Larceny

3

The lights go off simultaneously as the footsteps fade. I grab my bag and head for Bruno's room. After the pass-code I slip in, shutting the door behind me. He sits by a window in the center of the wall ahead, staring into the nearly endless darkness outside. He's changed clothes since yesterday, wearing dark jeans, a plain white tee and a black hoodie, his feet are bare aside from the gauze I wrapped them in last night.

"Bruno," I whisper, walking towards him. I set my bag by his bed continuing forward. Upon my arrival he turns and looks at me. He gives me a half smile before directing his attention to the notebook I gave him. He opens it to the first page, turning it to me.

"You didn't tell me your name."

"Elinea," I say pulling off my hood; I shove my hands in my pockets. "How are you feeling?" He turns the notebook back around, quickly scribbling something on the same page.

"Ah-Linea or E-linea?"

"E-linea," I say with a small smirk. He smirks, his perfect teeth showing with one of his deep dimples. "They opened the window for you," I say gesturing to the window as I leaning my shoulder against the wall. He writes something.

"Yeah, they said that they don't want me to get, 'vitamin D deficient'."

He makes air quotes. I feel a smile attempt to run across my cheeks but my lips don't react. "Other than being forced to sit in the sun, how are you feeling?" I say glancing out the window before watching him run his hand through his thick mess of dark curls. He leans over the notebook resting it in his lap as he writes. A gold chain holding a crucifix slips out of his shirt, catching moon's light; it rotates, dangling from the chain twinkling as it sways. I instinctively touch my own necklace, running my thumb over the ballerina in attitude.

"My throat's still sore and my feet still hurt some but, that stuff you put on my hands, the patches and the cough drops have really helped. Thank you."

He looks up at me, his big brown eyes are soft; giving off a strange but comfortable warmth. I feel a small smile tug at corner of my mouth again. "You're welcome." He smiles back before directing his attention back to the notebook. His face seems to change as he writes, contorting to a more serious look where a smile was only seconds before; he turns the the book back to me.

"You said that I fought back, that's why there are bruises on my hands. Why can't I remember who I was fighting against?"

I knew he would ask sooner or later but I was hoping that he wouldn't. He looks at me, his brown eyes filled with confusion. He will know eventually, but now is not the time. He needs to recover. "I'll tell you when you've fully recovered." I walk back over to his bedside and retrieve the thermos. As I twist the cover off, the calming sent of green tea fills the room. I pour some off into the cover and return to the window. He shows me the notebook again.

 I want to know what happened to me, how I got here. you seem to know so why won't you tell me?

I hand him the cover. "Drink this, it'll help with the soreness." His forehead wrinkles and his eyebrows furrow as he takes the tea. Sitting back in the chair he looks off out the window as he sips the tea. I do the same. Has anyone even noticed the difference...any differences at all...how can no one tell? He finishes the tea, setting the thermos on the window sill. He writes something quickly.

Thanks.

"You're welcome," I reply closing the thermos. "They'll keep you in here for about a month. They will provide your meals and your clothes. Tomorrow they'll bring you a couple of things and check to see how you're healing. I'll come and check on you every night until you are allowed out," I say putting the thermos back into my backpack. He walks over with the aid of crutches showing me another page.

You keep saying "They and Them", who are you even talking about?

I take a deep breath. "I'll tell you the night before you're allowed out." He leans against the bed scribbling on the same page furiously.

What the am I supposed to do for a whole month in one room?!

I close my eyes and breath in, then out. "I gave you things to pass the time; they're going to bring you things too," I shake my backpack. "You'll be occupied, believe me." I pull my backpack on, then my hoodie. "Night."