Insangel

Chapter 11

The table attempts to hinder my hasty scrambling over it by jabbing my stomach and legs as I pass.

Ignoring the pain, I manage to return to my original position moments before the door opens.

A demonic Doctor Forfax strides into the room but pauses when he sees me. What has happened to him?! Is this his evil twin, or something?!

      "It is only me, Doctor Forfax, my dear princess," he says with a mock bow in answer to my recoil. As he moves closer into the light, I can see that he is not demonic, rather his face has several angry red patches on it.

      "Behaved yourself?" he asks, raising an inquisitive eyebrow as he eyes me up and down suspiciously.

      "I am so sorry!" I blurt, tears welling at my eyes, "I—I—I m—m—moved from this table. I—I—I stroked the polished metal tools within the drawers."

      "Wonderful," he grunted irritably, "Now I will have to polish it all ahead of schedule! Anything else you want to confess to?"

      "No!" I blurt. Did I just lie? No, I suppose I did not, since the questions was whether I wanted to confess, not 'Do you have anything to confess?'

      "Good, since you have done enough damage already. Maybe next time I should not leave you in here alone."

Panic over and I realise that those red patches on his face must be burns.

      "Did your nanny ever teach you not to stare?" Doctor Forfax asks. Oops, I was looking at his burns for too long.

      "She did, I apologise," I answer quickly, averting my gaze.

      "Hmm... Very well. Let us take you back to your room."

Risking a quiet sigh of relief after Doctor Forfax turns to leave, I dismount the table and obediently follow in his wake. For added effect and to get myself in the proper frame of mind, I lower my head submissively and fix my gaze on the floor.

Focus on the geometry of the floor. Focus on the geometry on the floor. Focus on— are those burn marks?

Black marks scarred the door frame of one of the rooms. Sneaking a glance, I read the room number. 'Room 22'... Our mystery machinery/patient, perhaps?

When we arrive at my room, I make note of the room number to get a numerical distance from the burnt room. 'Room 42'? That means My Room is only 10 rooms away!

Having already exhausted my analysis of The Wall Grid, though I certainly would not want to offend it by saying I was bored of its beauty, I instead focus my thoughts on Doctor Forfax's 'other patient'.

Could the burn marks on Doctor Forfax's face and around Room 22's door have been caused by the other patient? Surely, they would not have access to anything that could create fire. Unless...

Demon-fire! They could be a demon!

As fascinating as it would be to meet a demon and admire their horns up close, if they are as brutish as the staff say, then perhaps I am better off avoiding this other patient.

Then again, since I have not met a demon before, maybe they are not as dangerous as they are made out to be.

But there probably is at least some element of truth in the gossip the staff spread.

Azrael would have known what to do. She was always the decision maker in our relationship and now she is gone forever...

Attention now focused on the memory of my fallen friend, I stare at the ceiling thinking of days gone by spent with her.

The black void that is the ceiling beckons me to look deeper, which I do so obligingly.

A white light sparks into existence in the centre, steadily growing in size until it vanquishes the void.

In its place, shapes begin to emerge out of the blankness and connect with each other until a brick ceiling forms.

A very familiar brick ceiling at that. It is the ceiling of My Room, no, My Old Room.

Pulling my gaze away from the admittedly decently geometric roof that hung above my former sleeping quarters, I discover that the rest of the room has come with it.

My shelves of saved geometry are smaller and emptier than last time I saw them. Have they been clearing out this room while I have been a guest of Doctor Forfax? Have they already moved on and begun to forget me?

      "Psst! Charmaine! Come on, you have got to see this!" a familiar voice whispers from the other side of My Former Room's door.

It cannot be...!

Pulling the door open, I am greeted by the sparkling blue eyes, golden hair and tomboyish grin of my dear Azrael.