Ring

  Ring

  Sophie jumped as she heard the phone ringing in her apartment. She frowned. She didn’t even realize she had a phone in here. She had never used it since she started living here. Slowly, Sophie got up, walking into the apartment. It was still a bit dark out, the sun not even shining through her windows yet. The phone continued to ring as she stared at it for a moment before answering.

  "Hello?" she asked.

  "Sophie! What are you doing?" A voice asked, giggling away. Sophie raised her eyebrows. The voice sounded like it was far away and filled with static... almost like a recording. The voice was also remarkably familiar. Sophie felt her heart drop for some reason.

  "Hello? Who is this?" she asked. The voice suddenly changed.

  "Sophie, something's going wrong. Sophie, I'm scared. Sophie... Sophie..." The voice said, sounding frightened.

  "Hello? Where are you? Who are you? Please, I need to know who you are." Sophie called back into the phone.

  "Sophie! Make it stop! Sophie!" The voice shrieked. Sophie yelped in response and dropped the phone to the ground. She froze as she stood, staring at the phone. She held one hand over her chest, her heart pounding being the only sign that this had actually happened and she wasn’t just dreaming right now. She looked out the window to see the sun beginning to stream through. Suddenly, she heard a knocking on her door. Sophie made her way over, looking through the peephole to see her neighbour standing there, looking disheveled. She opened her door a crack, peeking through.

  “Hello?” She asked. Her neighbour stared back as she struggled to remember his name before she seemed rude.

  “Everything okay, Sophie? I heard that you were screaming– I mean I heard you scream. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.” He said. Sophie nodded slowly, as the scent of alcohol entered her nose. She wrinkled her nose a bit, looking him up and down.

  “Were you out drinking?” She asked. It really wasn’t her business, but she didn’t even recall a liquor store in town, never mind a bar or establishment where one could go out to drink. Her neighbour’s face flushed a bit as he opened his mouth then closed it again.

  “Uh. No… not at all…” He said, then paused, pushing his hair back and letting out a sigh, “Everything’s okay… right?” He asked again.

  “Yes. Everything’s okay. Just a bad dream” She said. He examined her face for a moment then turned away.

  “Okay, good… I’ve got to get back to… bed.” He said, heading back down the stairs to his apartment. Sophie watched him leave, a little confused about what sort of interaction they had just had but chalked it up to half asleep weirdness. There probably was a bar or something in town and Sophie just hadn’t noticed. It wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility for her not to notice these things. She wondered if the old Sophie was better at noticing these things… what kind of a person was she, really? She chewed her lip a bit as she closed her door, entering the safety of her own apartment. She looked out the window, noticing it the sun was still low in the sky. It didn’t seem like it had moved much… but that would be unusual if it had just paused there. Maybe the sun just liked to hang ominously in the sky here… she wasn’t an expert on the sky… this was normal, right? She shook the thought from her head. It probably was rising just… slowly. She turned away from the window, heading to her room and climbing back into her bed for a minute. She id there, lost in thought for a moment before pushing herself back up and getting dressed. Maybe a walk would ease her mind. She headed out quickly, preparing a thermos of tea before she exited. Her mind told her she should go to the hospital, to visit her sister, just as she had every day… but something deep down told her to the park. If Nathan was there… maybe she could ask him about what the rest of the world was like outside of Marigold. Sophie stood there for a moment. It must have been pretty early, as no one seemed to be up yet. She took a breath. The hospital probably wasn’t even open for visiting hours yet… She made her way over to the park, making her way through the trees and heading toward the ke. Through the trees, she could make out a figure standing there, looking back at her and grinning. Relief washed over her. It was Nathan.

  “I thought you weren’t coming back” She said. Nathan raised his eyebrows.

  “And miss these chats with you, Miss Dreamy? No chance.” He teased. Sophie ughed, heading towards him and pulling out the thermos.

  “I made some tea today, if you’d like to sit with me for a bit.” She said, pulling a bnket out of her bag and ying it down on the ground. She sat on it and patted the spot next to her. Nathan hesitated, then sat down.

  “Okay, fine. I can’t stay too long though… I have things to attend to.” He said. Sophie nodded, pulling out two pstic tea cups. Nathan smirked. They looked straight out of the 50’s. She handed him one cup, then took another for herself before pulling out a smaller dispenser and a container.

  “I wasn’t sure how you’d like yours, so I brought some cream and sugar with me…. Oh and spoons!” She said, handing him a small teaspoon.

  “Wow, Sophie, you really go all out” he said, astonished at everything she seemed to be pulling out of her bag. Sophie shrugged.

  “I appreciate a good cup of tea, that’s all.” She expined, putting a small amount of cream and sugar into her cup and stirring politely. Nathan was a little less polite, spilling a bit of cream and sugar as he added them into his cup. Sophie paid no mind to this, however. She scooted closer to him once he was situated and Nathan felt himself freeze up a bit as the smell of vender entered his nose. She leaned into his face, pulling herself down so that she could meet his eyes.

  “So… Nathan… you’re from the rest of the world, yes?” She asked. Nathan nodded slowly, keeping his thoughts steady as he stared up into her blue eyes.

