by DK Andrews
weird, you might think I’m crazy, but—well, I clearly sensed your presence in the room.”
My heart jumps when I hear his words, and I try to hide my shock: “What do you mean?”
“It was just so weird,” he says. “I can’t explain it, but honest to God, I felt your presence inside that room.
“That’s kind of creepy,” I say, while a rush of energy goes through my body.
“I know, I know,” Gabriel agrees. “Anyway, I’m glad that we haven’t run into each other at Novus yet—I mean, as much as I want to see you, in reality, I can’t let you see me in the state I’m in right now,” he says, lowering his head.
I want to tell him that I accept him just as he is, with or without illness. I sneak under his arm again and press my ear to his heart. I need to remember his every heartbeat.
“Alina,” he says, “where in the Novus are you staying?”
I dig in my fingers into him in panic. I have to think fast, but nothing believable comes to mind, so I’m just left staring at him with an empty smile.
“And what happened to you?” he goes on. “Are you at Novus full time or just during the days?”
I decide to take a defensive approach: “Why do you want to know that? Does it even matter? You said yourself that you don’t want to see me while you are sick?”
“Yeah, but—I mean, I still want to know more about you, know your story.”
Gabriel holds me tighter.
I don’t want to tell him more about myself. Reality doesn’t have a place in Mentior. Mentior is our fantasy, our dream.
“Hm…” I mumble quietly, staying still under his arm.
“You don’t want to tell me?” he asks with a smile. “You are so mysterious.”
“I have to be—it makes life more interesting.”
I look up and touch his face, his perfectly smooth skin. I could look at him forever.
He runs his finger down my face. “You are beautiful,” he tells me.
I wrap my hand around his neck and tilt his head close to my face. I start with a gentle kiss on his cheek, and I hear and take in his every breath. I slowly move to his lips, he gives in and unlocks them. His breath is warm and full of desire.
“Don’t try to distract me with you sweet kisses,” Gabriel mutters with his eyes closed, still enjoying the kiss.
“What do you mean?” I say, taking a quick pause from kissing him.
“I mean you are trying to make me confused and avoid talking about yourself,” Gabriel replies, pulling back and opening his eyes.
“No,” I say innocently.
“At least tell me your last name.”
“It’s ‘Bruhler.’”
“Nice name,”
“You think?”
“Sure, but Holding is better.” Gabriel winks playfully. “Alina Holding is perfect.”
I hear Nicole’s voice in the distance and Gabriel, and I find ourselves moving to the opposite sides of the bench, out of habit. “I knew you guys would be here!” Nicole calls.
“So happy to see you, Nicole,” Gabriel says with a grin.
“I’m sure you are,” Nicole says while stroking Sophie’s hair.
Sophie chose a beautiful green dress for today’s session. I love the colors that she always picks.
“Sophie and I were thinking about going to a park not too far from here. I assume you guys want to be alone?”
“Can I get more ice cream?” Sophie asks in her sweet voice.
Nicole looks down at her. “Of course, sweetheart!” Nicole’s face always glows when she hears Sophie’s voice.
“Well then, we will leave you alone.” Nicole gives me a knowing look.
“Wait!” I call, hopping up off the bench and walking over to Nicole. I need to inform her about the events that happened this morning.
“I assume you guys need to talk about “girl stuff” again?” Gabriel says, a little miffed.
“C’mon, Gabriel!” I sulk.
“What? I get it—you want to be mysterious, and you trust Nicole more than me. Fine by me!” he folds his arm across his chest and lets loose a bit of a smile.
“You guys, don’t fight!” Sophie butts in. It makes us all smile.
“We are not fighting, sweetheart; we just discussing something,” Nicole explains to Sophie.
“He looks unhappy,” Sophie says, pointing at Gabriel.
Straight away, it melts his heart. He scoops Sophie up into his arms and walks ahead—her laugh can wake the dead from their grave.
“We are going to get us some ice cream!” Gabriel shouts while taking big steps forward.
Nicole and I wait for them to get far enough that they can no longer hear us.
“So?”Nicole asks. “What did you need to tell me?”
As per usual, I don’t know where to start “How are you?” I ask as a stalling tactic.
