Into Darkness

[Julia]

The Plan

We were spending a great amount of time in the library to work on my homework and before that to talk about our plans regarding the incidents within the orphanage. There was simply no doubt anymore that there was something unusually wrong. So we decided on a plan that involved the nurse, Mary. We were going to call help from outside, but for that we needed to get in contact with anyone first. Not an easy thing to achieve, considering that all the phones and other equipment were out of reach for us and even the nurse. Hence we thought of a distraction and that is where Mary would come in. While she would distract the people working in the vicinity of, for instance a computer, we would sneak in and send a message to anyone who could be in a position to help us. We just had to inform Mary about it and hear her opinion about our plan.

Surprisingly, some minutes later, Mary appeared in the library where we were working on our homework. She came directly to us, which made it obvious that she was searching for us. Her facial expression was clearly indicating that she was happy. It looked like whenever I was with Mellanie, it made her happy for whatever reason. I still couldn't trust her fully, but we didn't have a choice. Our variety of friends was small, in fact, it was just Mary.

Mary took a seat next to us on the table after having brought a chair to us. She smiled broadly and glanced at both of us for a brief moment before she spoke up. “How are you two doing?”
"We're doing fine, making our homework." Mellanie replied, shoving a paper over the table for Mary to see, it having a simple drawing on it, much like a floor plan of a building, in fact it was the orphanage. As far as I and Mellanie knew it, though. I returned a suspicious smile back at Mary.
"That's... a part of your homework? Seems weird to me." Mary said with an amused chuckle while she looked over the drawing.
"Hmh... Well, we need your help." Mellanie asked quietly and carefully as well while she glanced at me.
"Yeah... uhm... we have a plan on how to get help from the outside, but we need your help for that. First of all we need to know where we can get a phone or a computer to get in contact with the outer world. You don't have any idea where to get that by any chance?" I asked Mary in a serious tone.
"You two are insane... I would risk everything. What if it fails? It will all come down on me!" Mary replied in a somewhat angry tone, unusual for her.
"Just need you to distract someone." Mellanie said quietly.
"God damn... okay... okay. I will do that." She said with a sigh and frowned some before she looked up at us again. "I bet you don't have a plan where to do that yet?"
I shook my head and looked at Mellanie.
"Where will depend on you really." Mellanie said, meaning to ask where they would have the easiest time to find a computer or phone.
"The doctor. He is not the head of the orphanage, but he has both a computer and a phone. I could easily distract him." Mary explained with a smile.
"You mean the doctor that gave me the medicine?" I asked with a curious expression.
"Exactly him." She replied with a nod.
"So we go to his office then?" Mellanie asked to make sure.
"It's next to the infirmary. I will try to lure him there, but you will have to be fast. I am not sure how long I can distract him. When do you plan to do that anyway?" She asked.
"Also depends on you, when you think it’s the right time." She replied quietly.
"It should be done in your free time. Otherwise they will easily notice that you were missing somewhere else and they would get back to you two." Mary said with a kind smile.
"Okay... sounds like a plan. We will do it tomorrow then, after lunch." I said with a confident expression, thinking that this won't be failing now that I had the support of Mary and Mellanie and no longer had to do it alone.
"And what if we did this at night?" Mellanie asked slowly.
"I suppose that would work as well." Mary replied with a shrug. "Whatever suits you both better."
“Think we can sneak around more easily without the doctor getting unwanted visits at night... Although, does he live in his office?" Mellanie asked, doubting the doctor really would spend the night there as well.
"Unlikely... but he tends to work rather long, but doubt he lives there. The room will be locked when he's not there." Mary replied, seeming like she was thinking.
"So it’s best when he works late then." Mellanie replied with a nod.
“Should wait until they have checked that everyone is sleeping, after that you can sneak out. I will be waiting at the infirmary... well, I will be working there. I have long shifts, you see." Mary explained.