  “Uh, yeah. That’s right” He said. Sophie nodded quickly.

  “So… what’s it like?” She asked. Nathan paused.

  “What’s… what like?” He asked.

  “The rest of the world, what’s it like?” She asked again. Nathan took a sip of his tea slowly, thinking for a moment.

  “Are you sure this is what you want to talk about today?” He asked. Sophie said nothing, but nodded enthusiastically. Nathan thought for a moment.

  “Well… it’s different than here for sure… I don’t think I’ve seen a town quite like this ever…” He said. Sophie looked at him, her eyes glistening as she listened on, anticipating what ever words would come out of his mouth next. He took a swig of the tea, trying to keep his cool.

  “So different… I think you’d be surprised… I don’t exactly know how to expin it to you though, to be completely honest, Sophie… I think it’s something you’d have to see.” He expined. Sophie frowned.

  “I mean… I want to see it when my sister wakes up… but I thought maybe you could tell me some more about the world outside? Tell me some stories… maybe like where you grew up and about your family?” She asked. Nathan practically choked on his tea, dropping the cup as he struggled to breathe.

  “Nope” He said between coughing fits “That *hack* subject is strictly *wheeze* off limits”

  Sophie frowned.

  “But why?” She asked. Nathan coughed once more, then gaining control of his lungs again breathed in a sweet breath of air. He turned back to look at her, his demeanor clearly having shifted.

  “It just is. I don’t know you well enough to talk to you about that sort of thing.” He said, his voice having an edge of ice to it. Sophie frowned, looking down at her p as Nathan stood up suddenly, brushing himself off.

  “Sorry, Sophie… I’m out of time… I’ll come back another day to chat about… something.” He said, avoiding eye contact with her. Sophie sighed, finishing her tea and packing her things up.

  “Nathan… I’m sorry if I offended you. I didn’t mean to, I just… I think I got a little too excited about learning about things outside of Marigold.” She said softly. Nathan let out a sigh, touching her shoulder.

  “It’s okay, Sophie… it’s a… tough subject to me. Not everyone has a good childhood.” He said. Sophie nodded, looking back to him.

  “If it helps, I don’t even remember mine” She said. Nathan let out a slight ugh.

  “Well, sometimes I wish I didn’t remember mine. Now, go head back into town. The sun is getting pretty high in the sky, so you’re probably te for visiting your sister” He expined. Sophie gnced up. She hadn’t even noticed how te it had gotten! She stood up abruptly and started heading out, then turned back to Nathan.

  “It was good to see you again. And not heavily bruised. I’m gd you’re taking better care of yourself.” She said, then turned back around and headed out of the forest. The sun shone down at her, somehow feeling hotter than it had before. She grimaced as she tried to squint the light out of her eyes as she hurried to the hospital. It wasn’t as if her sister would notice that she was te, but she felt this strange guilt about being te. She made her way over to her sister’s room, opening the door to find her neighbour standing there with a bouquet of flowers next to her sisters bed. He looked up at her, his face unreadable. Sophie felt her heart start to pound in her chest.

  “You’re te today… but you weren’t home either… what have you been up to, Sophie Paterson?” he asked. Sophie looked from him to her sister, then back to him.

  “I… couldn’t get back to sleep after my nightmare… so I made some tea and headed to the park… just to rex. I figured I couldn’t go to the hospital as it wasn’t visiting hours.” She expined. Her neighbour stood there for a moment as he thought this over.

  “I see… and you just lost track of time there? I wonder what could’ve kept you so distracted from visiting your poor, defenseless sister.” He said. There was an edge to his voice that made Sophie’s blood run cold. Sophie said nothing as they stared each other down for a few minutes. Suddenly, his expression changed and he was back to the usual friendly neighbour she knew.

  “Well, it must have been very interesting. And it’s not like you’ve ever been te before. I feel like someone should reward you for all the kindness you’ve shown this town!” He excimed. Sophie looked at him, puzzled.

  “Kindness to the town? I haven’t really done anything-“ She began, but her neighbour continued to speak.

  “How about I take you for a little shopping spree? You can buy some clothes like you had mentioned you were interested in the other day?” He asked. Sophie shook her head almost instantly.

  “That would feel wrong. I can’t ask you to do that.” She said. He just smiled back at her as he started to walk towards her.

  “Oh of course you can! I’d love to be able to make you happy! And wouldn’t that make you happy?” He asked, now looming over her. Sophie looked up at him. There was something about his eyes… they weren’t red this time but there was something in them that made her feel as if she were a deer being stared down by a hungry wolf. She said nothing for a moment.

  “I… would like a drink.” She said finally. Her neighbour paused, looking completely taken a back.

  “I… sorry… what?” He asked. Sophie nodded.

  “I’d just like a drink. You had alcohol the other day, right? So… I’d like a drink please.” She said. Her neighbour’s grin softened a bit.

  “Of course, I’d love to take you out for dinner and a drink.” He said. Sophie shook her head.

  “Just a drink. I’ve never had a drink. So… if you’re insisting on treating me, I’d like a drink.” She said. Her neighbour thought for a moment.

