"Let her in, Will," came Nathan's low voice from the room.

Will.

He made the door stand ajar without a bang sound being created, and retrieved inside. Sarah entered only to see Ava lying on the bed with Nathan sitting beside her and looking at her as if he were lost in her.

The recurring lapses of what felt like perpetual silence continued like that Beatles song cassette tape playing on repeat.

Sarah knew if this absence of sound will elongate anymore, she'd have to give up and start gawking at Will as he had many contemporary era's features which made Sarah wonder what year it was.

Different odes and quotes in archaic English were cited on the smooth cream walls of the room. Except for a bed and an average-size closet, there wasn't much in the room. The drawn curtains were dusty and so was the floor.

The weather outside caught all the elements of ugliness and ominous. Grey clouds bombarded the sky as it thrived to blindfold of the sun's locale.

Will rummaged into the cupboard and almost asked Sarah to come outside the room by gesturing his way through the door of the room. As he opened the door, his arms touched Sarah, sufficing her to feel the warmth and knowing that he wasn't a Terminal.

Sarah discreetly shut the door behind her and looked up at Will. There was a three-arm distance between them. Sarah wished she were wearing something else though Will seemed as if he had already made peace with this absurd combination of dress.

Without a preamble he handed her a pentagonal bottle of peach colour.

The caprice of Sarah's face made Will speak for the first time. "He said you might need a deodorant and a washbasin."

Shite! It struck her that she hadn't bathed for days.

"Straight and west from here," said Will before Sarah could ask the restroom's address.

She didn't move anywhere.

"I know you belong to some century that is much beyond than mine." Will stopped.

Sarah anticipated him to continue further. Now she was at an awkward position in this conversation—

"I may take your leave," Will said and started to turn. He felt helpless; he didn't know why. He didn't want to be so weird but it wasn't a thing he controlled.

"I like your era." Sarah didn't want him to go for some alien reason.

He stopped and said, "Well, it's placid and temperate enough to kill someone to death and that's an understatement. I can't fathom what all would be there where time for you has ceased."

This was the exact reason why he didn't speak. In his mind, everything seemed beautiful but outside it appeared series of imbecilic words.

'Where time for you has ceased' gave her a nostalgic heart attack.

"Mine's flash and glamour suffice to blind everyone from not see the irresistible gloom lying underneath."

Pause. What did she just say? This was the first time she opened up so quick to someone like this.

"I apologise for saying that," said Sarah, mortified and flabbergasted at once.

"I didn't mind it."

Sarah felt a wave of 'I want to talk to you. Just don't ask why'.

Sarah went to the washroom which was honestly the best place in the house. It was a Victorian Bathroom with everything nice and clean. The only thing missing was a shower, instead of which was kept bathtub, something Sarah wasn't the biggest fan of.

***

Nathan sat on the bed alone in a room with his lover's past meddling in her inner thoughts. He held Ava's hands, interlocked his fingers with hers and put his other palm on it as if protecting the bond. He released his other hand and took out the magical talisman and put it between Ava and his hands and said, "Let me be with you. If not in the physical world, then perhaps in my imagination." And though Ava couldn't hear it, the magic of the talisman let Ava get into Nathan's thoughts.

Nathan opened his eyes only to find himself surrounded by a creak. As long as his vision went, so did the runny water and their gushing sound. Revolting and abhorrent scents usurped over the locale  and danced in the atmosphere nearby. His trousers were wet with muddy black water. Everything Nathan could see, he saw through a layer of glass as looking out of the window of car. The weather reflected the war of beauty and ominousness.

But where was Ava? 

Was all this nothing but a vision trick?

***

Thank you so much for reading till here. It really means a lot to me.

Have a day as surreal and warm as a vintage movie!

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Please DO NOT promote plagiarism AT ALL. It is a punishable offence. If you do, serious action may be taken against you.

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