Faceless Instincts

Lost And Found

Nikolai was well geared and I too had not one but three knives on me, just in case.

"Are you ready?" He asked zipping up his jacket.

"Yes, just let me clear these and keep them back," I replied as I stacked up the papers. However, as I worked a few papers got away and dropped on the floor, "can you get them for me?"

He nodded and crouched down to pick it up, "they are empty." He said absentmindedly.

"No, they are stuck together, there's something written inside," I told him and he tried to pull them apart. When he failed he kept the paper on the table and used the sharp side of the knife to separate them

I had kept the papers back in my bag and extended my hand for the ones that were in his hand. He was reading something on it and I read his face, which wasn't pleasant at all.

Tears brimmed in his eyes as his hands shivered. The knife dropped from his hand as he turned to the second page. "What it is?" I asked but he didn't answer.

"Nikolai," I said holding his hand and he looked up with red eyes.

He didn't say anything, instead tried to contain his emotion but when he couldn't do it and his lower lip trembled he simply turned around and walked away. I picked up the paper and looked at them as he slammed his door and the next thing I know is that he locks it.

I rushed towards the door and knocked on it, "Nikolai, what happened?" I called out but he gave no reply.

I turned the page and read it. As I progressed I realised why Nikolai was acting like this. I saw what caused him such pain that he couldn't face me.

The paper was indeed a love letter, from Mr Wembley to Sussanne. It elaborated on their relationship and the hardships they were facing because of their families. Mr Wembley suggested leaving it all behind and starting afresh, as it would be easy for him to take care of her while being with her. He had no regard for Mr Ashford, it appeared as if he despised him to an unnatural extent.

The tone of the letter was darkly romantic, it was soft but still eerie. He loved her, and there was no doubt in it, but the question was, had Sussanne returned his feelings because for now, it seemed like Nikolai believed that she does all the while this letter raised questions, was Mr Ashford right about the affair?

After pounding for an hour on his door he finally opened up. A single look at him and I knew the last crack has snapped and he was now a broken man. His hair was ruffled and his eyes were puffed. He didn't say anything but instead, he walked quietly towards the table took his gun and glanced at me, it was a signal that we're going down.

I had no idea how I was going to do this, who was I kidding I wasn't prepared for it. The thought of pulling out a rotting body and shifting it into a bag that Nikolai had given me than carrying it to a burying spot was making my knees weak and stomach churn. I felt sick and wanted to throw up.

I couldn't tell Nikolai about this either, he was so silent this whole time that it scared me. I had never seen him like this, even in the cold, for a brief moment when he held my hand as we dropped into the ground room I felt how hot his body was. I didn't know if he had a fever or was he just too angry at everything.

Everything was similar to how we had left it, but something felt odd. Yes, the brains were gone. My instincts were completely faceless, at one hand they were telling me to go inside but simultaneously I had this dreading fear pulsating through my body.

As we entered the narrow passage Nikolai took my hand, "stay close" he said and I nodded. As we made our way through and came across Sussanne's reading room, Nikolai stopped.