The lamp ahead of them was dim, much like the atmosphere. Elsa and Nick were seated across from each other on the balcony. The calm of the night served as a contrast to the chaos that was prevailing in Elsa's heart. And so it began.
"Need to know. Maybe need to not", Nick had his hands clasped together and on the table, his face yet still unreadable. Elsa took in a deep breath.
"I do", she sounded determined. Nick nodded and adjusting his glasses stood up and looked out into the bushes.
"But why do we even need to know everything. Why can't humanity be perfectly contented with what they have, the peace, the quiet, the calm. Why must we…", he paused as his gaze returned back to the blond woman on the chair who looked confused. This time it was he who took in a deep breath.
"Why must we go chasing after thrills and desires when all they do is hurt us", his voice lowered towards the end of that statement. Elsa felt deep pain and regret in his monologue, the unleashing of pent up anger that otherwise would have seen their release being possibly destructive. It is good to let out some anger every once in a while. Truly good.
She broke out of her thoughts before replying,
"Nick, I know you want the best for me truly I do, but it's just", she stood up, walked up to him and guided his left palm towards her chest, "this crazy thing called a heart, it's telling me there's more to me, more to accomplish, more to see, and yes it's humanity Nick and I am being human but heaven help us Nick it can't be controlled", her voice quavered as she looked into Nick's unfeeling eyes. "So I'd really like to hear the truth from your lips Nick. Please".
Nick removed his hand from her grasp as he sharply turned away from her view. He took in the dark night and everything else but the moment he was currently in. And at that moment the words in a poem he had once read popped up in his mind, you could build an empire of sand, but rain will come, sand will melt, there will be mud and despair will be felt.
Despair.
"No".
Elsa's heart skipped a beat. She had been refused. She staggered a step back and shook her head in confusion. "What do you mean by no? Nick look at me!". He slowly turned around. His face looked colder than ever, devoid of the warmth once preserved entirely for her. He reminded her of an ice sculpture, glorious, yet cold and unfeeling. Her tears fell in small drops at the realization that she might never know who she actually is or was. "Now listen here Nick, I have the right to know who I am. You can't keep treating me like a caged animal. I'm tired! Tired!", she flung her hands into the air in exasperation. Nick didn't flinch.
"I'm tried okay….all this glamour", her hand moved across the hall inside, "this fanciness", it moved toward an expensive painting in the hall before she gave out a sad snort, "ha, lies! All lies, a façade. An illusion, an…"
"And so shall it remain", she was cut short by the man before her. "And so it shall remain", he repeated before making his way out of the balcony.
Elsa stood in shock, alone and cold. Nick had become unrecognizable. Her tears had dried up and now she was in a state of mind where there were no tears left to cry. Only endless wonderment. And she wondered. She wondered about so many things as she took her seat on the chair again. Her eyes looked dull and lifeless yet her spirit was determined. What could she have been to make the man so protective about her? A soldier? The picture she had seen in the office came to her mind and she laughed. A quiet, self-loathing laugh. The woman in the picture was her yet at the same time not her. No, she looked like a tough bi**h, she looked she wouldn't let Nick walk over her like she was doing.
Then there was Linda, who Elsa had seen as her true friend. Why didn't she tell her anything. Was she also in on this? And Joaquin and the guys at lunch, they all looked surprised to see her. What exactly were they hiding? Elsa made her way to the hall where her phone lay on the couch. She resignedly picked it up before dialing Linda's cell. The call went through and she picked up after two rings.
"Hi bestie", an overly entbusiatic voice came from the other end. "Missing me already?". Elsa rubbed the space between her brows eyes closed before replying, "Uuuum yeah. Hey, do you have time tomorrow? I was wondering if we could you know..hang out". She clenched her fist in anticipation of an answer.
"Sure baba, you don't have to be so formal about it. I'll come pick you up tomorrow say ten?". Elsa nodded before affirming, "Ten is perfect". The two women talked some more before Elsa hang up the call. She looked up the stairs where Nick had walked up earlier, a determined look flashed across her eyes. If you can't beat them, join them, be them. And so it began, truly.