Stories of the Untold...

Where were you last night?

“Where were you last night?” I ask turning my head to the side.

“Uh, nowhere important.” The creature scratched his scaly head and shrugged.

“What does that mean?” I asked.

“Nothing.” He replied quickly. Turning I looked down at the small impish creature beside me. Noticing he turned away sheepishly while I stared.

“How did you even leave? How is that possible?” I snapped.

“I don’t know.” He shrugged his thin shoulders again. Flinging my hand in the air I gave an exasperated sigh and said.

“But you’re not even real! How could you go anywhere?”

“So we pull out the I’m-not-real-card huh? Very nice.” He glared.

“Sorry. Geez. Can you just explain how an imaginary lizard can leave?”

“You forget about me.”

I turn and look down at him. He’s looking away at a dusty corner in the room. “Beezal you know I’m not ever going to forget you. What on earth would make you think I’d forget you? Your my best friend…In truth your my only friend. You should know better than that.” I sighed looking over to him.

“Yeah…I guess…”

“Good. Now stop being such a drama queen you stupid lizard and help me up.”

“Oh yeah sure I can do that. Here just hold on a second while I become tangible you twit.” He grinned.

“Hey, hey, at least you could be nice about it.” I say as my hands scrabble at the cold wall behind my back as I worked myself up the wall. “Man, I wish they would put some real lights in here I can’t see those lovely drab concrete walls they so lovingly decorated for us.” Beezal looked up at me and laughed.

“Thanks smart-ass.” I gave him a shark’s grin. “You’re very welcome.” I sighed and glared at the door to my small room. They hadn’t been here all day. I stumbled my way the short distance to the door and thudded against it.

“Heeeey! Anyone hooome?!” I yelled. No one answered. I used my weak fists to pound on the door. “Anyone hoooome?!” I turned and looked at Beezal. “Do you remember the last time someone came?”

“Uh, wasn’t it like yesterday morning?” He shrugged nonchalantly but looked a bit worried. “Hmmm maybe they finally got caught? I don’t think our current situation is exactly legal.” He gestured vaguely up. “I mean keeping a person, even someone like you, in a little room for who-knows-how-long isn’t right.”

“Ha-ha very funny.” He fidgeted on the concrete floor a small smile on his face though his eyes still showed his worry. “So should we wait and possibly starve or try to break out and possibly get caught?” I asked the little lizard creature with my hands on my hips.

“Why ask me? All I can do is watch you work. I’m not real remember?” He stated simply.

“Oi, oi you’re still mad about that? Is that even relevant? If I starve so do you so you could be supportive ya know.” I was mad at him. I wasn’t even sure why. Was I panicking? Probably. I have been talking to myself the entire time. But what else could I do? I’ve been in a tiny room for- Hmm how long was it? I looked to the wall. The cliché tallies marked the wall. 48, 48 tallies I’d been here longer than that. I suppose I’ve just stopped counting. Its been awhile though and no one has talked to me. Except Beezal of course, he’s my friend.

“Dude I’m in your head. I can hear you monologueing in there.” He gave an evil smile.

“You killed the mood man.” I slumped and grinned back.

“Ha-ha very good. Now are we breaking out or what?”

“I thought you were in my head? Don’t you already know?” I began scanning the corners of the room looking for a glimmer in the shadows.

“True.”

I fidgeted in the corners of the dim room. I knew I left a spoon or something somewhere. “Ah! Found something!” I held it up in the dim light. A hair pin. It wasn’t mine. I guess this meant that at some time or another someone else had been here stuck here like me. I shivered. Crouching in front of the door I began to work the pin in the lock.

“You know you can’t pick locks right? You were only ever the smarts and she was the finesse.”

“I can try can’t I?” I snapped at him in retort. I was so mad and I suppose I was scared too. I worked it for a long time. It was maddening. I was angry so at being held here. I was so angry at myself. In truth I was angry at everything. I got careless. I thrashed the pin in the lock.

It broke.

I sat back. There was no way out now. Curling up I stared at the door. Nothing else I could do.

“Well that’s it then.”

I turn to Beezal. I watch as his image fades. I don’t bother to keep up the ruse. He was never even there. We both knew it or I suppose I knew it. Why bother? I up curled on the floor completely spent. I stayed there for some time. At one point something made me look to the door again and there at the bottom just in hands reach were tallies. Odd tallies. Slow and shaky scratches in the metal. I think they were mine.

6 tallies.

I picked up the broken pin and slowly, shakily carved on the door.

7 tallies.