Day Twenty-One
It felt like it was afternoon, when they decided to go to Helena again, who they kept locked in Frank's office. The streets were as empty as ever, which felt only more bizarre the more ofte they witnessed it.
„And you're sure that she's going to cooperate?“, Vincent asked. He still had doubts about it, and rightfully so. They still didn't know too much about Helena, so who knew what she was going to do if they visit her?
They then reached the office, and it didn't seem that somebody left in the last few hours aside from them. They carefully entered and tried to make as little noise as possible. They tried to give her as little time as they could. When they reached the door, it was as silent as ever. Maybe she was still sleeping.
Vincent opened the door as carefully as he could and tried to catch a glimpse of the office. What he saw was very shocking.
„She's escaped!“, he yelled, as he opened the door. The windows seemed to be fine, and they were sure they locked the doors when they left.
„Are you looking for me?“, a female voice asked them from behind. They didn't believe what they heard. They all turned around to see Helena standing behind them.
„When did you-“
„My secret“, was her answer.
„Oh... right. Of course“, Vincent replied. „Would you please enter his office again? We have a few questions.“
„Even though you know I'm just going to confuse you again?“
„We don't care“, said Anthony. „We know that there are a few things that only you know. And we need that knowledge.“
„Well, I should at least let you try.“
They went into the office again, as they tried to keep Helena as far away from the exits as possible.
„Okay, what do you wanna know?“, she asked.
„Everything“, Anthony said. „Everything you can tell us.“
„So in other words: Nothing.“
„What is that for an answer?“, Vincent wondered.
„I can only tell Frank the details, as soon as he returns from Gerald's world.“
The three were shocked by that answer.
„How do you know that?“, Anthony said. „And... why can you only tell it Frank?“
„I have already given away too much information“, Helena said. „If you can let me go now...“
„No, we won't“, Anthony said. „We are sick of that behaviour of yours. You told us that you have the information we need, but why aren't you giving it away?“
„Sadly, I can't tell you that, either“, was the answer they got. „It's too early for that. But I'll make sure that Frank is going to tell you what you need to know, don't worry.“
And without any kind of resistance by the three men, Helena left through the door and disappeared.
„I knew that we aren't going to hear what we'd like to“, Vincent said. „I knew it all along.“
„But maybe it's a puzzle“, Anthony wondered. „Maybe she didn't spell it out loud, but I'm sure that, if we think about it for a while-“
„What can we think about there?“, replied Vincent. „All we know now is that she's going to tell Frank when he returns. But the question is: Will he return in the first place?“
„It's like she knows what's going to happen before it happens“, Anthony said. „Well, we can only hope now that Frank is going to come back.“
Frank still couldn't believe his luck to its full extend. He started to get used to his new circumstances, even though he did it very slowly. He still didn't leave Gerald's appartment, but he knew that he had to at some point. The black tea was running out, and apparently, Gerald wanted to go shopping in the near future anyway, as food was hard to find in his kitchen.
He sat down on Gerald's couch, slowly breathing to prepare himself mentally for what he was going to do in a few minutes. He got up again, slowly moving towards the door to the stairways, as his hand reached out for the doorhandle.
„Why am I making so much drama about this?“, he wondered. „I'm just going outside for a walk!“
He opened the door, full or excitement, though he didn't really know why. As he marched out of the appartment, doubts about what was going to happen were penetrating him, but he tried as hard as he could to ignore them. If he was free already, then he might as well actually enjoy it!
He dashed down the stairs until he reached the door, which he opened with a wide swing.
And there he was, standing in the middle of the street, baflled by what he saw.
It's wasn't the most exciting sight you could have gotten, or the most fascinating, or even the most provocating. It was just new for him. He reached a more consistent place to live than his old one.
But what kept him thinking was why it took him so look to realise that he wanted it so badly. Why did he never comprehend it?
The bar kept getting more and more empty, when the three of them once again sat close to the windows, thinking about their situation. It seemed that even the barkeeper wasn't showing up anymore.
