From the Cosmos. [gxg]

xxxiv. seas of torn paper.

Colette slammed the book shut as the door to her guest-room-slash-prison opened. She stood up from the bed, her body tensing up as a familiar head of greased back blonde hair stepped into the room.

"Still hesitant?" Cesar asked, a grin on his face, "Even after the wonderful meal that Miss Torin cooked for you?"

Miss Torin had come in a few hours prior, bringing in a steaming plate of rotisserie chicken and mashed potatoes as well as a large glass of water. Colette had scraped the food out of the window, leaving it to fall in bushes surrounding the building. She poured the water down the drain. Hunger gnawed at her stomach, but she refused to eat anything she was served in captivity. The only water she drank was from her bathroom sink.

"Tell her I said thank you. The meal was delicious," she lied.

"She said that you didn't leave a single crumb," he said, "She really is magnificent."

Colette nodded and fidgeted with her hands. Her eyes flickered to the book on the bed, Vicky the Witch's Spellbook. Cesar must have caught the tiny movement because he looked at the bed as well.

"I see that you've been reading the book I gave you." Cesar walked over to the bed, past Colette. She held her breath as he whisked by her and picked up the book. "Where did you leave off?" he asked, flipping through the pages.

She didn't have time to answer before he stopped on a messily folded page, the result of her slamming the book shut.

"You should take care of this better, you know," he said, straightening out the page, "It's very valuable." He went silent, his eyes skimming over the page. Colette did her best not to move, quelling the nausea pooling in her gut.

"Ah, the Cosmos," he said, "This is one of the only written records of its existence. The rest of what is known comes from word of mouth." He set the book down where he had picked it up.

Colette nodded, though she couldn't find herself to respond to him. She actually hadn't gotten to read what he was referring to; she had just turned the page when Cesar opened the door.

"It's tragic," he said, "how lovers are pulled apart by such a cruel government."

Colette's thoughts switched to Marisol. Colette was, at the time, separated from Marisol by the government, but she knew that they'd reunite soon when she left. Now, she wasn't sure if she'd see Marisol again anytime soon. The thought made her eyes water. She blinked a few times, the salty droplets falling down her face.

"Did that strike a chord?" Cesar asked, stepping forward. His face portrayed sympathy, but cool persuasion dulled his eyes. "I know that you care a lot for Marisol, anyone could tell from the way you rescued her in New York."

Colette's mouth went dry at the sound of Cesar saying Marisol's name. She swallowed and gathered her face, forcing it into a neutral expression. "I would like to see her again," she said, "I don't want to be here forever."

"You won't be here forever, so long as you agree to my terms."

"And if I don't?"

"There are ways to convince with magic, but it's rather tiring for the caster. Besides, I would like my partner in crime to be willing."

Panic flooded Colette's chest, though she did her best to keep her expression level. He had just threatened to brainwash her. If she didn't follow his orders, she'd be forced to do them against her will. "How long do I have to make a decision?" she asked. She needed to gauge how much time she had. Maybe she could run.

"I'm giving you until tomorrow."

Colette grit her teeth. It was either agree or be brainwashed. A day wasn't enough to find an effective escape plan. Even if she did just run, she'd be stopped. Despite the friendly faces of the residents, she knew the members of this underground revolution club were constantly on their guard. There was always somebody outside her door and windows. She could lie and tell Cesar that she agreed and then try to stop him, but she couldn't even save herself from being taken from Blair House. She could only stall.

"Okay. I'll have an answer by tomorrow."

"Excellent," he said, "I look forward to it." Cesar walked towards the door and glanced back as he opened it, looking right into Colette's eyes. Victory shone in his eyes. He trapped her and he knew it. The smirk on his face and the firm shut of the door confirmed one thing for her: There were no good options.

Colette's carefully placed expression shattered as the door shut and she collapsed onto the floor. She leaned against the bed as tears streamed down her face, the floodgates now open. She'd either be a criminal or brainwashed, and either way, she'd never return to her previous life again. She'd never see Marisol again. She clutched at the blanket on the bed and yanked it down, burying her wet face in the fabric.

She heard a thud near her feet and glanced up, blinking her puffy eyes. Vicky the Witch's Diary had fallen down when she pulled the covers down. The book that she had thought of a good natured offering now was a chain binding her to her captor.

She snatched the book from the floor and opened it, ripping out the pages. She was going to be brainwashed tomorrow, she knew she couldn't bring herself to lie even for her own safety. She wanted one final act of rebellion.

Her tears dotted the pages as she threw them around herself, letting them scatter the floor. When she was done, she was surrounded by a sea of torn paper. She clutched at her hair, staring at the mess around her. She felt too weak to pull herself up from the floor. She was hungry from not eating and dehydrated from crying.

Her eyes, though barely open, caught a sentence on one of the pages before glueing themselves shut.

That last meeting in the Cosmos was a final goodbye, even though I didn't know it at the time.