Infernal Realms

Chapter 6

    Sam and I sat across from each other on the bed mat. I thought for a few moments. " Just how old are you... Really?" I asked him. He gave me a funny face. His brow arched and his mouth carried a half smile. "You've never really given a straight answer." I explained to him. He smirked quickly.

"You waited all this time to get truthful answers and your first is about my age." he smiled a little more. " It's most certainly different, is all."

I nodded. " And... " I pressed for an answer.

He chuckled lightly. "I'm as old as this city. Maybe even a little older." he answered.

I rolled my eyes at him, almost mad that he was giving me silly answers. " This place barely beagan booming from new jobs back in the 80's and had a rough comeback when I was in middle school. Over 20 years difference in that fact alone. The city was founded in the early 1900's. You cannot be that old." I deadpanned.

He raised his eyebrows, looking away from me. Did he really expected me to believe that answer? " Well, how old do I look?" he asked me.

" At least 20. Oldest... 25. Maybe." I answered him. He grinned and started laughing. I smirked,  maybe I was wrong. Maybe he was 30. It wasn't often that he laughed, so I enjoyed it while it lasted.

" If only I was..." he said,  looking at me, " 24 seems realistic at best." he added. "If you'd like,  I'll say I'm 24." he concluded.

" The point is to be honest." I said.

" I believe that's as honest as it's gonna get." he said.

I shrugged, " Fair enough. Your turn."

He thought for a moment,  his face looking more serious. I was curious as to what he wanted to know about me. After a few moments of silence, he looked back up at me. "If it's too much,  I understand and you can skip." he paused to see if I was following. It meant that the hard questions were about to start. I inhaled and nodded for him to continue, "But I'd appreciate an honest answer. You don't owe me a thing. I just want to know because of what I saw. But this stays between you and I. No one else will know." he stopped and looked at me carefully. I nodded. If I ever did tell anyone, then why not him be the first.

"I'll be honest, as long as you are, too." was all I said.

He nodded. "What was that room in the basement?" he asked me.

I exhaled shakily. "Walter called it his play room. Funny, since I never saw a toy in there once." I concluded.

He nodded, absorbing my answer. " Why did you bring me into your building that night we met?" he blinked for a moment. He nodded, as if remembering that night.

" Let's just say that I was supposed to." he paused,  then began again, " I was told to wait for a figure trudging through the snow...  And I waited a long time to bring someone in." he gave me a small smile, " I'm really glad it was you, Audrey." he added. I nodded. I knew I had to wait before asking who said to wait or how he'd know someone would've been walking around that night. I'd been down those roads most my life except for how close I was to his building. It really was one hell of a coincidence.

" Did... Walter ever explain why he had done all that stuff to you?" he asked me.

I paused, trying to remember if he ever did give me an explanation. I only assumed it was because of my mom leaving. They were married not long before I was born, so in a little over 10 years, I'd understand why she'd leave. He used to make me bleed just because he could get away with it. To watch me scream and cry and beg him to stop. I'd screamed myself hoarse too many times to count and... I never thought to ask why. Before I ran, I used to believe in trying to escape or tell someone. Anyone. But with the city turning on itself at the time, who would believe a little girl with a load of abuse to explain? No one cared. The people wanted food or money to survive those days.