Steemit Challenge s26wk2- Mysterious Roommate

When Timothy first met with Ronnie, he was not at all concerned of who he was. The guy was decent looking, he wore neat shirts, and spoke with that calm voice, thereby portraying a gentle character that could convince someone even if he was lying.

Ronnie had told him he came into the city for export-import business, that he wanted to save money so sharing room was better. Timothy believed him, after all, so many people come into the city with big dreams.

At first, everything looked normal. Ronnie was always stepping out early, coming back late, sometimes with tired eyes, sometimes with a smile like somebody that just closed a big deal. He would even talk about foreign markets, shipping, paperwork… things Timothy didn’t really understand but he nodded along. He even began to respect Ronnie — until the night that scattered everything.

That evening Timothy came back earlier than usual. He opened the door gently, thinking he would meet an empty room, but instead Ronnie was there, squatting beside the bed with a black bag he had pulled out. Timothy’s eyes nearly left his head when he saw the content.

Iron cutters. A drill. A bunch of strange keys. Magnifying glass. And right there beside his hand — a small gun.

Timothy stood there, confused. He could not say anything. Ronnie slowly raised his head up, and instead of panic, his face was very calm, this gesture frightened Timothy more than the gun itself.

“Ronnie… what is all this?”. Timothy managed to whisper.

Ronnie smiled faintly. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Try me. You told me you’re into import-export. Is this how businessmen work? With guns and saws? Or are you a thief?”

The way Ronnie laughed softly sent shivers down Timothy’s back.

“Not a thief. Not exactly. Let’s just say I do jobs that are better hidden from the public eye.”

Timothy’s chest tightened. His mind raced — burglar, spy, killer? He wanted to storm out but his legs refused to move. “Then what job needs all these?”

Ronnie shifted, leaning back against the wall. His voice dropped lower.

“There are men in this city who pretend to be saints by day, but at night they poison this land. They smuggle things that destroy lives. My work is to get close, collect evidence, and stop them before they spread more rot.”

Timothy blinked hard. The words sounded too rehearsed, too smooth. “So you’re saying you’re… some secret agent?”

“Call it whatever you want. But Tim, lies are safer than truth in my world. Believe me or don’t, but never repeat what you saw tonight.”

That night Timothy didn’t sleep. He stared at the ceiling, hearing every small sound like footsteps of death. Was Ronnie truly a spy? Or just a criminal painting himself like a hero? For him to even sleep in the same room with him, was conflicting as it felt like anything might happen to him while he would be sleeping.

Days passed, tension grew. Then one morning Timothy woke up due to the police sirens screaming in the distance. Ronnie had already woken up, dressed and was ready to move, it looked like he expected the police, and made plans to escape. He carried the black bag on his shoulder and paused by the door.

He said,

"You will not see me again. All that you have seen, keep it to yourself and do not involve me, or else I'll come back for you."

After he said this, he went away.

By afternoon, everybody heard the news. A hidden warehouse had been busted. Piles of illegal arms and fake currency were displayed on TV. The suspects? Two powerful businessmen in the city. Reporters said anonymous evidence had guided the police, but nobody knew who provided it.

Timothy sat frozen in front of the television, his heart racing. He didn’t need anybody to tell him — Ronnie’s hands were all over it.

That night, Timothy returned to an empty room. Ronnie’s bed was neatly made, his bag gone. He left without even dropping a message.

People started talking, some even concluded that he was a thief, others whispered of a government spy. But Timothy knew he might never learn the truth. The only thing certain was this: he had shared a room with a man living a life too dangerous for ordinary eyes.

And maybe, that was exactly how Ronnie wanted the story to end.

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I invite @imohmitch @mr-peng @promisezella to participate in this contest.

cc,

@dove11