Palatial Intimacy

XXVIII- The Broken

May 3, 2030

"What are you doing out here?"

Will opened his eyes, coming back to his real senses. There was a hard lawn chair underneath him, and it was uncomfortably chilly out on the back porch. The sky was grey, and light rain pattered down on the green grass. Molly was peeking out the back door, watching him.

"My plan was to watch the storm roll in," Will replied, "but it's proving to be really uneventful."

"Maybe you can come in and watch the paint dry, instead. Might be more fun."

"Maybe in a minute." Will wasn't in the mindset for witty banter. The moment before she walked out, he had been immersed in his palace — he'd been knee-deep in the creek, fishing rod in his hand, and when he turned around he saw Hannibal sitting on the grass watching him. It was a comforting sight, and now it was gone. Will hated leaving him alone in there, even if it was Hannibal's own personal heaven — he was used to being alone in there. It had been that way his whole life. But not, it felt different; he'd welcomed Will in because of how terribly lonely he was, and now Will was having to leave him behind every other hour.

"I've got something to say, but it's gonna start a fight." Molly took a seat in the chair next to him. "Are you feeling up for that?"

Will turned his palms up, sighing. "Why not. Better to just get it out there."

"I don't think you went to the cabin last week."

"Okay." Will scraped at the faded blue paint on the chair with his fingernails. "I don't know what you want me to say to that."

"Are you going to deny it?"

"Yes, because it's not true. I was at the cabin. But are you going to listen to that?"

"I want to."

"What makes you think I wasn't there, Molly?" He didn't have the strength to put any emotion in his voice. He didn't care. None of this mattered anymore — he needed to get away.

"I checked the bank account. You didn't put anything on your card at all that week. Not a thing. I don't think you packed a bag at all. Usually, the more troubled you are, the more hunt you come home with, and you didn't bring anything. You've got no mud on your walking boots."

"I didn't buy anything. I either didn't eat, or I paid in cash at that shady grocery store. I didn't want to tap into the money Jack gave us for something unnecessary." He shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. "I didn't feel like hunting. I did pack a bag, but I wasn't in the right mind when I did it."

"It just...it doesn't seem right, Will. Especially with how much you were disappearing before then."

"Where do you think I was, Molly?" He glances over at her, doing his best to stop it from becoming an angry glare. "Really, where do you think I went, if not the cabin?"

"I don't know. I've got an idea in my head, but it's a pretty crazy one."

"Yeah?"

"There's a small part of me that thinks you were with Hannibal Lecter."

A large flake of paint detached from the chair, and Will flicked it onto the ground. "Okay. I'm not going to respond to that, because that's fucking ridiculous."

"I thought you'd be more defensive about it."

"What purpose would I have to spend time with Hannibal Lecter?" Will couldn't hold back the glare this time. "What fucking purpose, Molly?"

"There's nothing more intimate than literally being in the brain of another man," she said coldly. "And with the way you've been disappearing on me, withdrawing from everything...I don't think that things are as clear-cut as you've been saying."