We spend a good chunk of time in awkward, uncomfortable silence.
I focus on my meal, to keep myself firing questions at her like we are at one of those trivia contests. And Emmeline stares at me with a curious gaze.
I know she is staring at the markings that Micah had left on my skin.
Still, haven't mounted up enough courage to look in the mirror and I don't know if I'll ever be able to look at myself.
" They are...," Emmeline purses her lips trying to find the right words to describe the markings," Unusually beautiful," That is what you say when you want to compliment someone, but there isn't anything to compliment. A polite, you look horrible. Find a hole in the ground and never come out, because your presence hurts my eyes.
I refrain from sharing my thoughts and carry on eating my gloopy soup. I don't have enough energy to deal with this, any of this.
" Is day or night?" I decided to shift the subject. Emmeline blinks at me and clears her throat. She probably has sensed my unease.
" It's dawn," She replies after a few seconds, and once again fidgets in her seat.
" How come I have never heard of you?" I push on. Granted, Mason was practically a stranger to me at this point. I realised that he had this whole other life where only a select few were allowed. Was he a spy? Were they all spies? And the long list of other possibilities unfolded in my head at a breathtaking speed.
Emmeline seems caught off guard by my remark, and fidgets in her chair again. And I have to stifle the impulse to point out that she is rather squirmish.
" I have been away for the past five years. Out of reach," She vaguely explains and glances at the wall. There are no curtains, therefore no windows. And once again I found myself stuck underground. However, this one has nicer furnishings than my previous underground lodging and less iron.
I nod, not really sure how to move on from there.
Nor does she, and the awkwardness between us reaches a new level. Unbearable.
" I need to have some rest. Can we continue this conversation when I wake up," I push myself, but fail to stand because my legs aren't strong enough to keep me upright. I'm failing at the simplest things.
Emmeline nods, and stands up, a little unsure of what to do. Help me or watch me crawl to the bed.
After a few seconds, she decides to help me up and walks me to my bed.
Once I'm under the covers, she brushes a stray lock off my face and smiles at me, turns, and begins to make her way toward the door.
" Mason?" I have one final question, I've been trying my best to keep that question to myself but I want to know.
Emmeline pauses," I don't know," She opens the door and leaves.
And I don't know how to feel anymore. Enid was gone and Mason had fallen off the face of the earth. I try my best to keep the intrusive thoughts at bay and allow myself to get some rest.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
Eyes heavy with sleep, and a body that feels it has been weighed down with rocks, I take in my surroundings once more. The room is dark and unease creeps up on me. I'm unsure still, whether I had dreamed the whole ordeal.
I push myself up on the bed and a small light above me comes on.
I'm relieved and heartbroken at the same time. For a moment I wished that it had been a dream. I desperately hoped that what lived through was nothing more than a figment of my imagination.
After leading a battle with myself I get out of bed and hunt for clothes. There are none. By the looks of it, they weren't expecting me.
The food on the table has been cleared, and except for my rumpled sheets, the room looks the same way it had when I came in.
After a few moments of considering what to do, I make my way out the door.
I feel slightly light-headed but I know that it's only because I need food and water.
Aimlessly I roam along the same corridor for a little while until I reach the lobby where we appeared.
To my left, there is a corridor, to my right another corridor, and in front of me two double doors, probably leading outside.
There is no one in sight and I wonder if everyone has left. I hug myself at that thought and go through the left corridor. The walls are lined with heavy wood paneling, with very few decorative items and light sconces. Once again, rather basic.
After a few feet, the corridor opens into a large round alcove and I find myself surrounded by different paintings and pictures of men and women at various stages of their lives. There are a few sculpted busts and I recognise them as historical figures. The ancient Kings.
One stands out the most as being a full-body sculpture of King Solomon, dead in the center of the alcove.
I walk around it a few times and halt in front of it.
" We are a distant version of an order King Solomon created, in his early rule. Solomonari they were called, " I don't turn around because I know who the voice belongs to, Aaron.
" Come through this way," He stops a few paces away from me and waves me towards an ajar door.
I look down at myself and hug the bathrobe tighter. I'm about to go into a room full of people, wearing only a bathrobe.
" Some clothes would be nice," I look at him and he gives me a once over.
" We will arrange that at some point. Planning on going somewhere?" He asks with a small smile, that reaches his eyes.
" N-N- No," I stammer, the thought hadn't even crossed my mind. Alright, maybe it had.
Aaron laughs and tilts his head towards the room gain, and begins to walk. I follow after a few moments because what else am I supposed to do?