  “Fine, just a drink.” He said, sounding almost disappointed. He began to head out of the room and Sophie moved to follow him. He spun around, startling Sophie.

  “Where are you going?” He asked. Sophie paused.

  “To… get the drink?” She asked. Her neighbour’s face faltered for just a moment before his smile returned, but didn’t quite match his eyes.

  “Oh, visit with your sister. I’ll take you when you’re done” He said, “We can go for a walk for a bit too. Maybe do some window shopping.”

  Sophie stood there as her neighbour waved at her, leaving the room. Once he had left, she turned to look at her sister.

  “He’s up to something shady, isn’t he?” She asked her sister. But, of course, her sister did not respond.

  Sophie jumped to a knock at her door. She gnced at the time. It was 5, the time she and… her neighbour would be meeting for the drink. She really didn’t want to go, but she figured it’d be the easiest way to get him to be less suspicious of her. She didn’t want him to catch wind that Nathan was still coming by. He didn’t seem to take kindly to him, which she supposed she couldn’t bme him for. Nathan had, of course, just randomly appeared in her room, then threatened her sister so that Sophie would cover for him… Her neighbour didn’t know that part of it of course, but regardless. Nathan didn’t have the best track record at the moment. That and her neighbour seemed to have his own issues at the moment. Sophie stood up, looking at herself in the mirror. She had picked out a casual blue dress for the evening with her signature boots and scarf. Her makeup was done minimally, as it always was.

  “It’s just a drink. Nothing more.” She said to herself, then opened the door. Her neighbour stood there, dressed up much nicer than she was in a bck dress shirt and scks… and holding flowers... Blue roses to be exact. Well, this wasn’t starting out great. Sophie smiled at him weakly as he looked her up and down.“You look nice… but a little dressed down, don’t you think?” He asked. Sophie looked him in the eyes.

  “Oh, but it’s just two friends, getting a drink… right… buddy?” She asked, awkwardly patting his arm which was now outstretched towards her and holding flowers towards her. They stared at each other for a moment before Sophie slowly took the roses.

  “I… suppose I should leave these here.” She said. Her neighbour paused for a moment.

  “Ah… yes well they’re for you so you can do whatever you please with them.” He said. Sophie pced them on the table behind her before turning back to him and stepping out to meet him.

  “Okay then, friend,” she said, “Lets go”

  Her neighbour just looked at her for a moment, his expression unreadable. Sophie could feel a cold sweat roll down her back as she looked back at him before he just nodded. He reached his hand out, but Sophie walked forward, pretending as if she didn’t see it. She ignored the ripple of red that refracted through his eyes and kept walking, her eyes staring straight ahead. They walked in awkward silence until they reached a restaurant. Sophie had never noticed it here before… but she supposed she hadn’t noticed much about Marigold. It looked unassuming enough. Just a casual neighbourhood bar. Sebastian wrapped a hand around her waist and leaned in.

  “I hope you’re excited, I had to pull a lot of strings to get into this pce tonight.” He said, his voice low. Sophie looked at him, confused.

  “You had to pull strings to get into a bar?” She asked. Sebastian paused for a moment, but at that moment the host called over.

  “Oh, Sebastian Evangels! You’re right on time for your reservation, sir!” The host called out. Sophie felt a moment of relief. Her neighbour’s name was Sebastian. Sebastian ushered her in to follow the host to a table as she silently thanked the host for the reminder. As they made their way through the bar, she noticed it was much nicer than she would’ve expected a small town’s bar to be. But she supposed she hadn’t seen any as far as she knew… This pce looked expensive. With velvety seats and lounge chairs, bck marble countertops, crystal gsses… a firepce… they were sat at a table in a quiet corner, towards the back. Sebastian walked over, pulling Sophie’s chair out for her. She sat down as he slid her towards the table, then sat down at his own spot, pulling the menu open. Sophie looked around, noticing that they seemed to be the only people in the bar.

  “It’s awfully quiet for a pce that was difficult to get into… don’t you think?” She asked. Sebastian looked at her, then back out at the restaurant.

  “It’ll get busy shortly. Generally it gets busy around 7. Which is when I recommended we go out, if you remember” He said, a slight edge to his voice. Sophie grimaced but said nothing as she looked down at the menu. She gnced at the drinks, unsure of what she was looking at exactly. Suddenly, their waiter appeared next to them.

  “Have we had a chance to look over the menu?” The waiter asked. Sebastian opened his mouth to speak but Sophie spoke up.

  “I have but… I was wondering what you would recommend for someone trying a drink for the first time?” She asked. The waiter nodded, leaning in towards her and pointing at some of the drinks on the menu.

  “Yes, I’d absolutely recommend trying the-“ He began, but was cut off by Sebastian clearing his throat. The waiter and Sophie looked up to see a look of pure rage on Sebastian’s face.

  “I will take an old fashioned. She’ll have a cosmo. Thank you.” He said, a smile spreading across his face that didn’t quite meet his eyes. The waiter stood up and nodded, hurrying away. Sophie looked over at him, making a face.

  “What was that?” She asked. Sebastian frowned.

  “He shouldn’t have gotten close to you like that. It makes you uncomfortable.” He growled, “Besides. You could’ve asked me what I recommended.”

