Anticipation was never this heavy for a woman escorted towards the conjugal room. In discrepancy, a sense of bliss seeped into her heart visioning her visitor was whom she had been missing endlessly. Her eyes roamed at the unfamiliarity, the halls she never got the chance to walked in before. The stainless walls were whiter than cloud, making only the knobs apparent to section the rooms.

Lost in her thought, she was suddenly standing in front of a door. When the warden registered the key in, she closed her eyes, hoping in her heart to see the person she had in her mind. She caught the usual clink every time the sliding door halted before opening her eyes once more.

A hushed gasp tumbled out of her mouth after recognising the person who was sitting at the table inside. Her feet refused to move even though the warden tugged on her.

"Don't be afraid, Char. I'm here just to talk, " said the visitor.

With reluctance weighing on her, she stepped inside, barely reaching the only empty chair when the sliding door behind closed up; sealing her with the person she wanted to see the least.

"What do you want?" She spat, unbothered to hide her disgust.

The visitor however, looked no less amused than before, her snide smile grew the slightest. "Char, I'm here to make a negotiation. Why don't you sit down?" She gestured towards the empty chair facing her.

"What more do you want from me, Braile? I had nothing left to give you. You've taken everything from me."

"Such nonsense. I didn't take anything from you, " Braile uttered.

Charmaine sat down. Her handcuffs rattled as it grazed the back of the chair. Granting a subtle smirk, she bent forward and stopped inches from Braile face. "Do you think I don't know who's eyes you are wearing, Braile?"

The smile on Braile's face morphed into a scowl, "He was dying."

Leaning back to her seat, Charmaine scoffed. "Yeah like all of them is it? That could've fooled me 20 years ago." While there was anger in her heart, recollecting the precious times they were together made her eyes burn.

"How could you say that, " Braile pursed her lips, masking a look of sullen. But Charmaine knew better; she saw the lie.

Wiping a none existence tear, Braile move towards the corner. It was a blind spot from the security camera. She took out something that looked like a button before the red lights blinking on it turned still. Sadness withered from her face, and a bitter look replaced her expression entirely.

Hands hugging her body, Braile made way towards Charmaine, slapping her directly upon contact. "You think you're such a Saint Char? I know you took my pod 19 years ago. Where is he?"

The strike was what Braile held for years. It caused blood to trickle from Charmaine's lips. But Charmaine's respond wasn't of pain; instead, she was shocked. All these years she thought HEROIN took the boy. Did he escape? Her mind was suddenly brought back to the dawn of five years ago.

The night had given birth to a new day, and its sunlight was eager to grow. Shadows move even further than the visible leaves, shaking as the wind blew. Looking outside the barred FOS vehicle, Charmaine could only hope her daughter and Alfie successfully made it through the fence. A few enforcers were visibly outside, fussing over the person she had tied up in her boot. It was a play she had put up together with Amry to draw the FOS towards the main gate.

Since long, Amry had been a close friend to her. It was how their daughters knew each other. She had excess on the satellite, hence who better could help her? It turned out the young inventor needed her too in an unexpected way. Her services were exchanged for the map and barn.

Yes, she sold her dignity, the thing she contemplated she ever had in the first place to hinder the feeling of losing it.

Nevertheless, she had no regret sacrificing herself for her daughter and Alfie. It was the only way for her to forgive herself after what she'd done in the past. HEROIN would be on her tail too once they found out the pod they took was someone she stole from the Hospital. There was no coming back for her anyway.

Alas, her rest was short-lived when the two officers assigned to her climbed into the car. Badges embroidered on their sleeves signified their higher rank on the force. One of them was on the walkie, busy conversing.

"This is code red. Make sure nobody saw the pod."

Charmaine's heart started to beat quicker, but she didn't want to overthink. She convinced herself it was the case earlier where HEROIN took the dead body.

But the officer suddenly blurted, "You did what! You weren't supposed to shoot it. Get it medical aid first before delivery."

There was no way for Charmaine to omit the fact that they were talking about Alfie. Instantly, the horror of what HEROIN would do to him playing in her mind. Although years had passed since she ended her service for them, she could never forget the awful things she once did. Her common sense should have warned her it was wrong, but she was blinded by belief...

And love.

Curling up at the back seat, she broke into tears silently. She couldn't react, nor say anything for Alfie's defence; afraid it would make the situation worse for her daughter.

Another slap landed on Charmaine's face, snapping her back to reality. At the look of Braile's serious face, she got her answer; Alfie never made it into HEROIN's dirty hands.

"Guess what," Charmaine got up abruptly, stalking Braile who reversed a step back. Eyes never leaving hers, she uttered, "he's dead." Although the situation was complicated, she hoped what she said was untrue. She hoped Alfie was alive.

Braile broke into a fit of laughter. Pushing Charmaine, she staggered to the wall for support, her heels yet again almost caused her an embarrassment. "What kind of fool do you think I am, Char? The only way for me to believe that is after I see his dead body."

Charmaine knew too well not to bother saying anything else. She could never have the last say when it came to that woman. She tried once to stop Braile from calling HEROIN after her pod emerges, yet she did it anyway. Words were simply not enough to fight her.

"Your time is ticking, Char. You could avoid the electric chair, just tell me where you hide him."

Unmoved by the offer, Charmaine paced back to her seat, held her head high and stared at the blank space on the wall.

"Stop being stubborn. His life won't make a difference for anyone anyway."

The tears Charmaine worked so hard to seal finally slipped free. It took only the word love to shattered her. "If one life doesn't make a difference, you would still be blind."

Charmaine waited for a reply, possibly the answer to what she had been questioning since she found out the truth about the pod; why was she betrayed? The man she loved even for a while, was said dead when they took him. And seeing his eyes living on Braile, she fell for her. For years, she loved her.

Alas, the room fell silent before a click announced the door opening. The sound of heels against the floor disappear faster than the time Charmaine took to wipe her tears. She turned to face the exit, catching a glimpse of Braile walking away with a trans.

To be continued...

***

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