Chapter 76:Brewing Panic

My chest felt like it was going to explode, a tight grip on my heart as my breathing stops for a minute. Deep inhales helping me to breathe.

Charles drags me down the hallway toward the room I saw him at earlier and my relief turns into worry. Did my mother actually ask Charles to intervene? She rarely ever does that so what made this particular moment special? Is it really all for a gown?

Sweat pools my hands and I know Charles can feel it, but still he holds onto me tight. "I'm sorry Victoria I knew I had to talk to you, especially when you looked so distressed earlier." "Did my mother really call you to come get me?" He stops, giving me a sorrowful glance, which makes my breath heavy again.. "Charles." "I know, I'm sorry I'll take whatever punishment I get but I couldn't leave you like that, you're my friend Victoria and I'm sorry if I made you feel otherwise."

He gets to the room door, opening it for me with his hand out, "I do really have an outfit to show you though, it's just not the one I said it was." He scratches the middle of his head and I give a small smile, squeezing my hands tight.

"Thank you Charles, but please don't interfere next time. I really don't want you getting into trouble or fired." I walk into the room and Charles follows behind with pressed lips, "Hopefully, I don't get fired I just started here, do you really think she'll fire me?"

I tilt my head down, leaning back and forth, "No, if she did, she probably would have did it already. Everyone has a purpose here, that's the reason they're here, if they didn't she would have been got rid of them." "Like as in performance wise?" A satire smile forms on my lips and I almost laugh, shaking my head, "It's not just about performance, it's about a person as a whole. Everything they bring, performance and value."

I look over to Charles' small work station, "So what are you working on this time? Is it the same gown from last time?" I look over to him for a response and he's quiet for a bit before continuing, "Oh, that one is in my original work-station, I am working on something sort of new now." He walked over to a desk, picking up some small branches, "This is actually inspired by your garden, I saw glimpses of it as I passed by but never fully walked through it. It looked beautiful but also sombre."

"You passed by the garden?" It surprised me, because I never thought he even got to walk by it. "Yeah, I did, it was a while ago and then I started working on this as a suprise, and before you ask my sleep schedule has been getting a little better. I just been still lost in my mind a bit, a lot of ideas and static up in there." He twisted one of the branches in his hand, "But I manage to get the work done. I guess it is more of a load than I'm use to but something I quite enjoy even still."

He took a deep breath, "But yet I get a sort of sad feeling by the outside garden, is it always like that?" "Somber?" I asked, "Yes", he replied with and I fiddle with my fingers. "It is a lot of things, somber being an understatement. It is filled with so much more and secrets that even I don't know about."

I think back to when I saw my father digging earlier in the garden, the familiar sting of the wood that dug through my finger…The splinter. "Really? I guess mysteries are everywhere aren't they? Just makes the journey more exciting." "What journey?" "They journey of life." I laugh a bit, "Interesting Charles."

"Am I being Fromage(Cheese)? I think is how you say it, sort of silly right? It's a little different since there is not really a metaphoric term like in English. But, I know I might sound silly, to me though mystery is still something that makes life a little interesting don't you think?"

I sit myself on a nearby chair, thinking back at the past few days and weeks, has it been it been worth it? The journey I'm on so far? The elongated story that has been stringing me along for these 'clues' instead of a direct explanation. The people that I met and had to avoid in order to get closer to…

Finding Rene'.

My eyes want to water but I suck it up, giving Charles a fake smile, "I guess it does make things a little interesting, even if it seems like it's taking forever to solve." "Your mystery?" "I suppose so, do you have a mystery Charles?" He pins the branches to a mannequin's shoulder, leaning back, "A mystery? Not currently, I don't think, just coming to work and going home. I like to think that somewhere else I am solving a grande mystery but so far just work really. Est-ce ennuyeux(Is it boring)?"

I tilt my head to the side, "That's boring right? One of the words?" He nodded, "You're catching on, yes I was asking if it boring? How I described my life so far." I shake my head, "I think it's more interesting than you think and actually sometimes boring is what people want more than anything.Also I don't think you're being silly."

I glance up at the mannequin covered in flowers and twigs, "The outfit looks like it's coming along, I'm glad you could find inspiration in that somber place."

His eyes light up at me before looking at the mannequin as well, "Yes me too, I am very joyed to be brought the inspiration. I know the outfit is still in a more draft form but I plan to refine it, along with the."L'obscurité de la nuit(Dark of Night)." He winked at me, "I didn't forget it about it Victoria, just know that."

My smile gets bigger, this time becoming genuine as Charles smiles back as well. The pain in my heart easing just slightly but it is still wedged underneath two walls. Constricted and begging for air.