“Good, I guess,” she responds. “I mean, I don’t know... Still sad, still hesitant about my decision, still sort of hating myself for making a decision to turn to the last resort, selling my life. Other than that, though, I’m happy to be here in this fantasy together with Sophie.” She continues, “I mean, I look at you and think to myself, what a stupid decision you’ve made! You are still so young!”
“Thanks for your support,” I say sarcastically. “Those are exactly the words I want to hear right now.”
“But seriously!” Nicole protests.
“Whatever! I’ve made my decision already! No need to dig into it!” I’m losing my temper.
Nicole retorts, “I’m just saying. If I wasn’t staying at Ultima full-time, I would never have come back! I’d have escaped the program.”
“It’s not possible!” I say.
“Why not?”
“Because the bracelet wouldn’t let me!” I lift my arm and show her the bracelet as if it might convince her.
“Oh, nonsense! Your doctor is just trying to scare you. Those bracelets probably don’t even work. It’s like using a fake gun; it would probably get you just as scared as a real one. It’s all in your head, Alina.”
“It’s not!” I reply. “The bracelet is not fake—trust me, I know!”
“Right! Sure you do!”
“The bracelet sure worked yesterday, when it released chemicals that knocked me out completely! So please don’t tell me it doesn’t work when you don’t know what you’re talking about!”
“Are you serious?” Nicole asks in shock. “What the hell did you do? What rule did you break?”
“I stole some access cards, and was trying to enter floors that I wasn’t supposed to be on.”
“Why would you do that?” Nicole asks.
“Because I was trying to save you!” I shout right into her face.
“What?”
“I was trying to find you. I got so close, but then I was knocked out when they discovered me. I was interrogated by Dr. Kismen, who told me she would have to keep me at Ultima unless I told her what was I looking for.”
“Did you?” Nicole asks, terrified.
“I did. If I didn’t tell her, then the trust fund for my brother would have been taken away, and I would’ve gotten locked up at Ultima.”
Nicole changes in the face, it seems her world just crashed.
“This is a disaster,” Nicole says, shaking her head. “They will fix the glitch soon, and I will never see Sophie again. I can’t believe you did this.”
“Yeah, you are welcome!” I say sarcastically. “I just wanted to help!”
“No, no, sorry Alina. I know you did! You had no choice.
“Dr. Kismen promised she would not interfere with anything,” I offer, trying to reassure Nicole.
“And you believe her?” Nicole raises her eyebrow in doubt.
“Yes,” I say. “Look, we are here now, aren’t we? All four of us together.”
“That is true, but I have no doubt that in a few days we will not be together. Unless—”
“Unless?”
“Unles
s I try to escape! I know you tried to save me, but I think I have a better chance doing it on my own.” Nicole puts her hands together as if she just found the best decision for us all.
“Escape? But that’s impossible! You said you are under surveillance 24/7!”
“I will figure something out. I will escape, and then continue living my life. Sophie will get better, and maybe I will be lucky enough to see her in reality.”
“That’s if I don’t change my mind and stay with the Conversion. Who knows maybe I can break this bracelet,” I say cryptically.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, we’ve only assumed that Sophie is my receiver, but we don’t know for sure, do we?” I instantly regret starting down this road.
“I don’t understand,” Nicole says, looking up at me. “You think it might be someone else? You are right! It could be anyone, and we need to find out who. I will ask my doctor! I will make up an excuse, and my doctor will tell me—we get along pretty well! She will tell me, and as soon I know, I will make my escape!” She begins to walk away from me.
“Where are you going?” I run after her.
“I just want to give Sophie a hug! Maybe talk to Gabriel, possibly he might know something?”
I can’t hide the truth from Nicole, it’s cruel. I have to kill her faith and hope.
“Nicole, listen to me.” I take her hand, and haul her to the bench “We need to talk.”
“What is it?” she says, wiping the tears from her face.
“Don’t talk to Gabriel,” I say firmly.
“Why not?” she asks.
“Because he doesn’t know anything.”I gather the strength, to be honest with her. “I know who’s life Sophie is receiving.”
“You do? Well who is it?” she asks with a mix of relief and terror. “Is it you?”
“No, Nicole. It’s not me…It’s you.”
Something flashed beneath the surface of her hardened expression. I wonder what