Page 54 of Black Curtain

High. Old. Possibly expensive but ramshackle, like someone had let a mansion slowly molder over the years, letting the carpets fade along with the wallpaper and the paintings. A massive, silver chandelier hung over me, gathering dust from where it hung from the…

Someone was panting.

Not just one person. Lots of people.

I heard people panting all around me, fighting panic.

I realized I was one of them.

I was one of the people breathing too hard.

Gaos.Where was Black?

I’m here, doc. I’m here… where are you? Are you by me?

I didn’t know. I didn’t know how to answer him.

The cake was still in our blood.

I had to assume not very much time had passed.

Hours? Less than days.

It had to be less than days, surely.

We were all still messed up. All of us.

It’ll take a while,another mind muttered.It’ll be there for a while. Not days. Not days… but a while. More than the night. Longer than that, maybe…

It wasn’t Black.

All I knew at first is that the voice didn’t belong to Black.

“What the fuck is happening?” A different, equally familiar voice rose out of the dark, echoing up the high ceiling. “Who did this? Where the fuck am I?”

Another voice rose from closer.

“Kiko? KIKO? Where are you Kiko? WHERE ARE YOU?”

“I’m here!” she called, pain in her voice. “Where are you? WHERE ARE YOU?”

“I’M HERE!” the first voice yelled back.

Then the voice I was listening for rose from right next to me.

“DOC! MIRIAM! Where are you, doc?”

I turned, feeling so much relief I couldn’t think, I could barely breathe. I gripped hold of his clothes, then of muscular arms. I clutched a handful of his hair, a face with a long jaw I knew. His face was wet and I realized he was crying. I still couldn’t see right.

I couldn’t see him.

“Black––”

“Yes! Yes, it’s me, doc…” He held my hands. “Honey what’s wrong? Why aren’t you opening your eyes?”

I gasped, then realized he was right.

I forced my eyes open.

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