Fumbling in the Dark

When I woke again, I was still in Sapientiis arms. By his breathing I could tell he had fallen asleep. He woke when I shifted slightly.

"Salve, mea uxore," he said, kissing me lightly on the lips. (Hello, my wife)

"Salve, meo viro. Bene es?" (Hello, my husband. Are you well?)

"Bene sum. Et es?" (I am well. And are you?)

"Melior, sed animum despondui." (Better, but depressed)

"Cognosco," he replied. "Patientia, ubi tuum commentarius est?" (I understand. Patience, where is your record?)

"In tuos oculos." (In your eyes)

"Mea Vita." (My life.)

"Veres." (Truly.)

He kissed me and held me close, his chin resting on the top of my head.

"Patientia. Domus habes?" (Do you have family?)

"No."

He gave a slight nod then was still. Sapientiis felt so warm, I fell asleep again in his arms.

It was dark when I woke again. I heard slow, steady, deep breaths next to me. Sapientiis was still there. I was wide awake, but not sure what to do. I had no purpose here other than to keep my information hidden. That would be easy enough, so why was I still there? What was the point of changing my appearance if I was going to stay? I thought about getting up, but I was sure that my movements would wake Sapientiis and the day had already been long enough. Closing my eyes, I continued to review my journal. Nothing made sense as to why I would be brought here. Nothing happened to me to indicate that someone might be after me.

The bed shifted and I felt Sapientiis' hand brush some hair from my face before kissing my forehead. I felt him pass over me as he got up. After a moment, I opened my eyes and saw the light on in the bathroom. Sapientiis soon came out, dressed, and left. I decided to get up then and shower. Once I was dressed and my hair combed down, I went to the lobby. I occupied a spot on one of the couches. No one else was in the lobby and I had a feeling that Sapientiis had returned to the basement. But I wondered how one got down there when it wasn't automated by the lock down since there was only the up button on the outside of the elevator doors. I knew I hadn't seen a button for the basement on the inside of the elevator either.

On the walls in the lobby was an ivy vine design that thinned as it approached the chandelier. The couches were covered in an off-white fabric and almost looked like mushrooms between the brown carpeting and ivy covered walls. The chandelier had five rings of prisms, each smaller than the one above it. Curious, I lie on the floor beneath the chandelier to count the prisms on each ring. 150... 100...75... 50... 25. The elevator door chimed and the doors opened, but I didn't move off the floor. The light fragmentation was more noticeable where I was lying.

"Seniorita, estas bien?" a man asked.

"Si, gracias," I replied.

He said something else, but I didn't quite understand. High school Spanish was coming back to haunt me.

"No comprendo mas, Señior. Lo siento."

"Esta bien."

He sat on the couch to my left and I could feel his gaze on me still.

After a moment, I sat up and ran a hand through my bloody red hair. I still hated the color. I decided to try and find a way down to the basement. The elevator dinged again and I got up and entered. I didn't push any buttons, just stood there. The elevator moved up to the fourth floor before it returned to the lobby. I was beginning to think that there had to be a special way to get the elevator to go to the basement, but as I reached for the open door button the elevator started to descend.

The hallway was empty as I stepped off the elevator. I walked the halls to the cafeteria. There were several people there. The noise from the various conversations was fairly loud. Various smells filled the air and my stomach growled. Stepping to the side of the door, as not to get hit, I glanced at the various stations—full fare, pizza, Chinese, Indian, as well as others. As I stood there, I wasn't even sure why I had wanted to be down here in the first place.

"Patientia," Glory called, waving to me from a table across the room. (Patience)

I walked towards her and Sapientiis stood until I was seated.

"Esurisne?" he asked. (Are you hungry?)

"Esurio." (I am hungry)

"Quid consumere vis?" (What do you wish to eat?)

"Quidquid." (Whatever)

Sapientiis nodded then left the table. He returned a short time later with a bit of everything.

"Gratias ago, Sapientiis," I said as he sat next to me. (Thank you, Wisdom)

"Bene dormisne?" he asked. (Did you sleep well?)

"Bene dormio. Et es?" (I slept well. And you?)

"Bene dormio." (I slept well)

"Quod nunc?" Glory asked. (What now?)

"De commentariusne?" Sapientiis asked. (Concerning the report?)

"De commentarius." (Concerning the report)

"Nihil," he replied. "Quisquid de commentarius facere non possumus." (Nothing. We are not able to do anything concerning the report)

"Indicium patere potes?" Gloaria asked me. (Are you able to access the information?)

"Non possum." (I am not able)

"Cur non?" Glory asked. (Why not?)

I didn't reply.

I turned my attention to my food. I still had no idea why everything from my USB drive was so important. I didn't feel there was anything exciting or socially challenging in the stories I wrote, but I understood that until I could learn more about who it was that wanted the information and what they were planning on using it for then I would remain a mannequin for those here. Besides going to the roof for a time, I wasn't even sure if I could go outside.

Glory left. I didn't understand her role or any of the other occupants' roles save Sapientiis'. He didn't speak as we finished eating then we returned to our room on the third floor.

"Quid hic sum, Sapientiis?" I asked again. (Why am I here, Wisdom?)

"Tutelae." (For protection)

"Ab quis? Ab quid?" I asked, feeling a little frustrated. (From who? From what?)

"Nescio," he said. He ran his fingers through his hair. "Nescio." (I don't know. I don't know)

"Foris eao." (Let me go outside)

"Non eas possum. Remane hic, amabo te." (I am not able to let you go. Remain here, please)

I sighed. "Remanebo." (I will remain)

"Gratias ago, Patientia." He touched my cheek and removed my sunglasses. "Pulchrissima es." (Thank you, Patience. You are most beautiful)

I took off his sunglasses. His left eye was cloudy. "Oculum falsus or verus?" I asked, touching his left cheek. (False or true eye?)

Sapientiis turned his head away from me. "Oculum verus." He stepped into the bathroom where he put in a contact to make it look like he had two normal eyes. (True eye)

"Quam diu caecus habuiste?" I asked. (How long have you been blind?)

His head hung a little more. "Quattuor annos." (Four years)

I stepped to his side and let my hand run down his arm. "Me dices quod evenit?" (Will you tell me what happened?)

"Meum oculum machinatio finit." (My eye stopped working) His lips tightened and his hands balled into fists. "Dei!" (Gods)

"Sapientiis?" (Wisdom)

"Quid!?" (What?!)

"Est.... Nihil est," I said softly, leaving the bathroom. I could tell I hit a nerve, but Sapientiis pulled me close to him and just held me. (Is…. It's nothing)

"Paenitens sum, Patientia. Te amo." (I'm sorry, Patience. I love you)

"Te amo, enim, Sapientiis." (I love you, too, Wisdom)

I slowly let go and moved to the table. It wouldn't be until after learning that Sapientiis was blind that I picked up on his habit of keeping me on his right side, save when sleeping. I put the sunglasses back on then closed my eyes to continue reviewing my journal, since there was nothing else I could do. After several minutes, Sapientiis joined me at the table. I opened my eyes.. He was looking at the wall to his left. I touched his left cheek so he would turn to look at me and he quickly removed it without looking at me.

"Sapientiis, quid falsus?" (Wisdom, what's wrong?)

"Nihil. In imum tabulatum ego. Remanebis?" (Nothing. I will be in the basement. Will you remain here?)

"Remanebo." (I will remain)

He nodded then left.

I moved to the bed to keep reading. I read for the next several hours. Then I rolled over to take a nap and felt a cold blade pressed against my neck.