  Sophie held back the urge to expin that she really only felt uncomfortable with him getting that close, as he seemed to have no concept of personal space or boundaries. She closed her menu, looking towards the fire pce. She noticed a stage off to one side.

  “Do they have live music here?” She asked. Sebastian paused, then nodded.

  “Some nights. I can look into the schedule if you want to come back with me sometime.” He said. Sophie said nothing as she stared at the stage. She looked back at Sebastian.

  “So. How long have you been in Marigold?” She asked. Sebastian thought for a moment.

  “A while.” He said. Sophie raised an eyebrow.

  “Did you grow up here or…?” She asked. Sebastian shook his head.

  “Oh, definitely not. But I can’t imagine living anywhere else now that I’m here. It’s the perfect pce to settle down and raise a family, you know?” He asked. Sophie shrugged.

  “I think its nice but… Once I pay back my debt and my sister wakes up I might want to leave.” She said.

  “Why would you want to do that?” Sebastian said, his tone icy. Sophie looked over at him as he stared at her, his expression stoney.

  “Ah, well… I suppose I’d like to see the world. My sister can help me remember who I am, and we can travel together… Marigold is so small, you know.” She said, feeling a little meek again.

  “And do you think you can pay back your debt? It’s rather rge.” Sebastian stated. Sophie looked at him, thinking for a moment.

  “I can get a job, and keep paying even if I leave for somewhere else…” She said, her voice growing soft. Sebastian sighed, looking out towards the restaurant.

  “Sophie… I’ve seen what the world is like out there. Trust me when I say, you’re better off staying in Marigold. The town will keep you safe, and you’ll never have to want for anything.” He said. Sophie looked down at her feet.

  “Well… except for my freedom I suppose.” She muttered. Suddenly, a gss with a pinkish-red liquid was pced before her. She looked up to see the waiter had been repced by someone else. Silently, they pced another gss in front of Sebastian, bowed, then left. Sophie looked him over.

  “You seem to be someone important here.” She remarked. Sebastian took a sip of his drink and shrugged.

  “They just have really good service.” He said, brushing off Sophie’s comment. Sophie said nothing, but reached forward and sniffed the drink. It smelled sweet, like citrus. She took a sip and coughed a bit, then covered her face with her arm, trying to hide her expression. It was so sweet, like cough syrup. She couldn’t taste any hint of alcohol in it. She regained her composure, putting the gss down and smiling at Sebastian, who stared back at her.

  “Do you like it?” He asked. Sophie looked at the drink, taking another sip and smiling through it, swallowing the concoction.

  “Mmmhmmmmmm.” She said, almost as if she extended the hum it would convince him further that she definitely did not absolutely hate this taste. It was far to sweet for her liking, and having it forced upon her made it even worse. They sat in silence for a bit longer, before Sebastian spoke up.

  “So… would you like any appetizers? Dessert? Anything?” He asked. Sophie shook her head quickly.

  “Oh, no” She said, and she could see that her response was a little to quick for Sebastian’s liking. She cleared her throat, “I mean to say, I just asked for a drink, that’s all. I’m not necessarily hungry today” She expined. Sebastian looked her over for a moment.

  “Are you sure? There’s a wonderful apple pie here, at least have some dessert.” He suggested, grinning at her. Sophie fidgeted in her seat as she sipped her drink again, holding back a grimace.

  “Nooo, that’s fine…” She said, then gnced around the restaurant. There still wasn’t anyone else there. And sometimes when she gnced up, she swore she could see the waiter hiding just out of site, as if they were just waiting on her. No noises came from the kitchen… in fact there wasn’t any music pying at all. She sipped her drink again before turning to Sebastian.

  “It’s a little… quiet in here, don’t you think? Is this what a bar is normally like?” She asked. Sebastian paused, looking around.

  “Sometimes. I’ll be right back.” He said, getting up and leaving the table. She waved him off as he dipped around the corner. Sophie took another sip of her drink, then noticed there was a pnt next to her. Quickly, she dumped the drink into the pnt. Her first time trying alcohol as far as she could remember, and it wasn’t even a good drink. Sophie gnced around the restaurant. Maybe she could go to the bathroom? She got up, looking around. She caught Sebastian walking around in the back, seemingly on a phone. Suddenly, the waiter appeared in front of her.

  “Is there something I can help you with, miss?” He asked. Sophie nodded.

  “Oh, sorry. I was just trying to go to the bathroom?” She asked. The waiter paused.

  “The bathroom? Oh! Yes, the bathroom. Right this way.” He said, leading her down a hall. He pointed to a door with a sign that read “dies” on it.

  “Thank you” Sophie said, then entered the bathroom. It was a rather fancy bathroom, with lounge chairs to one side and moody lighting. Sophie stood in front of the mirror for a bit, looking at her face. She could feel that the little bit of alcohol she had was starting to affect her a bit. She let out a deep sigh.

  “Just a bit longer…” She told herself, then washed her hands and headed back out. She sat down at the table, noticing Sebastian still wasn’t back. Just as this thought crossed her mind, he suddenly appeared.

  “Sorry, had to deal with something.” He said. Sophie nodded.

