When Shadows Rise | I

Ch. 34 | You never know who's who

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In all honesty, Talia had lost track of time. It was like she forgot where she was, her name, how to tie her shoes, everything. She was trapped in a bottomless pit, waiting for a blow that would never come. The only thing she could do was blink ever so often and lose herself in her fall, thinking: this can't be real. None of this is real. This is all just a bad dream. When I wake up, everything will be fine. Why couldn't life go that way? When it's raining and storming, why couldn't it be sunshine and rainbows with a flick of your wrist?

All she could hear in the background were muffled noises, like someone had filled her ear canals with water. She sat there, feeling like a dope, staring at the Rubik's cube swinging back and forth with the car's speed, waiting for it to come to life and say something positive, comforting even. But no. In her reality, the Rubik's cube was already pulling down its sunglasses and shaking its head, probably thinking, Idiot.

No. She wasn't the idiot here. She couldn't be. How could she? Was she really an idiot for giving the benefit to the doubt to the woman she's known ever since she came to this country? For believing her grief towards her best friend's death was genuine? For believing that she would want to help her find the one person responsible for all of this?

Talia felt someone shake her shoulder, but it did little to pull her from her bubble of denial and shock. A trick, she thought. It had to be a trick. Finally, when the gentle touch became a little rougher and her name was called a little louder, Talia came to. It was April, seated behind her, looking at her with such complexity.

"What- I. . ." Talia mumbled incoherently, taking a second to get it together. "What is it? What time is it. . ."

"You had us- well, I don't know about Raph, but you definitely had me worried there," April said. "You were catatonic-like for nearly the whole ride, Tals."

The first and last time Talia replicated that behavior was when April's father gave her a ride home, emotions high and raw before settling to numbness. It was something scary— the body shutting down like a machine, unfazed by heavy sounds and touches, your feelings paralyzed to the point whether you wonder if they'll ever be enabled again. Talia didn't ever want to feel that way ever again.

Talia looked sideways at Raph, who made a left turn. She just realized that he was a one-handed steerer (something she considered she could never do in this lifetime and the next) like her father. How could one hold enough skill and talent in just their palm to turn left and right? To reverse into a parking lot? And without hitting someone? She felt assured using both her hands.

"Where are we going?" Talia asked, almost immediately regretting the question because of how stupid it sounded.

"My house, obviously," Raph answered. Talia could tell he was subtly (or not subtly, because she noticed) glancing at her. "You still have the sample, don't you?"

Sample. . .? Oh. That's right. Once patting her pocket and feeling the plastic nice and cozy in there, Talia confirmed yes.

"Now going back to Priya—" Raph began saying, "—are you sure that was her talking in the basement?"

Talia really didn't want to say it because she found the revelation so unbelievable, but her lips spit out: "I. . . I'm sure. I recognize her voice from anywhere."