LAWRENZ TYBALT POINT OF VIEW
I CONTINUED to scrutinize the tiny figure in my hands, turning it about, while Nurse Sarah lay in her hospital bed, watching me with a mixture of curiosity and concern. "This seems such a ordinary horse but I know there is much with it," I murmured out loud, more to myself than her.
"Well, why not just throw it out and save you the trouble? It's only giving you stress you don't need, much like that Trojan horse from the myth, only much smaller. You don't really think there is an army waiting in there, do you?" Nurse Sarah chuckled softly, the tiniest bit of real amusement in her voice.
I flicked a look at her, and my lips tugged into a crooked smile, although the situation was serious. "That may be a little overdramatized, but you know," I answered at the joke.
Between moments of silence, I started up with the question that kept gnawing at my brain. "You saved my life back there. Why?"
Sarah's face turned grave, and her pale parted lips opened as though to speak and then closed again. Her long blonde hair cascaded over the pillow, framing her face like a halo in the dim hospital room. "You were my patient. Now, I'm yours," she finally replied with a quip.
"I appreciate that," I murmured dumbly, wondering how to respond to such an enigmatic proclamation. "But if you're staying, I need to know I can trust you, Sarah."
She looked straight at me, not flinching away; those hazel eyes held mine, just like they could see through my skull. "Trust is earned, Lawrenz. Some believe it must be won, but trust is usually the hardest thing earned. Sometimes the most reluctant thing given," she replied softly in words unusually heavy with meaning.
The sliding door only hinted at the tranquil sky of Taiwan, in contrast to the emotional struggle taking place within me. This all crossed my mind—Sarah had been by my side since the shooting, yet the world was full of so much uncertainty.
As she was about to turn, Sarah suddenly reached out and took my hand. "Everyone may betray you, Lawrenz," she whispered with an urgent pressure of the words. "But for now, I am here, because I at least owe you that. I don't deserve forgiveness, but I can try to do my best."
"Thank you." I held out a sincere gratitude toward her, squeezing her hand lightly before letting it go. "Take care of yourself."
I dressed in a dark bid suit, my mind racing with cant about the mysterious box and what might be contained within it. Daisy had taught me how to defend myself, but I needed answers just then, not weapons.
At last, in one corner of the hospital, away from familiar eyes, I had managed to overcome my nervousness and opened the box which I secretly had. Inside lay something so odd, something that sent a chill running down my spine, and I muttered aloud, "What is this?" just before closing it quickly, as if the contents might escape and be too much to bear.
And then dizziness came in a flash. I reeled, supporting myself against the wall. "This is not what they are after." It hit me, like a ton of bricks, my heart sinking with the implications of what I held in my hands.
That was what they had all been waiting for; a key, some revelation from the years of kept sleep that would change everything. But standing there then, I was sure of one thing only: the answers I sought would raise even more questions and the danger was definitely not over.
The world outside seemed to lout at my inner turmoil. The breezy sky, the soft rustling of the trees, the far off hum of the traffic-life went on unaware of the tempest building up within me. I had to get my head straight out and think clearly for the future. From hence on, every move taken must be calculated, every action deliberate.
I left the hospital and found myself wandering through the nearby park, seeking some solace in the now-familiar milieu of children playing, couples strolling hand in hand, and joggers breezing by, lost in worlds of their own. For the most fleeting of moments, I envied their simplicity, their unawareness of the burdens I carried.
As I found a secluded bench, I sat down and pulled the figurine out again to look at it by the waning day. There had to be something I was missing, some detail that would unlock the mystery. My mind kept returning to the day the package arrived, and a sense of foreboding attached to it. Who would send such an item, and why?
I was so lost in thought that I didn't really notice the figure approaching until he spoke. "Mind if I sit here?" The voice really did sound unfamiliar, and I looked up to see a man clothed in an impeccably tailored suit, his eyes partially hidden with dark glasses. Something menacing about him set my nerves on edge.
"Sure," I said cautiously, making room for him. "Who are you?"
He smiled, a cold, calculated smile that sent a shiver down my spine. "Let's just say I'm someone with a vested interest in that little figurine you're holding," he said smoothly, his voice a dangerous purr.
I clutched at the figurine tightly. My mind was racing. "What do you want?"
"Oh, it's not what I want," he said, leaning back and crossing legs in a relaxed manner. "It's what you want, Lawrenz. Answers. And I can give them to you—for a price."
I sat there for a moment, sizing him up, trying to read his intentions. "Why should I trust you?"
He chuckled softly—humorlessly. "Trust is such a fragile thing, isn't it? But in this case, you don't have much of a choice. You see, the game has already begun and you're a key player. Whether you like it or not."
"What do you know about this?" I asked, shaking the figurine at him.
"I'm sure you'd care to know more than you have," he said, his smile growing ever wider as he went on. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. You have questions. Let me provide the answers. The question remains: are you willing to pay the price?"
I sat back and looked at him, considering my options. The man was obviously dangerous, but he may be my last shot at finding out the truth. "What price?".
He leaned forward, now all pretense of levity gone. "Your loyalty, Lawrenz. That when the time comes for it, I can trust that you will make the right choice to stand with us and not against us."
Chills moved down my spine. "What if I refuse?"
The smile was gone now, replaced with religion in his eyes. "Then you will find out just how dangerous it can be to go against us. And believe me, Lawrenz, you do not want to find out."
There was menace in it, the kind you could feel. I realized instantly that I'd been maneuvered and boxed from all sides into participating in what had to be some kind of game—a horrible sort that I couldn't even begin to understand at that moment. But if I was to protect Sarah, to gain access to the answers I needed so desperately, then rightly or wrongly, I didn't have much of a choice other than to go through with it.
"All right," I said on bad faith. "I will listen to what you have to say."
Nodding, he seemed content. "Good. Meet me tomorrow at the old warehouse by the docks. Midnight. And Lawrenz, come alone. Trust is earned, after all."
He turned and left without a word, making off into the encroaching twilight. I sat there with the figurine now heavier than ever in my hands. The whole way forward was just nothing but danger, yet there was no option before me except to follow.
I returned to the hospital, where Sarah was sleeping, her face calm, even pure, after all she had been through. I stood there a little, looking at her, thankful that she was here for me, before turning and slipping out of the room, knowing what I needed to do to get us both those answers.
Just to realize that. No, he is the one who wants answers, not me.