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And Aria and the chat room are my keys.
Naomi nods, oddly silent, and moves to the corkboard to start organizing photos and timelines. I sit down at the lone desk and log on to the chat room, waiting for the one familiar name to pop up, the way it always does when I come on.
Except rather than waiting, with my gut swirling and my head struggling against the same kind of current, I make the first move.
EnemySquare:I’m thinking you might have an alert set. It doesn’t take you more than five seconds to send me a message once I log on. I got you beat today. Didn’t I?
Three dots answer me.
Darkling:Five seconds? Please. I always wait at least two minutes before reaching out to you.
The exchange brings a smile to my face, unbidden, almost immediately.
EnemySquare:Ninety seconds, then.We’ll meet closer to the middle.
Darkling:You’re one to talk. It seems to me you want something, if you’re logging on this early in the day. What do you want?
EnemySquare:You know what happens when you assume. Not to sound contrite but what gives you the indication?
Darkling:Everyone who comes here wants something. It depends on what kind of poison you want to ingest. How badly you want to hurt yourself or the others around you.
EnemySquare:Whatever kind of poison is going to give me answers.
Darkling:Ah, I was right. You do want something. Information is the most expensive thing on here, you know. Not easy to find, and not always assured of being quality. Or the truth.
Darkling:AlthoughANSWERSis a very broad category. Too broad for me to be of any help. If I even decide to help you.
EnemySquare:Answers regarding a few of the guys who frequent this chat room, then. We’ll keep it small, contained.
Darkling:There are a lot of people here. You’re going to have to be more specific.
The tenor of this back-and-forth game is different from the usual one we play, and the gravity of the responses from Darkling tells me that they recognize it as well.
EnemySquare:Whoever hasn’t been around to interact in the last two days. I think you know exactly who I’m talking about. You seem to be on here every time I log in. The type of user who keeps tabs on other users.
Darkling:I’ve got a better idea for you. How about we meet up and run away?
EnemySquare:Got something you’re running from?
Darkling:The usual. Maybe it’s something you’re trying to figure out, too. Maybe why you’re looking into the disappearances of other members of this chat room.
EnemySquare:You definitely seem to know more than you’re saying.
Darkling:You also haven’t said no to meeting up and running away. Might you be considering it?
EnemySquare:I haven’t been myself lately. The idea of running away is tempting.
Darkling:Never been your MO, I’m guessing.
And because this is a stranger, because it’s all too easy to let your guard down around people you don’t know, I let a little bit slip.
EnemySquare:I’ve always had a future to work toward, until now. Now I’ve got nothing ahead of me and it feels like everything is behind me.
EnemySquare:It’s a phase of my life where I’m not sure where to go and every direction looks equally bad.
Darkling:I understand the feeling. Too well. More than you know.
EnemySquare:Considering I don’t know you? Yeah. But I get it.
