Page 134 of Bloom: Part 2

No memory is sacred. No reality is fixed.We embrace the power to create, destroy, and rebuild.For through memory, we command identity.

As Mnemosynes, we vow to push the boundaries of consciousness, to shatter the mirrors of certainty, and to rewrite the stories of the mind.This is our purpose, our creed, our calling.

We are The Mnemosyne Order, and through us, the truth becomes malleable.”

A chill ran down my spine as I finished the last sentence. The hairs on the back of my arms stood on end. I shot a glance around the room, finding mirrored expressions of bewilderment. “The fuck!” Bay cried. “What the hell is this? A cult?”

My chest rose and fell. It was just as I’d suspected when I asked Crowe earlier about Bloom’s past. The memories Bloom had all of a sudden about being sexually assaulted as a child weren’t real. Dr. Simms had deliberately planted them there,manipulating his mind for something called The Mnemosyne Order.

“That son of a bitch.” I let the paper fall back onto the table. What he was doing was unconscionable.

“What is it?” Gerald asked. “Surely it’s not what I think it is.”

“It is. Mnemosyne is the goddess of memory. They’re playing with people’s minds, planting false memories. It’s one of the biggest cautions of hypnotherapy.”

“B-b-but if this is an order, does it mean there are more of them engaged in this practice?”

“Seems like it. We need to find Bloom.”

Before Dr. Simms did irreparable damage. My heart pounded as I swept up the papers from the table and stuffed them back into the folder. “This isn’t working. I need to be out there, searching for him.” I stooped to pick up a piece of paper that had fluttered to the floor. “Uncle Mickey, you have…”

I frowned at the paper in my hand.

“What is it?” Uncle Mickey asked.

“Wait a minute. Where is the pile with the bills?”

“Right here.” Noose shoved the stack of paper over to me. I flipped through them, my pulse pounding in my temples. I spread out the utility bills and matched the addresses. They were different. The son of a bitch didn’t just have one office in that building. There was another. We’d walked right past them.

“He tricked us,” I whispered.

“What do you mean?”

I dropped the paper and raced for the exit. “They’re still there in the building!”

40

BLOOM

The room was quiet, too quiet. I sat there, tied to the chair, my jaw aching like hell from the gag that had been shoved into my mouth for what felt like forever. My tongue was dry, my throat raw, and my wrists were chafed from the ropes biting into them, but at least he’d allowed me to put my clothes back on.

Dr. Simms had left over an hour ago. Maybe he forgot about me. Maybe he wasn’t coming back. My mind twisted with hope and panic. Was that worse? Being tied up here, alone, waiting for something to happen? My chest felt tight, my breaths short as I tried not to let the silence swallow me whole.

The door creaked open, and I flinched, my heart slamming against my ribs. Dr. Simms walked in, calm as ever, like this was just another day at the office. He smiled as if he’d done whatever he’d set out to do.

“The coast is clear,” he said, his voice smooth and steady. “I got what we need to last us for a week. Supplies, food. We’ll be leaving shortly.”

Leaving? My stomach churned.No. No way am I going anywhere with him.

I lowered my gaze in case he saw my stubborn determination to get away from him. He darted around the room, packing his computer, shoving papers into a bag, and clearing the drawers. I stayed perfectly still, pretending to be defeated, but I followed his every move.

My mind was racing. If I was going to get out of this, it had to be now. But how? My hands were tied, my legs too, and every inch of me hurt.

If he got me into that car again, it might be too late.

Dr. Simms walked over and crouched in front of me. “I’m going to remove the gag, but if you make a sound, I’ll have to sedate you, which will make me very angry. You don’t want me to be angry, do you, Bloom?”

I shook my head.

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