Obscurity

Chapter 49: Questions

Alma

I don't immediately go to sleep. I can't. I must have slept too much today. I get up off my bed and stand at the window like I usually do. I watch the neighborhood below and yearn to be outside of this place and home. I don't how much more of this I can take.

I turn my attention away from the window and pace the length of the room. I need to regroup and figure out a new strategy to secure my release. Going with the flow might work. I can't imagine if I keep butting heads with Chris that I'll get out of here any sooner. On the other hand, I can't allow myself to go with the flow and hope everything works out for the best. That's essentially what's gotten me this far into this nightmare. Letting things take their course hasn't gotten me anywhere this far. Think, Alma. Think.

Back and forth from one end of the room to the other doesn't yield much in results with regard to figuring out a better way to go about things. I stop pacing by the window and stare out of it. Lost in thought.

I overhear commotion in the hallway and go toward my door to see who's arguing in the hallway. It's not extremely loud. Hushed, angry voices. Two males. When I reach the door, I peek out of it toward the direction the heated conversation is coming from. I see Spencer and Nick bickering near their bedroom door. I duck back into my own room and stand by the door to try and listen in.

It seems Nick is upset about something and Spencer sounds like he's trying to talk Nick down. He's trying to calm him, or at least it sounds like he's trying to.

I'm not able to hear everything they're saying, but I get bits and pieces.

"...but you have to chill out." Spencer says in a hushed tone.

"... you don't get it!" Nick exclaims.

"I do... but like I said..." Spencer responds. He lowers his voice, and I can barely hear anything coming out of his mouth. I glance back around the corner of the room, and that's when I realize the reason I can't hear anything he's saying is because they've stepped inside their room. They aren't in the hallway anymore.

I contemplate stepping out into the hallway myself, but decide against it. I don't want to have to explain to them or any staff members why I'm standing idly in the hall eavesdropping.

I crane my neck a little more to try to hear more of their conversation.

Nick's voice is audible now, "...have to do something!"

"I know, I know. Keep your cool Nick." Spencer hisses.

"You've got the power to do something... so do it." Nick responds.

I duck back into my room. What Nick just said makes me wonder what he's talking about. I think I'm going to have to pull Nick aside later on and ask him what he meant by that. How would Spencer have the power to do anything in this place? It doesn't make any sense. Nick must know something I don't know. Nick has just topped my list of priorities. I've got to know what he knows.

I stand by my window for a short time before deciding on heading to the day room. I need a look out of those windows. Those windows face a completely different side of the building I'm in. I need to check on something.

Keeping my pace natural, I walk down to the day room. I don't want anyone noticing me hurrying or anything like that, so I practice Sierra's trademark mosey. It works. I'm not stopped by anyone or piquing any interests. When I reach the day room, I casually walk over to my normal table and sit down in the seat closest to the windows.

I look around the day room to make sure no one's taken notice of me and turn slightly in my chair. I look outside the window, first I fix my gaze to a place far off, slowly scanning the building and various houses. After a moment of that, I look directly at where I had intended; the parking lot of the small diner across the street from this facility. Sure enough, Spencer's car is gone. He'd parked in that lot the day of his intake. It makes me wonder if it got towed or if he had someone pick it up.

I stare at the empty parking space at the far corner of the lot and think about it for a while. The car could've been towed. It's plausible. You can't just leave your car in a diner's parking lot for days on end before it arouses suspicion and gets hooked. It doesn't sit well with me, though. Spencer loves that car. I find it hard to believe he'd just leave it there and not have arrangements for someone to pick it up.

Not to mention, he's sat in this very chair. He's had to have looked out of this window to see if his beloved ride is still out there. And he hasn't raised any concerns or voiced to any of us about it being missing. So strange.

"Hey." A voice from behind me startles me out of my thoughts.

"Oh, hey Spencer." I say casually.

"What are you up to?"

"Nothing much. Just killing time."

"Yeah, we have a lot of that in here, don't we?" He smiles.

"Hey, Spence. I have a question."

"Yeah?"

"Where's your car?" I say, pointing to the lot across the street where I saw him park his car the first day he arrived here.

He doesn't answer, just shoots a look out of the window. His eyes find me again, and he tries for a deceptive answer.

"I took a cab here." His grin trying to cover up his lie.

I lower my voice, "I saw you park in that farthest spot in that lot the day you came here."

Worry overtakes his usually confident features.

"Where's the Charger?" I press. "And why aren't you worried about where it is?"

He just sits there staring at me. His glazed over look slightly worries me. I can't tell if he's frustrated he's been caught in a lie or if he's trying to think of a good excuse to make up for the lie. Either way, there's a lie here. And we're going to hash it out. I don't relent, I fix my gaze on him and wait for a response. He scratches the back of his neck and tries like hell to avoid my eyes.