  “I saw.” She said. Sebastian paused.

  “You… saw?” He asked. Sophie nodded again.

  “Yeah, you were talking on a phone or something? I saw on my way to the bathroom… I don’t think I’ve ever asked you about what you do for work.” She said. Sebastian paused for a moment, thinking.

  “I’m… a manager” he said. Sophie raised an eyebrow.

  “A manager of what?” She asked, pushing him to talk more. Just as Sebastian was about to answer, more people began to spill into the restaurant. Cssical music began to fill the space that hadn’t been filled with people talking as they sat down at their tables.

  “Do you know this song?”

  Sophie snapped her head over to look at Sebastian, who pointed up at the ceiling. Sophie listened for a moment, then shook her head. Sebastian looked a bit sad, but nodded.

  “It’s Chopin, Nocturn number 21 in C minor.” He stated. Sophie thought for a moment.

  “Do you py piano, Sebastian?” She asked. Sebastian nodded slowly.

  “I do.” He said. Sophie looked at him, looking a bit sad.

  “I don’t ever hear you py” She said. Sebastian paused for a moment.

  “I… don’t get much time to py anymore” He said. For a moment, Sophie could see something reflect in his eyes. As if he had something other to him… something other than being her neighbour who seemed to be a little too involved in her affairs. But just as quickly as she noticed it, it vanished. He smirked at her.

  “I’ll py for you some time.” He said, “If you come over to my pce.”

  Sophie just smiled back at him, then gnced around.

  “Well, I think I’m ready to go home now.” She said, “If that’s alright.”

  Sebastian’s face faltered a bit but he nodded, standing up.

  “Whatever you’d like, Sophie” He said, the edge in his voice poking through. Sophie could tell he wasn’t too happy with leaving already, but Sophie didn’t want to stay too long to give him any ideas. Sophie followed him out and they began to walk back home. As they walked, Sophie felt the urge to go to the park. She turned to Sebastian.

  “I think I’m going to go by the park, if that’s okay.” She said. Sebastian made a face.

  “Why now? It’s getting te.” He remarked. Sophie shrugged.

  “Yeah… the stars are nice in the park.” She said. Sebastian thought for a moment.

  “Sure. I’ll walk you over.” He said.

  “Oh, you really don’t have to-“ She began, but Sebastian cut her off.

  “It’s fine, I’m happy to get to walk you at least to this point.” Sebastian stated. Sophie just nodded, saying nothing. It was probably just easier to let him follow her to the park than argue with him at this point. Besides, he had never gone into the park before. As they neared the park, Sophie noticed there were police cars with fshing lights. She squinted, looking at the park. She noticed that the entire entrance was roped off.

  “Oh, no. Looks like there’s no park tonight” Sebastian stated, shoving his hands in his pockets. He didn’t sound like he was too disappointed. Sophie’s heart dropped to her stomach as she ran over, an officer stopping her as she did so. She recognized it as the officer she saw the other day.

  “Ma’am, I’m going to need you to step back.” The officer stated firmly. Sophie looked around past her.

  “What’s going on?” She asked, panic rising in her voice. The officer gnced at the forest then back to Sophie.

  “We heard reports of a fugitive hiding out in this park. We’re doing a thorough sweep to make sure that he can’t come back.” The officer expined. Sophie frowned.

  “But… I forgot something in there. Can I take a look for it?” She asked. The officer shook her head.

  “If we find anything, you can come down to the station and cim it.” The officer stated. Sophie frowned, trying to step around her but she was blocked again.

  “It would only take a few minutes. I’ll be in and out before you’d even notice” She said. The officer frowned.

  “Ma’am. I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” She said, sternly this time. Sophie tried to step around her again. The officer gred at her.

  “Ma’am, please don’t make me use force.” The officer warned. Suddenly she felt an arm around her shoulders.

  “Sorry, enforcer. She’s very passionate about the park. I’ll take her home now, very sorry to have bothered you” Sebastian’s voice came from behind her, dripping with honey. The officer stared at him wide eyed for a moment but said nothing.

  “Have a good evening” The officer muttered after a few moments. Sebastian led Sophie away, heading back to the apartment building. Sophie looked around, trying to see if there was some way she could sneak in but there was nothing that she could see. She walked in silence next to Sebastian, not uttering a word until they reached the apartment building. Sebastian opened the door for her, and she entered soundlessly.

  “Well, I had a really good time tonight.” Sebastian said, rather loudly. Sophie turned to look at him and smiled softly.

  “Yes, thank you very much for the drink Sebastian. It was a lovely evening” Sophie said, although in her mind she would’ve much rather preferred to sit at home. Sebastian looked at her expectantly for a few moments, and Sophie stared back at him.

  “Is there... something else?” She asked. Sebastian looked at her dumbstruck for a moment.

  “No... I suppose not.” He said quietly. Sophie just nodded, turning back around.

