Into Abeyance
Realization
She stepped out of her hotel room and she almost choked on her saliva. He was standing there, his arms resting on the balcony, his soft black hair rumbled by the light breeze.
“Took you long enough...”
He mumbled as she closed the door and stood beside him.
“I couldn’t really sleep much yesterday...”
She explained as she popped a pill into her mouth. Steve’s eyebrow went up instantly.
“What are you taking now, Lily?”
She shrugged at him.
“It’s the pill Central gave me.”
She told him handing him the box that held them. He stared at the small letters, trying to decipher the meaning of the words.
“According to Rose they’re supposed to be really strong and for like mental problems...Can we go for breakfast?”
“Mental problems?”
Steve repeated, with an edge on his voice as they walked down the stairs and into the lobby. Lia nodded at the old man behind the counter,
“Yeah...”
“What does your, er roommate-?”
He paused waited for her to tell him if he was right. She nodded.
“know about this pills? I mean, why does she know they’re for that?”
Lia raised her shoulders,
“I really don’t know...she always seems to know about things revolving Central...”
Steve stopped short.
“Where did you meet Rose, Lil?”
Lia furrowed her brow,
“I...I met her...”
She stared into Steve’s eyes in horror.
“I can’t remember.”
She stated frankly, her bottom lip started to quiver.
“Didn’t you say that the nurse wanted to keep you there?”
“Yes...but the doctor didn’t care...he said something about army and wars...”
“I think Rose was keeping you in check, Lil. I think she works for Central. Has any of your friends disappeared lately?”
Lia thought hard. She remembered that during those four years it had become common for her seeing her partying and dealer friends on the newspaper’s front page with something along the lines of ‘Central is keeping your city clean. This delinquent was taken to keep you safe’. She was no longer surprised, it was just one of those wrong things you had to accustom to.
“Yes.”
She mouthed, fret already taking over her body.
“I can’t believe this.”
She muttered.
“Lia what did you do last night?”
“I...I...I was in your home...then you walked me here...I couldn’t sleep...I was reading a book...I had a joint...that’s it.”
“You can’t remember more? Was going to my place the first thing you did when you came here?”
“I...I think I went to the beach...or to the ‘Boiler Room’? I’m not sure...What in the world is happening to me?”
Steve shook his head and started walking again, Lia following close behind.
“I’ve seen this happen to some kids that go to the city and then come back. They said they’re ill and start to take medication Central has given them...it fucks them up. They end up like rotten vegetables and then their parents have to kill them because they can’t afford having them get old on a hospital bed. I think the medication is the cause. How long have you been taking those?”
“The day before yesterday...I think.”
“Have you taken any other medicine this Rose person has given you?”
“Well yes...headache pills...some things against hangovers...flu pills...you name it.”
Steve stared into Lia’s eyes, she could sense his agitated pulse as he intertwined his fingers with hers.
“I’ll save you.”
As she stared into his eyes, the glint of courage and hope tinkling furiously she believed him. Even if he failed he was going to try his best, and that was good enough for her. Right there she knew just the exact words she had to say, the words she had never truly meant but that right now where the biggest thing she could've told him,
"I love you."
“Took you long enough...”
He mumbled as she closed the door and stood beside him.
“I couldn’t really sleep much yesterday...”
She explained as she popped a pill into her mouth. Steve’s eyebrow went up instantly.
“What are you taking now, Lily?”
She shrugged at him.
“It’s the pill Central gave me.”
She told him handing him the box that held them. He stared at the small letters, trying to decipher the meaning of the words.
“According to Rose they’re supposed to be really strong and for like mental problems...Can we go for breakfast?”
“Mental problems?”
Steve repeated, with an edge on his voice as they walked down the stairs and into the lobby. Lia nodded at the old man behind the counter,
“Yeah...”
“What does your, er roommate-?”
He paused waited for her to tell him if he was right. She nodded.
“know about this pills? I mean, why does she know they’re for that?”
Lia raised her shoulders,
“I really don’t know...she always seems to know about things revolving Central...”
Steve stopped short.
“Where did you meet Rose, Lil?”
Lia furrowed her brow,
“I...I met her...”
She stared into Steve’s eyes in horror.
“I can’t remember.”
She stated frankly, her bottom lip started to quiver.
“Didn’t you say that the nurse wanted to keep you there?”
“Yes...but the doctor didn’t care...he said something about army and wars...”
“I think Rose was keeping you in check, Lil. I think she works for Central. Has any of your friends disappeared lately?”
Lia thought hard. She remembered that during those four years it had become common for her seeing her partying and dealer friends on the newspaper’s front page with something along the lines of ‘Central is keeping your city clean. This delinquent was taken to keep you safe’. She was no longer surprised, it was just one of those wrong things you had to accustom to.
“Yes.”
She mouthed, fret already taking over her body.
“I can’t believe this.”
She muttered.
“Lia what did you do last night?”
“I...I...I was in your home...then you walked me here...I couldn’t sleep...I was reading a book...I had a joint...that’s it.”
“You can’t remember more? Was going to my place the first thing you did when you came here?”
“I...I think I went to the beach...or to the ‘Boiler Room’? I’m not sure...What in the world is happening to me?”
Steve shook his head and started walking again, Lia following close behind.
“I’ve seen this happen to some kids that go to the city and then come back. They said they’re ill and start to take medication Central has given them...it fucks them up. They end up like rotten vegetables and then their parents have to kill them because they can’t afford having them get old on a hospital bed. I think the medication is the cause. How long have you been taking those?”
“The day before yesterday...I think.”
“Have you taken any other medicine this Rose person has given you?”
“Well yes...headache pills...some things against hangovers...flu pills...you name it.”
Steve stared into Lia’s eyes, she could sense his agitated pulse as he intertwined his fingers with hers.
“I’ll save you.”
As she stared into his eyes, the glint of courage and hope tinkling furiously she believed him. Even if he failed he was going to try his best, and that was good enough for her. Right there she knew just the exact words she had to say, the words she had never truly meant but that right now where the biggest thing she could've told him,
"I love you."
♠ ♠ ♠
Sorry this is such a crappy ending.I had some other ideas for this story but they crashed and burned...I'm gonna go on major research for my next story which hopefully is going to be better than this one for both your sake and mine. I'm not going to whore myself out for the next one, though. I think I learned from this experience. If anyone of you is interested in me telling you about the new story tell me you've all been superb readers and I love you for sticking to this even if it sucked big motherfucking time.
I love you all.