Plagued By An Imagine

Part 3

The car followed the path along the edge of a coast line, and the cool salty air hit Will when he was finally able to step from the cruiser. He glanced around at the barren land around, having passed through forests and now being left with sagebrush and dirt. He meandered after Hannibal who was walking to the edge of the cliff side, ignoring the rather modern architecture beside them.

The sounds of waves crashing was welcome and soothed the edges around Will's soul and he allowed himself a large breath in, the scent of ocean welcoming and making him miss being out on his boat. What he wouldn't give for a warm day on the rocking waves where he could nap and not worry about another living soul.

"The bluff is eroding," Hannibal stated, the conversation holding the tone as if Hannibal were making small talk about the weather, but there was never small talk. It was always disguised as small talk. "There was more land when I was here with Abigail." A painful twinge caught Will's heart and his hands became fists at his sides as he watched the nearly black waves crash so far below them. He had forgiven Hannibal, but that didn't stop the ache that came with the girl's name. "More land still when I was here with Miriam Lass."

Will's attention pulled from the waves to look over Hannibal who had never outright confessed to being the one who took Miriam, though he had never needed to say it for Will to know it to be the truth. Will gave a sigh and returned to the hypnotic waves below.

"Now you're here with me," he said, curious what fate awaited him when the others mentioned had not met ones so kind.

"And the bluff is still eroding." The words were matter of fact and Will waited for the metaphor or mind bending revelation that was always waiting at the end of such simple words. "You and I are suspended over the rolling Atlantic. Soon all of this will be lost to the sea." With those words, Hannibal unoccupied Will's side and Will was left to deconstruct the meaning behind the words.

He followed shortly after, towards the house where the door had been left open for him. The room was bright from the windows that constructed the walls. The space seemed to go on forever, never ending and ever so open. Dark floors caught the fading light as if just polished, as if there hadn't been any time between the last time Hannibal had been here and now, as if time had stopped in this house, just waiting for the owner to return.

A grand piano of rich rosewood was uncovered from beneath a large white cloth as Hannibal pulled it free. He made quick work to fold up the canvas and set it aside to begin pulling the same white fabric from among everything else that was waiting to be uncovered.

Without much thought to the movements, Will began to help, discovering a beautiful dining set, a bar, and sitting chairs while Hannibal revealed more of the sitting area, a coffee table and a television that must have been put in place specifically for Abigail.

Will gathered up his folded canvases and passed them to Hannibal's outstretched hand. "Thank you Will," he said. He walked all of them to a door and opened it to reveal a closet. He placed them on a shelf and closed the door before turning back to face Will. "If you would like to clean up there is a bathroom at the end of the hall and in the closet of the bedroom there should be something for you to change into if you wish." Hannibal pointed towards the respected hall and Will bit back any answer he might have had for Hannibal. "Do you have any opinion on something to eat?"

"No." The word was blunt and received a slight tip of head in question for further explanation. "'I doubt your kitchen will have anything of ample use in it."

There was a flash of a smile from crooked teeth. "Of course, Will." Hannibal spun on his heel and started up the hallway. "A surprise then." His voice echoed as it bounced off the walls.