Behind Closed Doors

Chapter 32

She watched as Chris made his way into the visiting room, escorted by a prison guard, his hands bound by handcuffs to prevent escape. He was clothed in an orange prison uniform, his hair scattered, and his face brutally beaten.

"Ten minutes," the guard said before leaving them alone.

"Thank you, officer," Emily said to him as he walked away and shut the door. She immediately diverted her eye to Chris, who was quietly looking at her as if he had seen a ghost. "Hi, Chris," she smiled at him.

"Are... you...real?" he muttered. "Are you not..." his words trailed off as the shock remained evident in his face. She carefully placed her hands on top of his, and he did the same.

"Emily..." he whispered, as if he almost teared up. Emily was ready to explain, just as she had always done in these past days since her arrival. "Where have you been? Why did you abandon us? Did we..."

"No, it's not your fault," she paused him in his tracks. "Don't blame yourself, I should have told you..."

He remained silent, staring at her as she broke contact with him.

"Christopher, what happened? Why are you here?" she leaned toward him. "Did you steal from and try to kill a person?"

Hearing her words, he quickly turned away from her; Emily could hear the pain and rage in his voice.

"Christopher," she called again. "We do not have enough time to chit chat."

"It's false, all of these are not true! I...I..." he tried to hold back his tears and subdue the pain. He indeed sounded very hurt. "I didn't do any of that."

"But the police say you were found at the scene, with a dagger drenched in blood. Christopher, when did you start handling daggers?"

The doubt and shock were written all over her face and in her voice as she spoke. It was hard to believe that her brother did all that.

"Everyone in church abandoned us," he said in pain.

She stared at him quietly, waiting for him to speak.

"I just wanted to buy something for Mum, I don't know how I was involved in that scene...but..." he began to mutter. "I was framed!" He immediately screamed. "That good-for-nothing man, Pastor Smith, he framed me! He's very dangerous, I always knew it."

Emily tilted her head. Why did he suddenly start talking as if he were intoxicated?

"I'm sure he framed you too! He's crazy, a monster! I always knew it. All of this because I refused to beg him for food and finally confronted him about your sudden disappearance! He's a wolf in shepherd's clothing! Stay away from him!"

Emily covered her mouth and gasped, shocked. The door immediately opened, and the guard came in.

"Ma'am, is this man trying to hurt you?"

Emily took her hand off her mouth and shook her head. "No, please, he is my brother."

"Hey, criminal! Your time's up, back to your cell," he pulled Chris up and pushed him.

"Officer, please, can we have an extra five minutes?" Emily interrupted the chaos in her calm voice.

The prison guard stopped and looked at her.

"And maybe an extra ten for him to eat what I prepared for him," she lifted the flask to his view.

"And what do I get in return, beautiful lady?" he asked, staring at her. "I'm breaking the rules."

"I'll tip you, fifty bucks," she offered.

^++**^**^^**

Emily stood at the rooftop balcony and stared at the cars parked in the hospital parking lot. Her fur coat provided warmth against the cold night breeze. The rooftop was always a place she would come to calm herself down from all the problems happening around her, and she calmed herself down with her newfound addiction: cigarettes.