  “Thank you again, Sebastian. Have a good night.” She said, before continuing up the stairs. She heard Sebastian walking behind her, but just continued on, saying nothing to him. She entered her apartment, shutting the door behind her and letting out a sigh. She hoped Nathan was okay, and that the park would be too. It was her favourite pce in all of Marigold. If it went away, she wasn’t sure what else would keep her here. She put her bag down, heading over to her patio and opening the door. She looked out at the sky, the sun now beginning to set and changing the sky from blue to a magnificent pink. She frowned. Hopefully Nathan didn’t try to come back after their disagreement earlier. Honestly, it was probably the best thing that could’ve happened. Just as this thought sat in her mind, she heard a sound from inside her apartment. She jumped, spinning around. Had Sebastian some how picked her lock? When she turned, her face flushed. There, standing in between her kitchen and living space was Nathan. A little roughed up, but otherwise fine. He grinned as he waved. Sophie walked in as inconspicuously as possible, shutting the door behind her, before she wrapped her arms around Nathan in a tight hug.

  “Thank god you’re alive” She whispered. Nathan paused, before hugging her back.

  “Hey Miss Dreamy... I’m alive...” He repeated, as if he were reassuring himself. Sophie looked at him, examining his bruises.

  “What happened?” She asked. Nathan shrugged as they released their embrace.

  “I came back, hoping I could talk to you a bit... I felt bad about how our st conversation ended... and when I came back the cops were waiting for me.” He expined. Sophie frowned as she looked at his bruises, noting one particurly rge one on his cheek. She walked over to the kitchen and handed him an ice pack from her freezer. Graciously, Nathan took it, pressing it against his face and sighing in relief. After a moment, he spoke again.

  “I had to find another way in... to make sure you’re okay.” He expined. Sophie paused, lingering on the words he had just spoken.

  “You should take better care of yourself, Nathan...” She muttered, “I’m not the one being hunted down by the police...”

  Nathan ughed a bit.

  “You probably have a point there... luckily due to all these beatings I’ve probably suffered some head trauma causing me to make questionable choices for my health.” He said, smirking. Sophie rolled her eyes.

  "I'm going to put on some tea. Would you like some?" she asked. Nathan shrugged.

  "Sure. Might as well. Thank you." He said, looking out the window. The sun was now lower in the sky, and not visible from where he stood in Sophie’s kitchen. The only sign it had been there before was a bit of pink in the sky. But within moments, that too was gone, and it was now dark. He turned back to look at Sophie. He thought for a moment before he spoke up.

  "Sophie… don't you think this town is a little strange?" He asked. Sophie turned to face him as she pced a box of assorted teas on the counter.

  "I'm not quite sure. If you're saying it is, then it must be. What kind of tea would you like?" she asked, almost dismissing the question. Nathan frowned.

  "Any type of green if you have it." He said as she turned back around before he continued, "Well I have seen weirder but... I really don't know how to put it."

  "Then don't say anything at all." Sophie said bluntly. Nathan's eyes widened as she pulled a bag of green tea from the box onto her counter. She pced her hands on the counter, but her eye contact remained fixated on the counter as she opened her mouth to speak.

  "Sorry if that came off a bit blunt but… when you know exactly what you want to say, then tell me. I want to be able to understand exactly what you mean when you say it, the way you want to be expressed. You don’t have to worry about expining it until you know how." She expined. Nathan stared down at his hands and smiled as Sophie filled her kettle with water and set it on the stove.

  "Very well. I'll say nothing for now. But when the time's right, I'll tell you." He promised. Sophie turned on the burner, then spun around to face Nathan.

  "So, Nathan, where are you from?" she asked. Nathan raised an eyebrow.

  "Wow, straight to that question again?" He asked. Sophie shrugged.

  "It's not like I'll know where it is." She expined, "but… if you’re okay with answering this time, I’d like to know. I’m curious about the world outside of Marigold… but only if you’re okay telling me about it”

  Nathan paused for a moment before smiling gently.

  "Yes. I see. All right. Well, I was born and mostly raised in Salem..." He paused "Do you know where that is?"

  Sophie shook her head.

  "Ah. Well, I think we're in Canada right now. Salem is in the United States." He expined, then paused, "That's south of Canada."

  Sophie nodded as the kettle began to boil. She stood up and walked to the stove and poured the hot water into the cups as Nathan continued.

  "After living there with my family for a while, I realized I was... different. In more ways than I could count. And when I tried be myself to my family... they... they didn't really take it well." he said, pausing as Sophie pced his mug in front of him and returned to her seat. She watched him, her intense gaze pouring over him. And yet, Nathan felt strangely calmed by her presence. He cleared his throat and continued.

  "So, I left. I was about fifteen. I ran away from home until I found my way to Lucidia, Canada. And that's where I live now." He expined. Sophie nodded.

  "I'm very sorry to hear about your family. I'm sure if they could see you now, they would be immensely proud of you, Nathan." she said quietly. Nathan smiled weakly and ran his hand through his hair.

  "I wouldn't be so sure about that... There’s a lot I wish I could’ve done differently..." He muttered, “Besides, I was the one who threatened your sister the other day, or did you forget that?”

  Sophie paused for a moment.

  “I haven’t... It’s not like I trust you entirely... but if there’s something I’ve learned about you it’s that you’re honest, almost to a fault. You lied in that moment, but otherwise, you’ve been completely honest with me.” She stated. Nathan sighed.

