When The Light Goes Out

Chapter - 19

Dennis didn't trust Monique, not a surprise. He seemed to be the one in control most of the time as well and he only repeated whatever Patricia's said to say. She had yet to meet the third member of the horde, the child. She shuddered to think what she would have to do in order win him over. Truth be told, she didn't trust Patricia.

The trouble with being so hindered when it came to social interaction was that if anyone spoke to her she thought they were nice. Monique used to think that. After getting used and mistreated by people she trusted too quickly, she had built a wall. She started to watch how people interacted with others and listened to how they spoke. Monique had all of this going for her and she knew better than to trust some stranger on the street.

Somehow she was once again walking through a store with a list in her hand. All because she didn't keep her wall up. They needed more cleaning supplies. When she dropped off things now, Dennis would follow her to where the supplies were kept. He let her lead and didn't say much of anything. She'd ask him how his day was but he wouldn't answer most of the time.

Monique also noticed that she didn't have to go as far as the small office anymore. They didn't ask her for anymore clothes either. She remember the last time she touched the handle that it was warm. He didn't sleep there and there were two beds there. She couldn't help wondering if anyone else was staying there with him. She wasn't stupid enough to ask though, of course not.

One time, while she was putting things away in the storage closet, someone else took control of the light. Monique was surprised to see the grin on his face until her brain registered that it was not Dennis in control. "H-Hello," she said, nervously.

"Hi," he replied. "My name's Hedwig."

"Oh, it's you," she said. "I was hoping to get to meet you."

His eyes lit up. "You wanted to sthee me?"

Monique nodded. "I'm glad that we finally get to meet, but, how did you get control from Dennis?"

"I can control who gets the light," he said. "But Mr. Dennisth sthaid I could have it this time. He doesthn't like you."

"I know, he pretty much told me," she said as she closed the door. "I don't think Dennis or Patricia likes me."

"They don't," he said. "They sthay that you won't go away. Why won't you go away?"

Monique shrugged. "I made a promise to Barry and the others, all of you really, that I would stay with you so you wouldn't have to be alone any more. But that just sounds stupid now..."

  "Yeah. You shouldn't stay here," he said.  

Monique lowered herself to his eye level. He wasn't any shorter, of course, but his posture made it seem that way. "Everyone keeps telling me that. Dennis kept pushing me away and Barry tried to but he stopped. Patricia...Well, she likes me less than Dennis does, probably. What's going on?"

"I can't tell you," he said, backing away.

"Okay, that's fine," she said quickly. "Then...can you tell me where you sleep? Is it the room where the clothes are?"

Hedwig scoffed. "No. Why would I sleep there?"

"I don't know," she replied. "I don't know anything."

"I can't tell you anything...but I can show you my room."

She smiled at him and he smiled back. "You'll really show me?"

He nodded. "Come on." Monique followed him down the hall, but not to the last room. In fact, he went into the door at the end of the hall. She hadn't noticed it earlier, or any of the times she had been there previously. Probably because Dennis was always in front and when he wasn't, she was trying to focus on putting things in the right place. They walked up a set of stairs and there was a room there. There were a few doors there but he took her to the first one.

When he opened the door, her gasp was genuine and the surprise on her face was real. "This is...You have so many pictures," she recovered quickly. "Do you like to draw? Like Norma?"

"I don't like Ms. Norma," he said. "Sthe sthaid I was bad...but I'm not."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Monique said. "I-I like to take pictures." She looked around the room as she spoke. He had drawings on every wall. The shelves held stuffed animals, likely from the zoo's gift shop. A shelf on the adjacent wall held a fish tank that housed two mice. He has pets. I wonder who bought them for him. 

It looked like it might have been a storage room too at one time with all the shelves and the lighting. A small desk sat on the far wall where there were more stuffed animals and drawings.  A small wooden dresser was beside it further into the corner. It was oddly spacious too. She thought it would have been smaller. The was no bed, but a small couch with a blanket on it. No bed. He walked out in front of her and looked into her face curiously. "Do you like it?" he asked.

Monique started and looked at him. "Yes! Yes, I'm glad you have such a nice place to sleep. It's, uh, nicer than I thought it would be." Well, she wasn't lying. After seeing the room downstairs she was legitimately worried about their living conditions. "I see you even have a radio."

"Oh, yeah," he strode over to the small radio and put a hand atop it. "I listen to music sometimes. I really like it. I listen to Kanye- he's my favorite." He looked back to her and frowned. "What's wrong?"

Monique shook her head and turned away, quickly wiping the tears from her face. She didn't care about not getting to see him everyday anymore. That was something she could get over, even the short talks weren't that bad. Dennis didn't trust her and that was fine too. They shared the same body, that didn't mean they all had to like her, but seeing this was too much. There were things she didn't know about them and still she kept talking about being friends. How stupid can I be? Now I'm just forcing myself into this.

Hedwig moved into her line of sight. He looked unhappy, with her reaction or the fact that she was crying wasn't exactly obvious. "Why are you crying?"

"I-I'm sorry," she said as she straightened back up and wiped away the tears. "It just made me so happy to...to see your room. I'm glad that you trust me enough to let me in your room."

"Okaayy... Uh, we should leave now," he said as he backed away towards the door. "Mr. Dennisth says you have to go."

Monique felt her tears drying up just at the mention of Dennis. "Alright, alright, I'm going. I have work tomorrow anyway."

She followed him back down the stairs and he returned the light to Dennis to escort her out. "Can I ask why?" Monique said as they walked through the darkness toward the gated entrance.

"Why what?" Dennis replied.

"Why you don't like me."

"I said I don't trust you, doesn't mean I don't like you."

Monique rolled her eyes. "I have seen what it looks like when someone likes someone. Not hating me doesn't mean you like me. There's something about me you don't like, otherwise you wouldn't have any reason to not trust me."

"You're talking a lot."

"I don't really like you either," she said flatly. He stopped replying to her. "I don't feel very welcome when I'm around you. You treat me like I've done something wrong and I haven't. You act like you don't know what my intentions are even though I've told you."

When they got to the gate he unlocked it and pushed it open for her. They held eye contact as she walked out to the sidewalk. "Just give me a chance."

"We'll contact you again if we need anything." He locked the gate and headed back inside.

Monique's fists clenched at her side. I have no idea how, but I will get into that head of his.