Palatial Intimacy

XIV - The Epiphany

April 22, 2030

In the very early hours of the morning, Will snuck away from his place on the couch. He waited until he was outside the house to put his shoes on, and he made sure that the door closed as quietly as he could manage. He didn't want to jeopardize his tense relationship with Molly even more by sneaking out right after a fight; then again, it was probably already destroyed for the better.

He couldn't tell Hannibal everything that he saw. That was obvious. It would be humiliating to admit that he'd had such a primal fantasy, especially in front of his wife. He just had to go and get answers. He couldn't bear to live like this any longer. Something was seriously wrong with him. He was changing, and it wasn't for the better.

He thought about his argument as he got dressed in his car. Ever since they started using the LOOM, Will had felt himself growing more and more fond of Hannibal and his actions. He'd started to feel the same things that Hannibal felt, and he'd started to see Hannibal's horrific acts as something artful. The image of the corpse mural in the silo wouldn't leave his head, and he found himself unwilling to push it away. When he thought about it, it made him feel calm. It relieved him that something like that could exist in this ugly world.

Hannibal was doing something to him, and Will needed to know what. That, and he wanted to stop it.

They had to destroy the LOOM. There was no other option. It was easier than trying to maneuver his way back into the hiding place without being caught. This way, there would be no way for them to find it.

Maybe he'd tell Hannibal to burn it. Maybe then, it would explode and kill him. Whatever happened, he needed it gone.

He drove like a madman to Hannibal's house, stopping as he always did about two blocks away. He ran across the sidewalk with his head down, and when he reached the gate he realized that it was still unlocked. Hannibal was still expecting him at some point.

He figured that Hannibal would be asleep at this time of night, but when he approached the screen glass door in the backyard he saw the silhouette of the doctor sitting in the living room. As he got closer, he could make out the shape of the piano.

He knocked.

Hannibal looked up, seemingly not startled. He calmly got up from his seat and walked over to the door, sliding it open. "Hello, Will," he said. "You're back."

"How long did you give me?"

"Excuse me?"

"How long did you think it would be before I came back? How long did you think I'd make it?"

Hannibal hesitated for a moment. "...A week."

Will scoffed. "Well, you win. It took even less time than that." He entered the house without waiting for Hannibal to invite him in. "I need to talk to you. Badly."

"Alright." Hannibal closed the door behind them. "Is this about the LOOM?"

"Yes. We need to destroy it." Will shed his jacket. "I can't have it out here any longer. Someone is going to find out."

"Did someone show suspicion?"

"I just...I don't want to use it anymore. I hate that thing. It's doing some terrible things to me."

Hannibal's brow furrowed in concern. "Are you alright? Have you been having bad side effects?"

"Don't try to act all worried about me. You're doing something to me." Will narrowed his eyes. "You're messing with my brain. You're making me think differently without me realizing it."

"And what makes you think that?"

"You've got all kinds of other talents in there. And I've never thought about these types of things before using the LOOM. Now, I can't stop thinking about the things you've shown me. I'm starting to understand how you think, and I find myself agreeing. And I don't like that."