maybe when the time is right - ms. venable

•eight•

__________

__________

As she got closer and closer, something inside me told me I should fear her. I thought she will hurt me, even if she never did before. I move away slightly but then I realize she has a towel in her hand.

She wraps it around me gently and extends her hand for me to hold. I hesitantly do so. Wilhemina leads me to the exit and insecurity washes over me again so I step back. Will seriously everybody watch me pass by only in a towel?-I think.

-"Don't worry. Everybody's in their rooms after dinner."

-"W-will I get dinner?"-Wilhemina giggles and responds;-"Sure, if you are hungry yes."

-We were walking through the empty hallways, hand in hand. This brought back a memory of us holding hands whilst walking down the school corridors. How time flies.-I thought to myself-And how people change. Strange.

-"W-I mean, Ms. Venable, where are we going?"

-"There is one empty room. I thought you'd like your own space."

-"Oh... Thank you."

-"I haven't heard you call me that since school days."

-"What?"

-"Ms. Venable. It feels weird coming from you."

Wilhemina looks at you but you don't respond. You soon find yourself standing before your room. Ms. Venable unlocks it and you just sit on the bed uncomfortably;

-"Michael, who I suppose you've seen earlier... Well this was his room. This is the best I can offer. His clothes wouldn't fit you obviously, so me and somebody special who you haven't seen in forever picked out a few dresses from our wardrobes just for you."

-You supposed the 'somebody special' was Elizabeth, as you remembered Michael mentioned her earlier.

-"Rules are simple. No leaving the building, no intercourse, no disobeying."-Wilhemina waited for your reply but you had nothing to say. She was talking more than usual. It was obvious she desperately wanted to start a conversation. I wasn't into it though. I couldn't talk to her yet.

-"I left a few books for you here. To kill the time."-after a longer pause of silence she spoke up again-"You said you were hungry? I'll have the staff bring you dinner. Don't expect anything spectacular though. Here, we eat jelly like cubes that contain all needed nutrients. You can eat it all in one bite."-you stay silent again;

-"I see you aren't chatty today. Very well. Have a good night then."

-"Night..."-you mumble.

When Wilhemina left, you instantly went to change. Nightgowns weren't your thing so you took Michael's evening wear which were basically purple silk pants and a button up. It was huge and loose-fitting on you.

While waiting to get your dinner, you opened the first book on the pile Wilhemina brought. Of course it had a note on the very first page. I knew Wilhemina. She could never talk about her emotions, she was way better at writing them down.

-"I'm so glad you are safe, (y/n). I hope time heals our wounded souls. -Wilhemina"

That's all she's got?-you scoff.

Yeah, Wilhemina, the blast didn't kill me how you planned it out, but something inside me died that day.

You take one long, used match that was laying on the nightstand before starting to write something down with the blackness of the burnt wood.

Under Wilhemina's message, you wrote what you truly felt that moment;

-"Thank you for the love, thank you for the joy, but I don't ever wanna fall in love again."

-With each world you wrote, the color became less dark and deep and more brown and empty. You put the book aside after hearing a knock on your doors. You open to see Elizabeth with a plate in her hand.

-"Elizabeth!? Hi! I'm so happy to see you. I missed you so, so, so much!"

-"I missed you too, (y/n)! I saw one of the grays bringing you dinner so I asked could I do it instead."

-"What is a gray?"

-"Nobody explained it to you?"

-"Nope..."

-"Then move aside! That's why I'm here! We can talk for the whole rest of the night!"

*+:｡.｡　　｡.｡:+*