„You know“, said Anthony, „I hoped that it would be all over when the entire problem with the Freedom Seekers was omitted.“
„You're not the only one there“, replied Vincent.
„I thought that we finally might get all the answers we need But now, it fells like it makes less sense than before.“
„That's all that woman's fault! Her and her bloody „making no sense“ policy!“
„We can't do too much about it“, said Anthony. „She's beyond our control. But really, what does she want from us?“
„I doubt we'll ever know...“
Just as he said it, Helena was wandering by and entered the bar.
„Good evening, gentlemen“, she greeted them. „Do you mind if I lend Gerald for a few minutes?“
„Why should we, after everything you've done?“, Anthony asked critically.
„Because there is something very important I need to tell him.“
„And why aren't we allowed to hear it, too?“, Vincent wondered.
„And since when am I trying to be comprehndable?“, she replied while being in her classic position: calming smile and tilted head.
„Touche.“
„I won't take too long, don't worry...“
Gerald didn't want to trust her, but maybe she was finally willing to give them important information. Still with doubts, though, he stood up and left the bar with Helena again. They went to the opposite side of the street, so they still could be seen, but not heard.
„Okay, you're probably wondering why I want to talk to you, don't you?“
Gerald nodded.
„Well, to make it clear right away, I can't give you the information you want to have.“
He wanted to attack her for that answer, but she kept him away from from by pressing her hand on his face.
„Before you freak out, though, let me give you something back that you've been missing for a while...“
Gerald stopped in his attempts to attack her to look at her with a raised eyebrow.
„Take that scarf down. You'll see what I mean soon enough.“
His hand moved up to his head to grab the scarf and tear it down, but justas he wanted to pull it down, he stopped.
„Wait, how can I be sure you're not-“
He couldn't believe what he heard. He put his hand on his face, and yes, his mouth came back.
„So it was you who-“
„Sorry, I can't talk about that part, either. Just have more patience, and you'll see what is going on.“
„Would you please stop talking like that-“
„I'd love to explain it to you in greater detail, but I can't. The information I'd give you is still too dangerous.“
She smiled again.
„See you seen, Gerald.“
And there she went away. She disappeared as fast as she came.
„This woman is just weird, isn't she?“
He then decided to return to the bar.
„She gave you your mouth back? Just like that?“, Vincent asked after Gerald told him what happened.
„Seems so“, Gerald replied. „But I wonder why she would do that if she knows that I now can return to my world again.“
„I'd wonder more about how she made your mouth disappear in the first place“, Anthony said.
„She didn't say that she was responsible for it“, Gerald said. „Dammit, this keeps getting weirder with every second...“
„Well, you've spent some days here now. Maybe it's time to return“, Vincent said.
„You're right...“
Gerald then closed his eyes and whispered the ritual sentence. A few minutes passed, before he opened one of his eyes slightly and asked: „Did it work?“
„Sorry, but it didn't“, Anthony told him.
„But I was sure that I said it like it was supposed to be said... except...“
He remembered what Catherine told him. She said that she couldn't have disappeared when she used the ritual. That meant that she didn't entered the novel with her body. Maybe...
„I think I now know why.“
„Tell us“, Vincent demanded.
„When Frank used the ritual, he entered my body so he can move in my world.“
„Oh please, that's ridicilous“, Vincent said.
„We're sitting in a bar within a novel I'm writing. That doesn't feel too stupid right now... Anyway“, Gerald continued, „I need to wait until Frank uses the ritual to enter the so I can gain control over my body again.“
„That may be true“, Anthony said, „but there is my question: Why would he come back again?“
„Now the „Why“ isn't so important“, Gerald said. „We won't get the answer to that question anyway, so why bother?“
„True again“, said Vincent. „But there are so many other questions that remain unsolved. I doubt that answering one will allow us to deal with the rest of them, too.“
Gerald sighed. „Yeah, sadly...“
