Heartsteel

freak

Heavy.

Everything is heavy.

...not again.

I wake to a lowly lit room, but sunlight's seeping in through pleated curtains on the right side of the wall. With that I can see some interior; every inch of the walls are covered with small squares, no particular pattern obvious among them; across the room is a tall wardrobe in between two dressers, odd pointed shapes protruding from atop the dressers; a lantern floating on the ceiling, probably attached to some string or something; and I'm lying in a bed apparently, a downy mattress kissing my back and a fleecy comforter drawn up to my chin.

How'd I get here? Where is here anyway?

I try sitting up but the heaviness makes me think twice. Bedridden it is. Better than being inside that hospital, at least I'm not there anymore. I think. I mean, this place looks like an ordinary bedroom, but during my time staying in hospitals I've seen people who've lived there longer than me have decked out rooms complete with a number of their personal belongings. It's not a stretch to think maybe I never left that hellscape institution. Last I recall though, I was headed out of the hospital, along with-

"No, she doesn't know about me or my family."

Hushed voices sound way louder when they're the only sounds to be heard in a dead-quiet room, and this particular voice is manifesting clear as daylight.

"...N-nilsa?"

I twist my head from right to left, looking for her. She sounds so close, yet she's nowhere in sight.

I'm not imagining things again, am I?

"Do you think she ever suspected something off about you?"

Another ring of familiarity in my ears, followed by a bitter taste in my mouth. Basil. Twist right, twist left. No one in sight.

"I don't think so. She's never said anything. My dad doesn't care, but my mom and I are usually careful."

Is Nil talking to Basil? What the hell are they talking about? Where even are they?

Frustration beckons me, taunts me into hauling myself up onto the heels of my elbows so I can give my head a better vantage point. And it's worth it. I didn't notice that the door was ajar on my right side. A hallway light is on so I see two shadows cast on the wall, two people facing each other, conversing.

I hear a sigh from Nilsa. "After today...she definitely knows something isn't right. Fuck, how am I supposed to tell her what I am? How do you even start that conversation?"

What the fuck? What does Nilsa mean? She's starting to sound a bit cryptic, like nurse Jarvis.

"I'm sorry you've been put in this situation," Basil comes in. "Jason's...an asshole. And a tyrant."

"No shit," Nil scoffs. "Holy fuck, I can't believe I almost had to throw down with him, and his pack! Luckily you were there too. I didn't have much of plan when I saw those guys. But speaking of that, umm, it seemed like Jason was the one calling the shots...shouldn't that be you, though?"

The silence on Basil's end is palpable. I grasp only bits and pieces of their exchange, but the lack of context is enough to allow the frustration to goad me again.

I push up the rest of the way wriggling and flailing my upper-body, heaviness be damned, and through thick and thin I'm able to drag my back to lean against the pillows behind me.

"H-hey...Hey!" I manage to stammer-shout.

It's loud enough to snatch their attention; the two shadows shift and glide across the wall, getting closer towards the room I'm in, right until a solid figure busts straight through the already opened door.