Henry

Chapter 8: Blackout

          For the full week I was in here, Conner came by every day for an hour. We didn't mention anything about what we talked about on the first day. He didn't ask about DD or Lu, so I didn't ask about his mother. I mostly listened to him talk and tell these crazy stories, that's how he made the time go by quickly in here; writing stories. He had the craziest ideas, and I was actually laughing, I was smiling. All thoughts of Henry had faded and they were all filled with Conner. I always seemed to be a sucker for a good story.

          Lu and DD hadn't said anything since day one, either. They left and never came back, at least I hoped. I actually felt I was making progress in here; however, Henry stayed in the back of my mind and I wondered if I had made him disappeared. When I got out and was put back into my cell, Henry was the only thing on my mind again. I missed him and I felt stupid for not listening to him. I wanted him here, but he didn't come.

          As I was sitting on my bed, biting my fingernails, I heard a little knock at the door. I glanced over to see another white sheet of paper folded neatly into a tiny square. If you weren't looking, you couldn't tell it was there.

          I jumped from the bed, basically running to the door, and picked up the note from the door. I looked through the small window just wanting to see a glance of Conner, hoping the note was from him, one more time, but he wasn't there. The halls were empty and silent.

          I unfolded the paper, eager and nervous to read what was on it. This note was a little longer than the first I got from him, which I forgot to ask about too.

          I won't be able to see you until they let you to the lunchroom. I'll have a bunch of stories waiting for you when you get out. Be prepared for the tale of the hot, devilish, soldier fighting the antichrist. ;) Also, Elana, don't listen to them okay. Be safe.

-Conner

          I smiled at the thought of the story he had saved, but a shiver followed once I thought of Lu and DD. I didn't like to talk about it, so he never brought it up except for here. The pain and awful feeling they brought came rushing back, making me crawl into the cardboard bed and cradle my knees to my chest. The pillowcase was where I kept my secret things, like this note, knowing it wasn't a great place to hide it but it was the only place I had.

          During Isolation, I stopped taking the candies and stashed them in the pillow. I haven't taken any since the day I went down there. I was a lot more tired than before, only getting an hour or two of sleep at night, but I tried to listen to Henry somewhat. He told me to stop taking them so he could visit me more, but it hasn't worked yet. I knew I was still talking to Conner, but it felt so good to have someone to communicate with. Convincing Henry that Conner may be someone I could trust was my next thing to accomplish. However, Henry disappearing could be because I only got closer to Conner instead of pushing him away, but Conner was the only thing I had here that felt almost like home. Henry wasn't here enough and I was tired of waiting for him to show up.

          "So you are going to replace him with me?" I heard Henry's voice whisper to me, shocked to hear from him not in a dream. I quickly looked around the room, hoping to see him somewhere, but he was nowhere in sight.

          "I, I didn't say that! I could never replace you. I haven't been talking to him," I lied, hoping that he would believe me. I couldn't lose him.

          "I've been here with you through it all, Elana. I was there when you were talking to him. I think what you think. I see what you see. You don't have to lie to me darling," his voice wrapped around my mind, forcing my eyes shut to be closer with him. I felt I could almost see him, making my body and mind go empty and the only thought was him.

         "You, you haven't been here, though! How am I supposed to know when you are here? I can't see you?! I'm so lonely when you leave Henry. I can't keep waiting everyday to see you and suffer like this," I spoke, my voice cracking as fresh tears ran down my face, it was always hard for me to hold my emotions in. Crying just sorted happened at everything I had to talk about anything important. His voice had never sounded as low and upset as it did now, there was something not right with him and it really worried me. "Why did you tell me to let Lu and DD in? You know how mean they are to me! Why... why would you make me go through that?" I asked, not wanting him to keep secrets anymore.

          "You should know I am here with you at all times, Elana. You can feel me there with you, you just have to ask. I'll be there for you." He responded, ignoring my question about Lu and DD. I almost forgot I even asked the question, his voice was a drug that made my whole body and mind go numb. The control over myself was out of my hands now, fully handing myself over to Henry. Never experienced talking to him while awake, it was a different feeling to hear him now, but it was a bliss that surrounded my body. I felt as if I was glowing.

          "Just let me in, Elana. I'll never leave you if you don't leave me. Just stay with me, okay? I can't be here without you." His voice started to drift away as I felt myself becoming less and less aware of my surroundings. "Let's be together forever, sweetie. Just do it, and you'll always be with me." Everything was fuzzy and slowly going into darkness.

          "Henr-" I started to say but didn't get to finish. As Henry's voice lingered throught my ears, I forgot about the world around me.

************

          When I woke up, I was still in my bed. Everything around me was dark, but I didn't remember it being night yet. The last thing I remembered was talking to Henry, and then I passed out. I glanced around the room, shocked to see the little white cup sitting on the table beside my bed. That little white cup was what the candies usually came in, but I never remembered the guards coming by, or me taking the cup. Did I take the candies? With confusion, I looked in the pillow where I stashed them; they were gone. The only things there were two notes from Conner.

          I jumped off the bed, fear pulsing through my body. Pacing the room, I begged my brain to remember what happened. How did I talk to Henry during daylight? Why did I pass out while talking to him? All of these questions were going through my mind as I felt a tiny ache in my arm when I bent it. I looked down at my arm, seeing a mark at the crease of my arm. Was it an IV mark? I didn't get an IV though, I never felt anyone stick a sharp needle in me. I would clearly feel that, right? I was questioning myself over and over, nothing was making sense and my sense of time felt completely wrong. 

          This only made things more confusing, hoping it couldn't get any worse; but, it did. I saw a note in front of the door, one of Conner's for sure. Quickly rushing up to get it, I opened it and read it with shaky hands.

          Elana, please tell me you are okay. I overheard the doctor say you overdosed on the pills and had to go into the Health Room for a few days. Let me know that you're okay if you can.

-Conner

          A few days? Was I really out of it for a few days? I tossed the note to the side, panic running through my body. I looked out the small window, hoping to see any guards out there. What was going on with me? My memories felt so mixed up and I couldn't think straight. Nothing made sense and my days seemed to jumble into one big day.

          "Hello? I need to talk to Shelia." I shouted, wanting anyone within ten feet of me to hear me. "Please, guards. I need Shelia!" I yelled louder. Within seconds, I saw too heavy-set men running toward the door, keys jingling as they ran.

          "What is the matter, 24.38?" One of the guards spoke in a deep voice. His eyes were locked on mine and looking for any signs of danger.

"I need. To talk. To Shelia." I spoke in a firm voice as the guy got his keys out. They unlocked my door and guided me down to the hallway to Shelia's office.