  “Well... not entirely...” He muttered, his voice low and quiet. Sophie opened her mouth to speak but Nathan quickly took a swig of his still boiling hot tea, burning his mouth in the process. This is a very clever way to avoid conversation, as how can one be expected to speak when their mouth has been burned to a crisp and their tongue can no longer function as it once could? He whimpered as his eyes teared up from the pain but managed to swallow, gasping for air once the tea had begun its trek down his throat. He could feel it burn all the way down, destroying his esophagus as it went. Sophie took this as a strong hint to not ask any more questions. Once Nathan's mouth had cooled off, He looked back up at her, smiling weakly as he fought off his pain.

  "So. What about you? What's the st thing you remember?" He asked. Sophie shrugged.

  "There was an accident. And then I woke up." She expined, before taking a small sip of her tea. Nathan frowned.

  "Nothing beyond that? No names, no faces?" He asked. Sophie shook her head.

  "I try to remember but I can never get past the accident... and even that’s just bits and pieces… mostly just the impact" she said solemnly. Nathan frowned and stared down at his feet.

  "I'm sorry Sophie..." He said softly. Sophie looked over at him and smiled.

  "That's alright. One day my sister will wake up and hopefully she will remember." She expined. Nathan's eyebrows rose, but his face remained pointed at the ground.

  "Did you ever think about if she wakes up and she doesn't remember?" he asked, looking up at her slowly. Sophie paused, staring down at her cup. That thought had never even so much as crossed her mind. She was so focused on waiting for her sister to wake up that she hadn't even considered the possibility that her sister too might not remember. Suddenly she felt the room begin to spin as her body ran cold. She could feel her palms begin to grow sweaty as her body shook. Nathan’s eyes widened as he cleared his throat.

  "Forget I said anything. I'm sure she'll remember" he said quickly. Sophie looked back up at him. His head was turned towards the window now instead. She smiled as she felt her body rex again, and all her previous thoughts melted away.

  "Yeah... yeah, she’ll definitely remember. And then we’ll leave together. And maybe I’ll come visit you instead." she said softly. Nathan gnced back at her, feeling a blush crawl across his cheeks. He turned back to the window, focusing intently on the darkened sky. Sophie took a sip of her tea and stood up.

  "I think I'm going to finish my tea in my room if you don't mind." She said, looking down at Nathan, "You're more than welcome to help yourself to any of the food in the fridge. If you get tired there's bnkets under the coffee table and you can make yourself comfortable on the couch."

  Nathan stared up at her and smiled.

  "Yeah... thanks Sophie. Goodnight." he said, waving one hand. Sophie smiled.

  "Goodnight Nathan" she said gently before exiting the room. She paused before reaching into her bedside drawer and pulling out a small fshlight. She returned to Nathan and handed it to him.

  "When Sebastian wakes up, if he hasn’t already, he may try to see if my lights are on. Please use this to look around." She expined. Nathan nodded, taking the fshlight in his hand.

  "Good pn. Well then... goodnight again Sophie." He said. Sophie nodded.

  "Goodnight again, Nathan." She said and with that she exited the living room and went into her own room. On such a strange day she felt exhausted and once she had changed into her pajamas and climbed into bed, she allowed her tea to grow cold and fell fast asleep.

  Sophie awoke the next morning to a loud banging on the front door. She got up slowly at first, a little dazed and confused, then realizing who it most likely was, leapt out of bed and ran out of her bedroom. She looked over at Nathan, panicked, who was crouched on the other side of the couch, looking at her with a simir expression. She motioned for him to stay hidden, then made her way to the door cautiously. She took a moment to mentally prepare herself before she slowly opened the door, peeking out through the crack. Sure enough, standing in front of her was... what was his name again? That boy was standing there, still dressed in the same clothing as yesterday.

  "Sophie." He grumbled. Sophie nodded.

  "Good morning neighbour." she said gently. For some reason she could remember everything from yesterday, except for his name yet again. He looked annoyed.

  "Do you have someone over?" He growled. Sophie stared at him, wide-eyed.

  "What? Why would I ever do that?" she asked. Her neighbour smmed his fist into the door. Sophie winced but held firm.

  "Sophie, I could hear voices through the wall…” He snarled. Sophie felt a little fear creep up within her, but she quickly pushed it down.

  "I'm very sorry but I don't even remember your name... but you did seem very exhausted st night. Perhaps you imagined it." She said, “I’m not even sure I could get anyone in here without going past your door, even if I knew someone I did want to bring in”

  The boy sighed as his eyes searched her up and down. Suddenly his annoyed expression turned into a sly smirk.

  "You look rather cute in that" He said, "Mind if I come in?"

  Sophie paused for a moment before thinking of what to say next. Quickly, she pulled out a phony smile.

  "I'm very sorry, but my apartment really isn't in any condition for visitors at the moment... Maybe next time?" she asked. Her neighbour frowned for a moment but then smiled again and waved.

  "Oh alright. I'll leave you to it then... Sorry for suspecting you of something like that Sophie! I should have known you wouldn't be capable of that." He said before turning away and heading back down the stairs to his apartment. Sophie quickly shut the door and sighed. Nathan popped his head up and frowned.

