Before Time Runs Out

Chapter 23

"Ethel!" Carmelita knocked on the closed door to the bathroom, trying to get Ethel's attention. "Darling, can you please let me in? I need to get ready."

"And I'm trying to bathe the cat after he ran through the mud outside! Go use Elise's bathroom." Carmelita let out a huff, leaning her back against the bathroom door. She heard the water turn off to the bathtub and the light patter of careful footsteps.

"Do you want to talk?" Ethel hesitated opening the door, Lancelot tucked under her arm, swaddled in a towel. "I mean, we have to at some point, don't we?" She lowered her voice as she spoke, crossing her arms over her chest. Ethel reached out towards the handle but stopped.

"I don't know." They stood in silence, Ethel pressing her forehead up against the door with Lancelot tucked tightly in both of her arms.

"I'm sorry Ethel. I wish that I had not dragged you into all of the horrible things in my life. That is why I do not share with you a lot about me. I guess I wanted to keep you safe, but," She drew in a sharp breath. "I guess I ended up hurting you more by trying to protect you in my weird way. I should have told you everything that I could tell you when we first got together, that way you could have known what you were getting yourself into."

"It just feels like you never share anything with me that I need to know." Ethel's voice cracked as she spoke, cold tears beginning to run down her face.

"I promise I'll tell you everything. You know I can't lie anyway." Carmelita stepped from the door as she heard it unlock, lowering her arms to her sides. The door opened and there was Ethel, tears running down her face with Lancelot in her arms. Carmelita slowly embraced her, and she soon broke down into a sobbing wailing mess, and Carmelita had to hold her up in her arms to keep her from collapsing to the floor.

"I thought he killed you." Ethel's voice was shaky as she spoke, struggling through her tears.

"Shh, I know. I should have been more careful, I knew something like that was a possibility but, I didn't know that he would go after you."

Carmelita stroked her head gently as she sobbed into her shoulder.

"Why do you never tell me anything!" Ethel looked up as she raised her voice at Carmelita, angrily wiping her tears away.

"All you do is keep everything to yourself! I need to know stuff like this! I didn't know your girlfriend had been murdered, I didn't know that you and Matthias had been friends, I know the bare minimum about your life." Her voice cracked as she spoke, holding Lancelot tightly in her arms before turning and storming off. She was wiping her tears away so viciously that her nails left scratches on her face that stung from her tears.

Carmelita sighed, waiting before walking after her, and grabbing the door handle before she could open it to the bedroom.

"Sit down with me and I'll tell you everything, Ethel," She cupped her chin with her hand, studying her face. "I promise I'll tell you everything." Ethel wiped her tears away slowly, flinching as she did. Carmelita slowly grasped her hand, pulling it away from her face.

"You need blood dear. That shouldn't take as long as it is to heal up." Carmelita took Lancelot from her arms and set him gently on the floor, before wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

"I have a room I want to show you. Would you like to see it?" Ethel slowly nodded, and Carmelita gave her a kiss on the head and led her down the halls and stairways to a large pair of doors. She took a key ring from her dress pocket and flipped through it, before finally finding the right one and unlocking the doors with a loud click. The doors were never unlocked so the doors had settled into place over time, and Carmelita pulled open the heavy doors with some resistance. It was a large ballroom, with all the furniture draped in white cloth. The curtains were pulled shut to the large windows, with the small stage for the orchestra covered with the same cloth as the furniture.