The Plague Doctor [RATED R] ✓

(42) The Letter

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I OPEN MY DRESSER and aggressively pull out the clothes inside, throwing them away as it made a pool of discarded clothes on the floor. I plucked each and every fabric out until I found what I was looking for. It was the metal box from the attic that was locked by a code.

     The room was dark as I stared at the box, my hands trembling. I tried to open it by putting in random numbers, but the box wouldn't budge, making me throw it across the room, completely irritated.

     While I stood helplessly in the pile of clothes, someone suddenly knocked on the door, and the sounds of keys rattling could be heard outside. A couple of seconds after, the door opens, revealing a tall man wearing a military uniform with a large scar on his face. It was Lino. It was dear Mr. M.

     "Bishop?" He calls out, turning the lights on to see me better. When he saw my state, his eyes instantly widened in shock. He must have been surprised to see how messy my room looked.

     "What happened?" He asked, but I didn't answer him. Lino continued to stare at me like he was disgusted. I look down at my body and remember that I wasn't even wearing anything. I was completely naked, but I still didn't move from where I was standing.

     The soldier walks closer and stares at the clothes scattered on the floor. He stops in front of me and grabs my arm so he can start examining my body. Right after that, he takes a deep breath and picks my uniform from the ground.

     "You weren't able to properly sleep, and that's going to be a problem," he says, grabbing some boxers and helping me wear them like I was some kind of kid who didn't know how to do it.

     While Lino was putting clothes on me, I stared in a distance and asked him, "Who was the girl in the picture, Lino? Who was she?"

     Lino paused, but he didn't look surprised. he didn't ask where I saw the picture, and it seemed like he knew I'd ask about her eventually.

     "She's not important," he answers, making me chuckle.

     "You remember my sister? The one I talked about? I saw her in a dream. I never saw her in my dreams, but I did...last night. When people see their dead relatives, doesn't that mean they're going to die soon?" I ask next, and Lino angrily looks at me. I thought he was going to scold me for it, but he remained silent.

     When I was fully clothed, Lino searched for my eye cover and handed it over to me this time. I didn't want to take it, so he grunted and forced me to hold onto it.

     "Don't act like that."

     "Like what?"

     "Like you're giving up. That's what he wants."

     "You're too kind," I sarcastically say, touching Lino's cheek.

     Lino doesn't push my hand away, but he grabs it instead and stares deeply into my eyes. He stares at me with great curiosity. He's probably wondering if I'm still Bishop or if I switched. To be honest, I'm not even sure myself.

     "What? Want to fuck?" I then ask him, and Lino finally lets go of my hand. His reaction made me laugh, and Lino started looking irritated—an expression I am more used to seeing on his face.

     "You've been locked in this room all day. Lunch is ready," he tells me instead before running out of the room. I continued laughing, but when Lino was already gone, I stopped and put on a sad smile on my face before touching the clothes that Lino wore for me.

     "You didn't have to look so worried," I whisper to myself. "I'm still me," I add, wearing the eye cover before finally heading out of the room and walking my way to the dining room where the others were.