Moonlight Magic

Chapter 14

The elevator took me up to the fifth floor and before long I was at the door of room 413. Just like the lady on the ground floor said, a couple of orderlies -all men and obviously muscular- patrolled the hallways. The fifth floor had the same blank white walls and floors and smelled of antiseptic.
I had passed two nurses while looking for Talia's room. Every now and then I heard screaming in the distance and moans and groans behind closed doors. But not once did I come face to face with another patient. I supposed they were more or less kept in their rooms during visiting hours so they could be easily found.
There was no name tag or any indication of whether 413 was really Talia's room. I couldn't hear any sound coming from inside the room and I started to doubt if she was awake or not. I didn't know if I should knock or if I did would she answer?
Taking in a deep breath I lifted my hand and quickly knocked twice. At first there was just continued silence until I heard bed springs and someone shuffling along. Before I could back out the door swung open revealing Talia in her favourite pyjamas. I had thought patients here had to wear hospital gowns or something. I was wrong.
Talia's annoyed face quickly turned to shock as she stared and took me in. For a moment I thought she was either going to slam the door in my face or had forgotten who I was. When she finally realised I was me and really here, her eyes were full of relief, threw her arms around me and hugged me fiercely. It was now my turn to be shocked. My arms tentatively went up around her and squeezed her just as tightly.
"I missed you," she whispered and tears pooled in my eyes.
"I'm sorry," I whispered back. "I should've come sooner. It's all my fault."
Pulling apart, Talia grabbed my arm and tugged me into the room. Looking back out the hallway to make sure no one saw, she shut the door with a click.
"I'm so sorry, Talia," I said again, incase she didn't hear me the first time.
She spun around and asked, "Sorry for what? Me landing in here? That everyone thinks I'm crazy?" I flinched. She touched my arm gently as if to comfort me when I'm supposed to do the comforting. "Look, I don't care if people think I'm crazy. True, I was scared when I first woke up here but I quickly calmed down and have laid low ever since. The entire time I was here and you didn't visit, I thought you were dead." Talia looked at me earnestly, her ash mauve eyes were crystal clear, showing nothing but genuine worry. Worry for me.
"Well I'm sorry for not visiting, for not being a better friend that you deserve. If I had listened... believed." Tears had rolled down my face. I didn't know how to face the girl in front of me. The girl who had never told a lie to me since the day we met and yet, I hesitated and questioned her. Because of that she was taken and locked in here.
"Oh please!" Talia exclaimed. "You sound more miserable than me and you're the one that's free. And I'm fine, honest." Smiling, she took my hands led me to sit on the bed.
Scanning the room, it was sparsely furnished. There were three cubby holes that housed Talia's belongings, a lamp was permanently screwed onto a nightstand and there were bars over the window that looked out onto a small courtyard. The single bed had leather straps fastened at end corner and looking at it reminded me of that terrifying place my parents hid away. Everything was bolted to the floor.
Talia caught me staring at the restraints and quickly assured me, "Don't worry, they don't use it on me. You know there were other people living in this room before me. Anyway, I behave so they think I'm getting better."
"Of course, it's just... I wished I believed you and stopped them from taking you. You were so scared..." I lowered my gaze and stared at the floor. My mind flashed back to watching Talia's limp body being taken away.
Her eyes widened. "You... You found out didn't you?"
I nodded. "It was... I don't... I..." Struggling to get the words out, I trailed off.
Embracing me once again, "Sssshhh, it's okay. I know, I know. But you're here now."
I held onto my best friend like she was my lifeline. If I let go, I would drown in the sea of lies that was none other than my own parents.
Breaking apart she said, "I knew you didn't know, that they were lying to you. I just wish I was more coherent."
"Look I came to see you and honestly I was worried about how you'd react. But I have to ask, what happened that night? One minute you were in my room getting ready, the next you disappeared and I found you screaming with my parents..." I winced as I said that.
Talia sighed. "Do you really want to know? 'Cause you can't turn back."
"I need to know."