"Waheeb, who are you talking to?" Nate asked as he joined me on the rooftop.

I hadn't heard him approach, but I knew he wouldn't wait long before following me to make sure I was okay. The only problem was that I wasn't okay. Not that I would admit it to him.

People often told me I had an expressive face, and I tried to keep it as expressionless as possible when I said, "I'm not talking to anyone, just thinking aloud." I smiled and hoped I didn't look too guilty.

Lying wasn't something I was good at. And Nate knew me better than most. No wonder he came after me. Yet, I was grateful he gave me a few minutes to collect my thoughts. It wasn't his fault that I spent those precious moments talking to disembodied voices and becoming more confused than before. I sighed.

Whether he believed me or not, I couldn't be sure, but Nate also looked distracted, which was odd. Had I lived in my head so much that I didn't notice his discomfort before?

Instead of pressing me to talk about myself, he said, "Sure, anyway, I need your help with something. Do you need more time to think, or are you ready to join me back in the office?"

"No, I'm good. What do you need? Is everything okay" I was anything but good. Well, what Nate didn't know wouldn't hurt him. Maybe for a change, I should focus on his problems than mine.

"Yes, I'm fine. It's work-related."

'Nothing new there because your entire existence was work-related,' I thought uncharitably. Aloud, I said, "Yeah, sure. What do you need?"

He explained how he was looking for an old encrypted file and couldn't open it because he misplaced the decryption code. I didn't believe him for a second. Nate lied to me for the first time in all the years we had been friends. At least, it was the first time I knew about it, but I couldn't understand his reason. Why would he lie to me about something so insignificant, and why wouldn't he meet my gaze?

Even when I tried to get his attention, he stared over my shoulder. And then quickly looked away toward the horizon. He was behaving in a very un-Nate-like way. It played havoc with my anxiety, and I wondered if my premonition had something to do with Nate.

Thankfully, the voices had gone silent. Whether they didn't want to talk in front of Nate or had left for good was yet to be determined, but enough of wasting time. Even if Nate lied, I still needed to get back to work.

Decrypting a document was something I could deal with. I was good at my work, it was something I could focus on instead of the voices in my head. I needed this, and maybe that's why Nate said it, anyway. I needed to stay busy and not think about the nonsensical things going around in my mind because that was the only way to keep myself sane.

I looked at him enquiringly and said, "I'll get going then. Are you coming?"

Nate didn't look at me but nodded. "You go ahead, and I'll be down with you in a moment."

"Okay," I said before heading towards the door.

I always considered the roof garden a good place to think and re-energize. It was a small oasis in the middle of the concrete jungle. Filled with colorful flowers, lush plants, and fragrant herbs, It created a contrast with the gray buildings and the smoggy sky. And sometimes, it was the only way to get fresh air was on this roof, and that's what I tried but failed to do.

Sitting in my usual corner, I wanted to think, but instead, I talked to people who weren't there. And now it was Nate's turn to do some thinking. I wondered how much did he hear before he decided to interrupt me. Then I realized I was worrying for nothing. Nate was a straightforward guy. If he had thought anything untoward was happening, he would have said so.

Besides, what sane person would think twice when they found someone talking to themselves? They would automatically believe the person was thinking aloud. Still, I was happy Nate was the one who found me and not any other colleague. People already thought I was weird, and I didn't want to add fuel to that fire.

#

"What are your thoughts about this one, my friend?" the voice said.

"He isn't our concern. We're here for Waheeb. Remember?" the other added.

Nate stood still, looking at his feet, and trying to gather his thoughts. When he followed Waheeb to the roof garden, he thought he would find his friend tensed and worried. But not even for a second did he consider this. He should have known better. Waheeb's premonitions were no joke.

He couldn't lose his temper. Keeping his voice steady, he said, "Leave Waheeb alone." He kept his tone harsh because he wanted them to know that messing with him wouldn't be a good idea. Waheeb didn't need these two to mess further with his mind.

His gaze was trained toward the horizon still. The sun was setting behind the skyscrapers, painting the sky with shades of orange, pink, and purple. Down, below the sound of traffic wasn't deterred by the flickering of the city lights. He saw a normal, busy, and vibrant world, unaware of the hidden forces that were at work. He saw a world that was about to face a great challenge, a world that needed a hero. He wondered if Waheeb was ready for what was coming.

His attention was brought back to the two creatures, when one of them all but shouted, "You can hear us?!"

It wasn't exactly a question, and Nate didn't reply. He had taken the two creatures by surprise, as was his intent. Turning around, he glared at them. Surprising them more. "And yes, I can see you too."

"But... But," one of them said, "that's impossible. Humans can't see us."

"Yeah, humans can't," Nate pointedly at two troublemakers and smirked. "Now, will you listen to me and stay away from my friend or not?"

Ignoring his question, they looked at him bewildered. "Who are you?" one asked.

"Let's just say I'm someone who knows that you two are up to no good. I'm warning you, go back from where you came. There is no room for you here." With his message delivered, Nate didn't stay to talk more. These two creatures needed to leave the earth before something happened, and they needed to leave Waheeb alone.

#

After Nate left, the two creatures looked at each other. To say that they were shocked by this revelation was the understatement of the century. Non-humans living among humans, disguised as humans... It was not good for what they had in mind.

"That went well."

"What is his problem anyway?"

"Who knows, but we must focus on Waheeb. We love him. He is our guy."

"Yes, yes. He is ours, and we are his. He is the only one who matters. This Nate dude is nothing but a nuisance."

"But this is exciting, my friend."

"Do you think it is time for him to find the Book again?"

"I can't say for sure, but I think he will find it when it is the right time. Now that we are here to help."

"Right, of course. He was such an amazing kid. He grew up, though."

"Yes, my friend, because they all do... Eventually."

The two troublemakers wouldn't leave just because Nate asked nicely. They would stay because they came to earth for a reason. When the time was right, the mischief and mayhem must follow. Nate could keep his opinions to himself. After all, they picked Waheeb for a reason. If they didn't complete their mission, who knew how many more centuries they would have to wait for another one? No, staying was the right choice, even if Nate scared them a little.

#

I reached the office and logged into my computer. I opened the file Nate had sent me and entered the decryption code. I kept all the codes saved on my phone for easy access. The file opened without any problem and revealed a bunch of numbers and symbols that made no sense to me. I frowned and checked the file name again. It was supposed to be a report on our previous project, but it looked like gibberish.

I called Nate and asked him what was going on. He sounded nervous and said he had sent me the wrong file by mistake. He asked me to delete it immediately and not look at it again. He said he would send me the correct file soon.

I deleted the file but felt uneasy. Why would Nate have such a file on his computer? What did it mean? And why did he lie to me about it? I decided to confront him when he came back from the roof garden. I needed some answers from him. He was hiding something from me, something big. And I had a feeling it had something to do with my premonition.