The Orchid Agreement

As the night creeps in and the passing daylight turns to dusk. It is in this time of change; the spirit is loose. 

There it is. This is where I’m supposed to go. I walk into the building. It is cold and damp inside. I see a room ahead. The surrounding walls zero in on my target my place of wonder. There are plants all along the back wall. I get closer and see the orchids. Hundreds of them, stacked on thin shelves.

I look at them for longer than most would. I can sense there is a reason for this. Complete with lighting, I don't know, it’s fishy. I look around at the other walls around me. Blank except one framed photograph in the corner. I get closer to it. My face now inches from the glass, I look at the people, all in medical attire. I look back assuring my solitude. There is a name written in the surface in the corner. I move my head until the pen strokes catch the light. Edextrous?

Who? I’ll remember that.

I look around for another door in the room. What even is this place?

It was in the book she gave me. It said come here first. Thought it was going to be something, but this is lame.

I look back at the picture for clarity. Which one of you is Edextrous? There is a woman. Older, grey hair looks like. But there are two men beside her. One is older. I notice his expression, head tilted, belting in laughter. Odd, the other guy seems so serious. Lips pursed, furrowed brow. He doesn’t seem happy like the older guy. Maybe that is him. Or the laughing guy. It could be her too. I don’t even know. I walk away from the picture. Maybe I will find out looking around some more. 

Jubrock.

Whoa! Startled, I turn to see a tall man standing in the doorway of the room.

Do you know me? Who are you?

I’ve been waiting for you to come here. To see where it all began. All that is who I am.

It’s Genue, isn’t it?

Bingo.

The lights dim and flicker out of sight. All at once I realize that I’ve been had. I begin to drift into my unconscious. I find myself rising into a void. Seems only darkness is where I am going.

At first, I feel my pounding head, pressure pulsing throughout my veins. As I awaken, I realize I cannot move. 

The static ripples through my vision as I force my eyes open. I have been captured. Surely, I wasn’t set up. 

I guess it would serve me right doing the same thing to her. I begin to make out shapes inside the room around me. Some kind of medical setting it seems. 

Jubrock, you have found yourself in a difficult situation. You see, I have lost the one. That girl.  I sent her away in the world and she was killed here. It really wasn’t supposed to happen. And you know where Genue is.

Look I haven’t seen her in years. She’s hiding out somewhere. I know she’ll come back because she wants her book but….

Yes, the book, where is the book?

It’s in my car. Outside this place. I guess this place, unless you took me somewhere else.

The tall man just stares and me. He looks through me for any cracks in my alibi. 

I want to find her too. For different reasons than you it seems, however valid those reasons may be. Maybe we can find her together.