Total pages in book: 140
Estimated words: 140940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 705(@200wpm)___ 564(@250wpm)___ 470(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 705(@200wpm)___ 564(@250wpm)___ 470(@300wpm)
Lunita passed me, and I headed off too, taking in the garden. It was truly a surreal beauty—a marvel to behold. Flowers bloomed in defiance of the darkness, their colors muted but their essence stronger, more resilient in the night.
I kept my pace with her. “Did you plant all of these flowers, Lunita?”
“Nope.” A mischievous glint hit her eyes, “They just started growing after I met my flower man.”
I scowled.
And in that moment, a strange turmoil began to churn within my body. I could not help but feel a sting of jealousy at the mention of the gardener, a man who had, in such a short span, left a profound mark on Lunita’s consciousness and grew fucking. . .flowers on her roof.
I wish I could kill him again.
It was a ridiculous notion, one that should not have affected me so, yet it did.
Deeply.
On one side, there was a part of me that rejoiced in Lunita’s happiness, in the fact that she could find beauty and joy in this otherwise bleak world, especially through the flowers that bloomed so vividly on her roof.
Yet, on the other side, there lurked a darker, more possessive part of me that despised the thought of any other man having such an impact on my mouse’s alter. I wanted to be the only one who influenced her world, who brought her alters moments of happiness and beauty.
The idea that someone else could step in, even for a moment, and leave such an indelible imprint on this world was something I found hard to swallow.
Lunita reached the fire escape. Her hand hesitated for a moment before gripping the cold metal. “Before we go, nasty lion, you need to know the rules with M.”
Top of Form
“What rules?”
“Number one, never bring up Felicity.”
The little girl got next to Pavel. “Never do that.”
I quirked my brows. “And who is Felicity?”
“Doesn’t matter.” Lunita climbed onto the fire escape. “Don’t say that name, and if he says the name then pretend you didn’t hear the name.”
“But what if that name is important to—”
“It is not important, nasty lion.”
“Why not?”
“Because Felicity is the past, and the past can’t be changed.” Lunita began to climb down the fire escape. “It’s a wound that won’t heal, a ghost that won’t rest.”
Then, she pointed at Pavel. “Kind of like him.”
“Hold on.” Pavel frowned. “I am a ghost that can rest. I just choose to haunt Kazimir.”
Lunita’s voice was hard but her eyes betrayed a deep-rooted pain. “Do not bring up Felicity.”
That has to be a clue.
“Alright,” I followed after her. “What is the other rule?”
“If M passes out or falls down, don’t run and pick him up. That’s just what he does.”
The little girl nodded. “Yep.”
“If you are holding M and he wakes up, then he will scream and pass out again and it will take forever for him to wake back up.”
We descended the fire escape, and the city around us, a bizarre blend of the familiar and the foreign, seemed to watch with a thousand silent eyes.
What will happen with M?
Chapter forty-two
My Mouse, But as a Man
Kazimir
Climbing down the fire escape was a silent affair.
Each step was a descent into deeper contemplation.
The city loomed around us, yet it was nothing more than a backdrop to the surreal journey unfolding within.
This was no ordinary moment; I was navigating the complicated world of my mouse’s subconscious.
Scary, yet mesmerizing and bizarre.
Not to mention the sheer audacity of walking through a mind not my own. One where my mouse’s memories had been transformed into landscapes.
Her fears embodied by obstacles.
While this was an adventure unlike any other, this journey also threatened the very fabric of my sanity.
Would I be okay once I woke up?
What would be the cost?
Those questions echoed in the hollow chambers of my heart.
Would I retain my sense of self, or would fragments of her essence cling to my consciousness like persistent shadows?
Do not think about it. I have to do this.
Once we made it back inside the little girl’s apartment, Lunita frowned and guided us out into the hallway. “You think you can do anything.”
“Because I can.” I winked.
She snorted.
Pavel remained behind us, keeping pace with the little girl.
To my surprise, Lunita took us further down the hallway.
I glanced behind us and looked at the staircase. “The little girl says there is no one that lives upstairs.”
“Because there is no upstairs.” Lunita rolled her eyes. “Everyone knows that.”
Then, why have stairs there?
Lunita slowed her steps. “Are you sure Max will be okay?”
“I am. Give him time to heal.”
Tension gathered in my shoulders.
Maxwell, you better wake up.
The dim hallway stretched out ahead of us, and then, abruptly, the monotony of the dim corridor was broken by a bright yellow door, standing sharp against the dull walls and marked with a silver number 3.
Hmmm.
Without even knocking, Lunita turned the knob and pushed the bright yellow door open.