Mr. Good Bad Guy

52 - Following Orders

"Klara?"

I walked into the study, surprised to see my friend grabbing a book from the shelf. "Klara?" I said cautiously. "What are you doing?"

She didn't say anything as she turned and stared at me. I was so sure this was a hallucination. If I knew Ezra like I did, then there was no way he was letting the women out of the basement. Not unless he wanted me to seem even crazier than I already felt. But there she was, Klara, my beautiful Palestinian neighbor, standing in front of me, looking somehow healthier than I remembered her from before.

"I wanted...a book," she said, her voice sounding distant. "I needed...something to read." Her eyes darted around the room, as if she were looking for an escape. But there was nowhere to go.

"How did you...?" I couldn't finish the question. I didn't know how she'd managed to get out of the basement, let alone find her way upstairs. But I had to ask her. I had to know.

"Are you okay? You've been acting weird lately. Is your medicine working?"

I was almost offended by her question. "How'd you know I'm taking medicine?"

"You're scaring me, Irene."

I took a step back, noticing the way she clutched the book to her chest.

"You seem to be doing fine for a woman who's lost everything. How's your pain?"

"...I'm fine. The medicine's helping." I chose to ignore the way she was acting, knowing I'd just convince myself I'd hallucinated again. It was becoming harder and harder to discern reality from my own twisted mind. It was best I just went along with whatever everyone else was saying, doing.

"Do you want to go sit in the gardens? I know it's chilly, but the flowers are starting to bloom. It might help clear your head," she suggested, moving toward the door. Her voice was soft, almost hesitant. I hesitated, torn between the need to believe that what was happening was real and the fear that this was all part of some sick game Ezra was playing with my mind.

Finally, I nodded, unable to find the words to say anything else. We walked together through the house, past the empty dining room and the kitchen where there was surprisingly someone cooking. Klara didn't seem to notice or care. She just kept walking, her steps leaden, as if she were in a trance. I wondered if she was even aware of where she was going.

I'd never been to the garden, so I was surprised to see how well-kept it was. The flowers were indeed in full bloom, their colors vibrant against the backdrop of the greenery. Klara walked to a small bench near a fountain and sat down, seemingly lost in thought. I followed suit, feeling the cool air of the evening settle around me.

"Klara, I don't understand how you're here. Ezra wouldn't just let you go like this. He's been planning this for months. He wouldn't just let you walk out of the basement." I paused, taking a deep breath. "Unless..."

She glanced at me, her eyes filled with pain. "Unless what?" she asked softly.

"...Nothing." I shook my head as she opened her book. Whatever she was hiding, it wasn't worth the fight to figure out what it was. I was okay with being kept in the dark like this. Maybe then I'd have some peace of mind, and focus solely on how to get myself out of here.

The wind picked up, rustling the leaves of the trees and sending tiny whorls of paper across the lawn. I watched as a single petal floated down from one of the flowers, dancing gracefully before landing on the water of the fountain. It was a beautiful sight, and for a moment, I was able to forget everything that had happened.

I glanced over at Klara, wondering if she was enjoying the view as much as I was. She seemed lost in her book, her eyes darting back and forth over the pages. I wanted to ask her about it, but I knew better than to try and pry into her life. She still had her secrets, and I had mine.