  "Little did he know… That guy just can’t take a hint, can he?" He asked. Sophie held a finger to her lips to silence him.

  "Not so loud," She hissed, "these apartment walls are rather thin. Once the coast is clear, I'll sneak you back out again and you can head home."

  Nathan opened his mouth to say something but quickly shut it. He smiled and nodded.

  "Alright. Sounds good Sophie" He replied. Sophie smiled and nodded back.

  "I'm going to get dressed into more presentable clothing. I appear to have slept in this morning, and I should be going to visit my sister very soon. He shouldn't be trying to bother me when I go down the stairs this time." She expined. Nathan nodded and sat back down on the couch.

  "Take your time.” he said, waving her away with one hand. Sophie turned back to her room and strode quickly to the door. She closed the door behind her and sighed. Everything was just getting stranger here by the minute. She sighed and opened her closet, this time picking out another pale blue dress, though this one was tea length, had long puffed sleeves and a Peter Pan colr. It was too bad she only had the one pair of pants, she’d have to wash them… and she really didn’t have the time to do that right now. She ran a comb through her hair and put some mascara on her eyeshes. She picked up her scarf and wrapped it around her neck then slipped her boots on. Sophie exited the bedroom, turning to Nathan as she grabbed her bag.

  "Ready?" she asked. Nathan nodded.

  "I'm ready." He replied. Sophie nodded back before turning to her door. She gnced down the stairwell to see that Sebastian had indeed returned to his apartment unit. She turned back to Nathan and beckoned him to follow. The two began to make their way down the stairs, trying to make it sound like one person walking as much as possible. Every sudden creak or voice made them pause and their hair to stand on end. They felt their pulses quicken at every door sm before realizing it was in someone's apartment. Nathan realized that Sophie hadn't been exaggerating when she told him that the walls were thin. Finally, they made it to the front door. Nathan walked in front of Sophie, giving her a wave, but then froze as he stared behind her. Sophie froze for a moment, but then slowly turned around to see her neighbour standing behind her, arms crossed and looking furious.

  "Well, who's this Sophie? The mysterious attacker from the other day?" He asked. Sophie opened her mouth, trying to get something... anything out.

  "I... well you see... um..." She said, struggling to find a good expnation. She suddenly turned to Nathan and shoved him out the door before standing in front of it herself.

  "Run Nathan!" She shouted. Her neighbour's grin spread unnaturally as his eyes began to turn red with bck slits. Jagged teeth began to grow where his human teeth had been before. His body began to stretch and distort as if he was made of cy, and someone was pulling on his limbs. At the end of his hands, his nails began to turn into sharp cws and his hair grew longer and scragglier. Sophie felt the fear rising again but this time it was much more, and she didn't bother pushing it back down. Something about this seemed familiar, as if she knew how much of a threat this was but at the same time, she couldn’t recall how she knew this information. Every time she tried to think back her mind seemed to be in a haze.

  "You haven't been behaving, have you Sophie?" The creature snarled, towering over her. She gasped as she tried to turn and run, but it snatched her by her hair and pulled her back.

  "Oh no. I've let you have too much freedom. You can stay in here for a bit and think about what you've done!" He roared as he tried to throw her into his apartment. Sophie screamed and managed to pull away at the st minute, causing the neighbour creature to accidentally throw her into a wall. He snarled as he attempted to grab her again, but she was already being pulled up and away by someone else. Nathan turned to smile at her as he pulled her up the stairs. Despite his grin, he seemed terrified of the creature below them, and he had every right to be.

  "Come on, Miss Dreamy!" He called out, "Time to go!"

  Sophie felt one of the cwed hands grab her ankle and pull her back down. She felt her legs buckle as the creature tugged on her leg, her knee smming into the wooden floor.

  "You don't even remember my name, do you? Stupid girl. You can never remember my name!" The monster sneered. Sophie kicked at his hand, finally getting enough of a hit that he roared and let go. She turned herself around and started dashing up the stairs again to Nathan. He gripped her hand and the two continued up the stairs.

  "Hurry Sophie!" Nathan yelled, "Don't look back!"

  "Don't leave Sophie! You wouldn't want to leave your sister with me, would you?" The creature wailed. Sophie gritted her teeth, but Nathan kept pulling.

  "Sophie! Don't listen to him. You can come back for her I promise. He won't be able to touch her. But for now, you need to leave!" He shouted. The two finally came to her front door. Sophie was about to open it, but Nathan held up one hand to stop her.

  "Trust me, this will work better." He said gently and swung open the door. Instead of Sophie's apartment there was darkness. Sophie could make out some doors in the distance but other than those small shapes floating in the dark it was just pure darkness. Nathan smiled over at Sophie and leaped through.

  "Nathan?" Sophie screamed. She could hear the monster getting closer now.

  "Jump Sophie!" Nathan shouted back. He sounded much further away.

  "Don't jump Sophie! Don’t leave me!" The creature wailed. It was almost behind her.

  "Jump!" Nathan roared. Sophie closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. She took a deep breath in as she felt her body leap into the darkness, allowing it to envelop her body as she drifted away from her previous world and into the unknown.