brown.

@1924

"Wow,that's old."Nate blurted.Obivously not alarmed by the strange book,its appearance and the fact that my father owned a book —like this or even read books.The content in it was just as odd as its cover.An old ,green cover with poorly illustrated plants.It was a classification of plants,herbs and trees could been used as poisons and its disastrous side effects.Some were common nuts or roots like poison oak,poison ivy or Belladonna.

"Why would my dad have this?He was never interested in Biology—or books in general.When I try to ask him about his past he insults me or ignores me."I blurted.

Nate stared into the right bookshelf then with stern eyes,"Your father is mysterious as hell.."He said.

I nodded grumpy as I peered into the book's delicate pages.I ran my fingers on it and scrunched my face but I had a huge deduction that this book was an original—or atleast the first edition.I flipped back onto the copyright page and looked below the odd printed text.

First edition.

"Jackpot!"I yelled happily.

But the burning question was why on earth did my dad own such a valuable and priceless book.Did he thrift ?No,no one will sell something so priceless and he reads?Since when.my head swirled with questions.

"What do you mean jackpot?"Nate asked, confused as he saw my scrunched face or my previous cheerful expression.I quickly apologised and explained to him how priceless the book is and it is definitely an original due to the odd cover.

Nate nodded in understanding and it was still evident that he didn't get why my dad would own something like things or even get his hands on it. Does it make him look smart or intimidating ? It gets even more odd.

When I attempted to carry the large book ,an old dusty letter slipped out.It was blurred ,yellowed and thin.I checked the sender's name.

Mr James Jefferson.

It sent chills down my spine.I placed the book down then froze with a deep breath.The air was thin,hazy and I could barely breathe.I didn't know if it was the lack of ventilation in the room or the fear that built on my chest like bricks.My breath hitched as my legs turned wobbly.