Fletcher laid in his bed thinking about what Alice had said yesterday.
Something in this place called him here and until it gets done, he wouldn't get his peace.
He still doesn't know about how he should feel towards her words. She sounded like she knew something he didn't.
But what could it be?
Maybe he can ask her today.
He picked up the box of food she had left for him to eat in the morning. She told him that he will have dinner and breakfast but he needs to sleep the whole day.
She reasoned that in the night, they will be going to the lake so he needs to sleep in the noon.
He couldn't complain because he loved the idea. Whether it was the silent beautiful lake or the beautiful woman with him, he doesn't know. But all he knows is that it helped him.
He ate the whole box because he was hungry. He has started feeling more alive since yesterday. He has felt relieved after years as they spent time together, his long lost appetite has also come back.
He placed the empty box on the bed stand as there was no dustbin or table in the room. All he wondered was if she will be joining him for now. He took a deep breath, she just met him and already has a strong effect on him.
But he also wondered what this place might hold.
He walked to the door of his room and opened it, looking both sides to make sure that there's nobody out there.
He started walking to the opposite of where he went the other day.
Taking long strides, he came to the end of the hall where there were stairs.
Sudden curiosity took over him and he started running over the stairs, running and crossing one floor after the other. He was out of breath by now but his steps didn't falter.
Eventually, he stood in front of a door, on the opposite side of which was the roof. He opened the door and fresh air met him.
He took long breaths and stepped onto the roof which was calming him. He walked forward and saw that the roof looked dirty, almost black as if it has been stuck by black smoke.
This was weird.
He went to the spot where his grandmother used to sit.
Isn't this such an irony, the grandson who used to come to meet his grandmother in a mental institute is himself admitted there.
He sat there and looked far around the building.
There used to be parks around here but as the main city became a bigger tourist spot day by day, everybody shifted there.
Now all that is left of this place is this growing forest.
He got up and tried to walk over to the right to see the lake he has been always fond of.
The wind suddenly became violent so he stopped and sat where he was. The wind was so strong that he couldn't even open his eyes.
He took his hand forward and felt the wall. There was a corner behind the water tanks the three of them used to sit, that is, his mother, grandmother and him. It has a very narrow space as it was surrounded by walls on two sides and then the circular water tank hid it.
He walked to that spot aa he was close to it as pulling in his organs, entered from behind the small space the water tank had left.
This place also had black powder on it as if smoke has been standing there.
As he sat there, tears formed in his eyes remembering how alone he is without the two women. Three if he adds his wife.
"Where would you even go mom?" He says while his voice trembles. Tears start purring down his cheeks as he finally sobs about all the miseries he had to go through.
What had he even done to go through this.
A knot formed in his throat as he thought about how something bad might have happened to his mother.
He stretches and his hand hits something hard. He curls his fingers around it and feels what it is. But it wasn't what it was that shook him.
When his hand came in-front of his face with the thing he has just found, air left his lungs. All the colour on his face faded and he felt like he might be hallucinating.
Because in his hands, was his mother's phone.
And he was sure it belonged to his mother because it had the same engraving of her name she got done an year ago.
His hands shook as he tried opening it but it had been damaged.
He clutched it close to his heart and ran back to his room. He knew what he has to do now.
________________________________
"Fletcher, Fletcher get up" a soft voice spoke from his right and Fletcher got up with a groan.
"What happened? What is it?" He asked as his eyes shot open.
"Um it's evening, we need to go to the lake." She said. As she noticed him looking confused, she continued "I just came and saw you sleeping" she gave him a breathtaking smile.
"I don't even remember falling asleep" he laughed. Suddenly, his thoughts went wild over what had happened in the noon. "Alice, will you get me a pen and a paper, please it's urgent" he spoke in a pleasing tone and she agreed and exited the room.
After taking too long to find something so small, Alice was back in the room. "Here" she said as she handed him the two things.
"Thank you" Fletcher said and smiled. As soon as he took the pen and paper, he started writing but Alice stopped him.
"Fletcher, you can write whatever you want after we reach the lake ok? We need to leave right now" her voice was panicked and he nodded.
"Sure. Let's go then" he grabbed the stuff he needed and followed her out.
She was walking too quick for him to catch on so he started jogging next to her. He has never seen women walking this fast.
It was getting hard for him to keep up with her and when she looked over her shoulder at him, she understood.
Alice slowed down her pace to hold his hand, then she started running so fast, if Fletcher doesn't keep up with her, he's going to get dragged along.
As she asked him to quickly follow her down the dirt road, he did. As she asked him to jump into the bushes, he did. So it was natural that when she asked him to literally drag his body along, he did.
Fletcher couldn't understand why this woman was caring this much, maybe because she was his nurse, his mind said. But he couldn't believe that that's all that made her this passionate.
But what was more important that that, is why was he listening to her?
How did she have such a great hold on him?
Only time will tell how dangerous this feeling might be.