Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
Bellcolor
T he blackout takes too long, stretching hours past midnight. I spend the whole time in my room, listening to voices celebrating outside. Again I try to call my father, but I’m still just getting his voicemail. I type another message, hoping he’ll get back to me soon. This isn’t like him, and I’m worried something has happened to him.
Dad, it’s me again. You’re not answering and I’m worried, I have to talk to you. Please call me back when you see my message.
I hit “Send”. Then the door opens and Valentina walks in, disappointment evident in her face.
“I can’t believe the Dean shut down our party! Not just that, he declared a curfew!” she grouses, falling onto the bed face-first. “Hey, where were you? I waited for you forever on that bench.” She gives me a questioning look.
I pick up the Old Testament. “I was too exhausted to finish my punishment, so I decided to come back here and finish my homework.”
“Damn, you’re such a nerd, Belle,” she rolls her eyes. “As soon as the power went out, the trio threw one hell of a party on the roof. It was amazing until the Dean interfered. Which is pretty weird, because if there’s one thing that’s definitely fantastic about this place, it’s that there’s no curfew and you can party all night.”
“Meaning we’re allowed to sin because that’s essentially who we are.”
“Exactly, isn’t it awesome? But what good is that if you shut yourself up in your room like a mouse? Is this because of what Liam said in self-defense class? Don’t bother with his bullshit.”
“What I don’t understand is why his bullshit doesn’t drive you crazy. I thought you hated them.”
“We came to an understanding. Don’t forget that I’m meant to be keeping an eye on them.”
“And on me,” I sharply retort.
“Come on, Belle, don’t lecture me like you’re my dad. I’m just one person, I can’t split myself and be in two places at once. Besides, you said it yourself – you were in here the whole time, I had no reason to worry. You’re a good girl. Too good for my tastes, but that makes it easier for me to not have to circle around you the whole time.”
“So that’s what it is? You feel like you’re circling around me? I thought you said we could be friends.” I won’t lie, her words have insulted me.
She lets out a frustrated breath. “I meant every word, but you need to loosen up a bit. We’re supposed to be enjoying the whole college experience, it’s our time to be free, before our dads start controlling every aspect of our lives again.”
“I tried to loosen up, and you lost your freakin’ mind and disappeared.”
“I panicked! Okay?” She raises her hands dramatically. “I’ll admit, I thought it would be different. Something about you made me lose my mind. It wasn’t at all like what I thought would happen, okay? And I’d be very glad if we put it behind us and never spoke of it again. Can we do that, please?”
“All right.” It’s pointless to debate the matter further, and she’s right. I got what I wanted, and it was over. “So what’s going on with you and the trio? You seem closer than ever.” I lean on the wall and try to relax my tense muscles.
“Nothing to tell so far,” she tries to answer calmly, but I note the slight twitch in the corner of her mouth.
“Are you sure? You spend almost all your free time together.”
“Yes,” she quickly replies.
“Okay…” I draw the word out. The atmosphere between us has gotten tense and a little awkward, like some abyss has opened up that neither of us can bridge. Suddenly Valentina gets to her feet and heads for the door. “Where are you going? I thought you said there was a curfew tonight.” I get off the bed to stop her.
“Laws are meant to be broken, aren’t they?” She smiles and leaves the room without telling me where she’s going, or inviting me along.
I stay still right where I am, my hand still reaching out, and a chill runs down my spine. There’s a whisper behind me that traps the air in my lungs.
I turn, but there’s no one behind me.
“ Sensensensem …” The whisper spins around me like a gust of wind, blowing out all the candles in an instant. I scream and curl up into a ball as absolute darkness overtakes the room.
“ Sensensensem …” the whisper comes again, but this time I feel breath against my ear. The temperature in the room seems to drop by at least ten degrees.
“W-who’s there?” My voice hitches with fear, or cold. The two mix together, working my tense nerves. Light breaches the darkness of the room and the sound of my phone ringing makes me jump. I run to the bed and hurriedly answer. “Dad?!” I exhale, putting the call on speaker and turning the phone’s light towards the room, passing it here and there to see who’s in here with me. I’m not imagining it, damn it, I’m not alone.
“Bell…col…” My father’s voice is all broken-up.
“Dad?! Where are you? You’re breaking up!” I scream into the phone while my gaze flits across the room, constantly scanning it.
“Can you hear me more clearly now?” I let the air out of my lungs and fill them up again. I was at the point of thinking a ghost was haunting me, and now it was time for the static. The worst part of any haunting.
“Yeah, Dad. Where have you been?!” I demand to know. It’s too fucking much. I’m on the verge of losing my mind. Maybe I never stopped being Crazy Fermi.
“There were some urgent things I needed to take care of. I’m sorry if I worried you, that wasn’t my intention.”
“What was so important you couldn’t answer me?!” I’m angry, scared, lonely, hurt and mainly seeking comfort.
“I’m afraid I can’t share that with you, Bellcolor.”
“I didn’t think otherwise,” I snap back. He’d held out on me during our last talk too. And on top of that, he disappeared. Whatever’s going on with him, something really stinks.
“Don’t talk back to me, Bellcolor,” my father chastises me.
“Fine, fine,” I give the phone screen the middle finger. “Listen, Prof. Sapienti has disappeared. The new lecturer said he returned to the creator, but—”
My father cuts me off. “I know.”
“So why didn’t you tell me? Is this about the research you asked him to do?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” His voice is cold and distant, and I swallow the lump in my throat, processing what he just said.
“Are you kidding me? You asked him to look into—”
“I didn’t ask anything of him, Bellcolor. I’ve never met the Professor. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Are you being serious right now?!” I scream at the phone.
“Lower your voice at once!” he barks at me. “The Council orders you to let it go.” His voice drops, a warning.
“The Council…” I draw the word out. “The Council or Libretto?”
“Libretto is the Council.”
“And soon you’ll be one of them,” I spit out in disdain.
“Soon,” he replies.
I hang up without another word, and toss the phone against the wall. I’m so mad that the insane events of this night have slipped from my mind. My father’s become the Council’s lapdog, forgetting all his commitments to me as a father. From the moment it all went wrong I thought I had the father I’d been praying for my whole life, and all that’s null and void now.
The realization that I’m on my own sinks like a stone in my stomach, and the pain of loneliness makes me curl up. I’m drowning in the sea of sorrow that’s closing in on me.
I go to the window and open it wide. A storm is raging outside, and I let it invade the room and envelop me. My hair flutters in the wind and I whisper a prayer for the first time in my life, so anyone kind enough to hear. “Give me a sign that I have the strength to face whatever’s coming, or… put me out of my misery.”
Loud thunder rends the heavens, and rain pours down on the entire campus. The sound of the raindrops falling from the sky are so strong, like the storm raging inside me. Lightning splits the sky, lighting up the heavy clouds.
I stare at the rain for long moments, hypnotized by the sound of the many raindrops. Small puddles form across campus, and I wonder if it’s God’s wrath as he plans to wash away the sins of the campus residents.
I wipe my nose and close the window, certain I’m catching a cold, and I feel a little sad when I realize that’s impossible. I dry my cheeks and realize the skies aren’t the only thing weeping tonight. For the first time since becoming a demon, I’ve managed to shed a tear.
Someone out there is listening to me. Someone out there is on my side.
I’m not alone.