Angel Of Clinia

15. Returns

I freeze.

Someone is in my room.

I can't decide whether I want to creep around the corner or not.

The voice I heard doesn't repeat itself.

Is it my imagination?

Then I heard it again.

"Hello?" They repeat.

I finally speak up, "Hello?"

My voice is shaking and bitter.

"Mar?" They reply.

The voice became familiar but I couldn't put my finger on it.

"How do you know my name?" I ask, pushing my back against the wall right before the corner. "Tell me if it's you first." They say.

"I don't feel safe disclosing that information." I grow more confident. "Neither do I." She tells me. "Then neither of us trust each other. We go around the corner on 3." I breathe in a big breath, hoping it isn't my last.

"Ok." They agree.

"One."
"Two."
"Three!"

We both jump around the corner.

"Agh!" I yell, leaping backwards and falling on my behind. She does the same but lands on a mushy bed.

Disbelief. Just disbelief.

"Alive- you- what-? Are you a clone?" I quickly stand up and raise my fists preparing to punch and run.

"I'm not a clone. I promise. The dead body you saw was though." She tries to laugh as she rubs her arm.

"But how?" I ask.

"Well they attempted to take us away last night, not you though because they have to update their design because you have wings now. So that's good. We just have to keep changing and they won't be able to take us and replace us because it isn't accurate," she starts, "and I woke up to use the...restroom," she clears her throat, "and when I came back I saw Stephanie slashing the clones with eyes that hadn't adjusted yet, they were too much of an icy blue, the twins had dark blue eyes. So unfortunately the twins were taken, but I wasn't because I wasn't there." She explains while she walks in a circle around the red and orange carpeted room. "I'm just glad you are here, Taylor." I say as I reach for her and give her a big hug.

"I was worried about you." she returned the hug as well.

"I thought I'd never see you again." I backed up, not wanting to make her uncomfortable even though I want to hug her longer. I don't want to be alone on this adventure.

I feel like there are fireworks bouncing around the room, exploding chaotically yet synchronized and making a beautiful scene. I swear I can hear them, but I know that they aren't real.

"How'd you know about Necari?"
"Well I knew for sure you wouldn't be dumb enough to retreat to Burrville. As for Claude Valley and Necari, I may have peeked from my hiding place in the factory." She tilts her head to the side a bit making an awkward face.

"Still clever." I add.

We settle in, as we've already had a long day.

A couple hours later, after we sit and chat, I make my way downstairs to see if they have any snacks or bathrooms. I make my way down the grand staircase, although it's difficult because of how close together and shallow the steps are.

I pass a chandelier but it's quite unusual. Instead of glass and lighting it is entirely made up of wax. Like one giant candle to light the room. This of course was uncommon in our time, but I suppose not so uncommon for those of the simple and old life of Necarians.

I wouldn't mind living here some. Or at least to vacation. It's a little weird considering how quiet everyone is.

I find myself at a countertop with a little bell that says "Ring for Service".

I quickly press my finger on the little lifted part of the bell, and it makes a loud ringing noise. A man comes out in a long silver dress with a waiter bib thing wrapped around his neck. The tie around his dress was warped around and confusing on how it stayed.

"Yes?" He soothingly says. "Well my friend and I were wondering if there was a bathroom or any snacks of some sort." "We do indeed have bathrooms, there should be a little round button on your room with two slits. In the drawers by the bed should be two chips. Put the first chip in the upper slot to get your bathroom, and take it out when you want it to go away, then the bottom chip spawns a kitchen, which is why you must remove the chips or you'll make the two rooms collide." He explains thoroughly. I blink a few times silently. "Alright, thank you." I go back upstairs to the room.

I tell her what the man told me. "Wow." She replies. "Yeah, I know. Let's try it out." I motion to the drawer. I open it up with high anticipation. "Nothing." I groan in a confused tone. "I'll check the other one." She opens up the drawer and there lies two little semi circle chips. "Let's test them!" I jump up and down like a kid in a candy store gazing at all the cool candies I want to overeat.

"Do you want to do it or me?" She extends her arm holding the two chips. I think for a minute. "You can do it." I nod. She nods back. "Action movie much?" Taylor giggles.

She takes a deep breath in and slowly inserts the chip. Suddenly a quiet whirring noise plays in our ears. Then a door slid through what was the wall.

The door released and it opened up wide. "Bathroom. Open." The door says in a female robotic voice.

"Woaaaah!"

We become mesmerized by the door. I walk in with Taylor and it's a bathroom the size of a school cafeteria. It was all gold and white marble. There were multiple stalls with censors and warming and cooling technology. There was a complimentary blanket storage in case your legs or arms got cold whilst in the room. The mirrors stretched across the entire room with golden designs. There were bouquets in vases aligned neatly for each stall on the bathroom counter across from them. Best of all each stall came with its own little drawer filled with scents you could plug in, like pina colada, cookie dough, or cherry blossom.

I never want to leave.