When The Light Goes Out

Chapter - 24

"Why won't you tell me why you need the girls?"

"You already know. You're smart. I told you the story."

"Does Hedwig have to be involved?"

"He controls the light. We need him."

"I just... I don't think you really want to do this."

"You don't know what I think about anything. Stop saying things like that."

"I just don't want to see you go to jail. They won't be nice to you."

"You don't believe us. It doesn't matter what they do the beast can't be stopped."

Monique lowered her forehead onto her desk, screaming inside. This was the most frustrated thing she'd ever had to do. Things were wrong and going to get worse but she couldn't stop it. The idea of telling Terrence kept popping up in her mind but he wouldn't risk it. He'd call the police first. 

Her only options were to confront them and face the consequences or just cut ties and let it happen. Monique wouldn't call the police. She couldn't tell Terrence either. She was alone for the first time since she moved out of her parent's house. There was no one to lean on or ask for help. This time people were counting on her to do what needed to be done. 

She sat back up and got back to work on photos she had been sent the other day. Hedwig told her more than what she wanted to know yesterday. He was willing going along too. Those girls... I have to get them out of there. Hedwig nor Dennis has given me enough information to make up a timeline so I have no clue how much time they have. There's no time to persuade anyone- I have to make getting them out of there my priority. 

Monique left to the bathroom to clear her head. She'd need the key to open the doors. The key Dennis kept with him was a bundle of keys.  It'd take too long to figure out which ones opened those doors. There was no way she would be able to get them from him anyhow. He was stronger than her. 

Then it occurred to her she never once thought to bring her camera to take pictures of the layout of the tunnel. Well... My camera would be way too obvious but... Maybe my phone? I'd have to have a clear shot of  everything and be able to take them without him noticing. If I could study the layout then I could come up with an escape route for them. 

Ideas and thoughts came flooding into her mind. She recognized most of them as ridiculously over dramatic, but some good ones came to mind too. Whatever she decided on she would have to move fast. If she could get back over there that night she would hope to be able to come up with a plan and move by the next day. How she would get to them during the morning hours, she had no idea, but it was a starting point. 

Her chest felt tight at the thought of facing conflict with Patricia. She would have left her down there with those girls. Monique was starting to wish Dennis had left her down there. Maybe she would have gotten the girls out by now. Maybe they'd be walking free right now. 

She took deep breaths to calm her racing heart then returned to her desk. After work she'd text Dennis again. The worse part of all of this is that I care about all of them. People should be reprimanded when they do wrong, especially to this degree, but I don't trust anyone to do right by him and his condition. Not after doing something like this.

She had been missing so much time at work, whenever she did make it on time she stayed later than most others. There were no complaints so she kept doing it. When the room was mostly empty she whipped out her phone and sent a message to Dennis. Barry's name was still there, but she didn't fool herself int trying to imagine she was talking to him. Dennis was drastically different.

"Can I come to visit Hedwig sometimes? I think he feels lonely."

Monique expected a wait before the reply. It wasn't too long. "He has things to keep himself busy."

"I just thought maybe he'd want to see someone else's face sometimes."

"That's very thoughtful of you, but we're his family. He doesn't need to see anyone else."

"Maybe he wants to. If not there, then he can come over to my house."

"Because of Dennis?"

"Because he's a child who needs to be able to talk to someone...else. You and I know different things."

"Yes, we do."

"He should be able to think about things from more than one viewpoint."

"So that's it then. You want to change his mind."

"I can't change his mind. You have more influence than I do. I'm just a stranger who wants to be his friend."

"Yes, you are a stranger. He knows that. He knows that you also don't see the world as he does. He may be a child, but that's what makes him the most useful."

"Because you can use him? Because he just believes everything you say. Like the the story about the beast. That isn't fair."

"I'm not going to argue with you about fair because we know different things."

Monique clenched her phone. Patricia was a handful to say the least. She stayed in control of conversations. No matter how much Monique built herself up for it and ran in headfirst, she couldn't take Patricia on in a battle of words. She was sure the other woman knew how weak she was. That's how she operated: manipulate those weaker than herself. 

"If you think he will change his mind because of a few nice words, then you have less of an understanding than you can even imagine. He won't change his mind."

"Then there's nothing to worry about. Let him get out a little. I'll be with him so nothing's going to happen."

Patricia must have been thinking pretty hard on that one because the reply came back ten minutes later. "Very well. I will allow him to go with you but do not forget that he is never truly alone."

"Of course not."

Monique closed her phone and sat back in her chair. Another small victory. She got him away from the rooms but it wasn't like she could tell the girls. That was another problem all together but not one she couldn't quickly remedy. She opened her phone and text to Barry's number one more time. 

"Tell Hedwig he can bring his mice. I will bring something so he can take them with him when we leave. I'll be heading over soon."