"Okay." I replied simply and looked over at Mellanie to see if she agreed with it.
"Sounds fine by me." Mellanie said with a nod. "So we do this tonight then?"
"Can do... just visit me in the infirmary when you are ready and I will distract him." Mary replied and stood up.
"Thanks..." Mellanie said while casting a smile at me.
"Don't mention it." Mary said as a final note and began to make her way out of the library.
I returned the glance and smiled back, it was as if whenever I looked at Mellanie, I fell in thoughts.
"I will knock on your door tonight to pick you up, okay?" Mellanie asked me.
"Hmmmn..." I sounded only while I continued to stare at Mellanie.
"Hey?" Mellanie asked with a frown but also a smile before she poked her finger in my cheek.
I let out a giggle and blushed slightly at the sudden poke on my cheek. "Every time... we have eye contact... it feels like... like my heart is... s-skipping a beat." I stuttered in a quiet tone. I didn’t really know what I was talking about. It was as if someone else took control over me to say these things.
"Hm... you're just nervous for tonight." Mellanie said.
"Aaahhn... uhm... yes, I suppose you are right. S-sorry... I am just... really nervous." I said with a sigh, the plan not being the only thing that made me worry.
"You can come into my room instead of knocking, you know." I added with a soft smile.
"As long as we're quiet." Mellanie said with a smile.
"Don't worry; I didn't plan to tickle you or something." I said giggling and reached with one of my hands towards Mellanie.
Mellanie let out a content breath as she looked at me, wondering still what was really going through my head.
"Give me your hand." I asked quietly and in a kind way while I smiled at her.
"Are you going to read my hand?" Mellanie asked with a smile, holding it out to me on the table.
"Sure!" I replied laughing and took Mellanie's hand in my own and began to run my thumb along her skin, smiling broadly. "You have such a soft skin, Mel!"
Mellanie giggled a little. "So what do you see?"
"A cute and responsible girl that clearly likes to spend her time with another girl." I replied with a broad smile.
"I never knew that I was cute." Mellanie giggled a little.
"I think I can read you through your own hand as well." Mellanie added with a slight smirk.
"You can? Go ahead then!" I said giggling and looked into her eyes while I waited for Mellanie.
"Okay... let's see." Mellanie said with a smile, closing her own eyes, clearly making me curious.
"Mhh... hope it's nothing bad!" I said with an amused and curious expression, still looking at her while I waited.
"Hm... can't say this is bad." Mellanie replied with her lips curled up in a mischievous smile.
"Wh-what is it then?" I asked in a concerned way.
"Do you like cuddles?" Mellanie asked with her eyes still closed.
"Damn yes, I do! Why?" I asked with a curious smile.
"And you like to cuddle me?" Mellanie asked while keeping her eyes closed but she kept smiling.
"I do... y-yes. Can I cuddle you now?" I asked in return with a curious smile.
"Not here, once we're out. But then you can. Something to look forward to." Mellanie said, opening her eyes and looked at me in my eyes.
"But that might take a while... can't we cuddle some later when we meet in my room?" I asked with a smirk.
"Not safe. Remember?" Mellanie reminded me with a whisper.
"Nobody will see it... come on. You gotta take a risk sometimes." I replied with a smile.
"We're taking a risk tonight when we go to that doctor's office." Mellanie replied quietly.
"I know... so it doesn't matter anymore if we additionally risk some cuddling before that." I said.
"What if something happens we can't get that call out anymore, we'll let everyone down." She replied
I let out a sigh and nodded lightly. "I guess you are right. You always are right."
"Not always right. Just trying to think things over, something you forget sometimes, but you're smart." She replied
"Not smart enough sometimes." I said with a shrug, looking at her, "But that's why you are here, to think things over."

We had spent the rest of the time in the library to finish our homework and talk about some other things that were unrelated to the event for the other day. Once we were finished with the dinner, we both made our ways back to our rooms to wait for the right moment.

The worst part of our plan was probably the long waiting time. In that time I was going through the whole idea once more and it did nothing but make me doubt about its success. Mellanie was right, I really was always thinking of the worst, at any time. But there was no return now. I really didn't want to be the cause for the plan to fail.