Looking around the room, but nothing sticks out. Panning up, I spot a camera. Immediately walking to it, using my flashlight, breaking the lens before yanking it from the wall. Not knowing or caring if it worked.
Deciding to go to the second room, there is only a bed that is skewed to the side and what looks like a shower.
As I point the light around the room, I catch something on the wall. Pushing the bed over more, I uncover tally marks. My hand runs down the etched grooves. Standing up, I count them.
“Five, ten, fifteen…” I pause; there are two months' worth of marks on the wall. This must have been Soleil’s. Sadness tries to creep in, but I can’t let it; I force it back down where it has to stay.
There isn’t anything down here that could help us, so, backing out of the room, I shut the door, forever enclosing her sadness and memories inside.
As I walk by the first room Matteo and Clover are in, I look in but keep walking when I see Clover on the floor, crying, while Matteo quietly looks down at her, speaking. Her body shakes.
Heading back up the stairs to the main floor, I’m not sure what we can find here that will help us.
“Thomas, take the upstairs, see if you can find anything we should take with us.”
“You got it,” Thomas says as he walks toward the stairs leading to the second floor.
I open every drawer, cabinet, and door before I make my way to the office. It’s grand and screams money. Oversized wooden desk and a chair that looks like a king would have sat in. “Pompas asshole.” Dust covers every surface, hindsight that they truly only used this place to stash humans.
I don’t use caution as I yank each drawer from the desk, throwing it to the ground once I’m done with it. I still coming up empty-handed, which pisses me off.
Pulling out the last drawer, a gold Zippo bounces my light from it. Picking it up, my finger traces the engraved words,The Unseen Beast. The anger that surges through me is so heavy that the only thing I can do is tear the office apart, hating everything to do with Briggs and TUSB.
“Nothing,” comes from the doorway, cutting off my tantrum. It’s as if being in a rage room, and it’s pure bliss. Thomas stands there, taking up the doorway with his body.
“Figured,” I huff out to him, feeling like I failed by not finding anything.
As we make our way to the foyer, the basement door opens, and a swollen-faced Clover steps out with Matteo following in her wake, never letting her get too far from him, scared he’ll lose her again.
“Ready?” Matteo looks at Thomas and me.
We both nod our heads and head out of the house.
Grabbing gasoline cans from the truck bed, I give one to Thomas and hand Matteo his.
“No. Give it to her.” He motions his head to Clover.
I look between Clover and Matteo, and I can see she needs this more than anything.
Her small hand clasps the can, turns around, and walks into the house. She’s on autopilot.
Matteo stands, not following her, but I can see he wants to. Knowing what both our women have gone through, sometimes we have to sit back and just let them purge themselves.
Clover is gone for a few minutes, returning with an empty can and a small smile on her face, walking straight to Matteo.
I watch as Matteo encircles his arms around her, whispering in her ear for only her to hear, before he kisses the side of her head. She slowly blanches from his lips. His face falls. He’s being tortured for caring and loving her… Every broken piece.
We have about eight gas cans in the truck's bed, so Thomas and I walk around the perimeter, pouring the gas. The smell burns my nose, but I ignore it.
Once we meet back up in front of the house. I watch as Thomas grabs another can and runs into the house, knowing he’s heading upstairs to douse it.
Walking over to Clover, “Want to do the honors?” I smile at her as I hold out my hand, the gold Zippo waiting for its last use.
She stares into my eyes before taking it out of my hand. And in that moment, no words are needed because I see all of her as she lifts it, flips the lid, and strikes the flame, watching it come to life. The glow of the flame reflected in her eyes.
“You got this,” Matteo tells her as Thomas jogs out of the house, now empty-handed.
“All done.” He slaps my shoulder as we stand and watch Clover, letting her have her moment.
