The next morning, when the first rays of the dim sun barely penetrated the thick fog, Delia Asia Vieira woke up, feeling a strange heaviness in her chest. She slowly opened her eyes and looked around - everything was as dim and uncomfortable as the day before. The hotel smelled of dampness and old age, and for a moment it seemed to her that she would stay here forever.
"Earl, are you awake?" she asked quietly, turning her head towards his bed.
He sat at the table, holding the newspaper he had managed to get hold of the night before. His face was focused but calm.
"Yeah, I'm already awake," Earl said, not looking up. "I think we should split up. You have a goal, and so do I. I'm going to look for Jennings' house. You wanted to talk to him, didn't you?"
Delia Asia Vieira nodded, trying to hide the confusion she felt at the thought of the upcoming meeting. She felt her heart begin to beat faster.
"Yes, I... I need to talk to him. I need to find out who he is and what he knows." She got out of bed and began to dress, feeling her body respond to every movement, as if she wasn't quite in control of it. "I'm going to the hospital. I need to understand what's going on with this town.
Earl put the paper down on the table and looked at it. There was sincerity and perhaps a little worry in his eyes.
"Okay. If something happens, just know that I'm here. We'll go our separate ways, but we can always come back to each other. That's important."
She froze for a second, meeting his gaze. Earl was not just an escort, but a man she could trust. He might not have been exactly what she expected to meet on her journey, but he was her rock now.
"I know," she answered quietly, already at the door. "And thank you, Earl."
He smiled, a little reservedly, and nodded.
"You deserve answers. Let's find them, together."
She stepped into the hallway, looking back at him before stepping outside. The fog still hung in the air, and the city remained dark and mysterious, like the night sky. Delia Asia Vieira walked down the street, trying not to think about the heavy thoughts. In the hospital, she hoped to find at least some clues about what was happening in this place and who was behind it. She couldn't understand why everything was so strange and how Jennings could be connected to this city.
Meanwhile, Earl was out in his car, trying to find Jennings' house. With every turn of the street, he became more and more convinced that there was something more to this town. He wasn't sure if finding Jennings was the right thing to do, but he knew it was a necessary step. This man might know who was behind this whole mystery.
Delia Asia Vieira arrived at the hospital a few minutes later. She felt her chest tighten as she passed people she didn't know. They all looked as strange as the city itself. Time seemed to slow down, and with every step she took, her nervousness grew. She decided to go to the hospital's administrative building and try to find some information about who was there and why.
Walking through the hallways, she came to a room with old photographs of people sitting in chairs and posing for the cameras. The faces were alien, but one of them suddenly caught her attention - a man who looked very much like someone from her memories.
"Hello, are you here to help?" a voice said, and robotess turned around.
A young woman in a white coat stood in the doorway. She was smiling, but there was wariness in her eyes.
"Yes, I need to know more about the hospital. I'm looking for information about a patient, or rather a person, connected to this city. Perhaps you know what happened here."
The woman narrowed her eyes, clearly thinking.
"This is not a very easy place to ask such questions. But if you really want to know more, perhaps you should talk to the doctor on duty. He might know what's going on here."
Delia Asia Vieira thanked her and moved on, heading to the doctor on duty's office. As she walked, more and more questions popped into her head. What could Jennings know, and who was really hiding behind this city? What if her future was tied to this place, and she just needed to accept that fact?
Delia Asia Vieira glided through the foggy corridors of the hospital, her steps quiet but sure. She searched the room, noticing every detail: the worn walls, the dim lighting, the strange atmosphere in which there was no hint of life, only the shadow of illness and fear. Her goal was clear - she had to find Lisa Roselli. Delia Asia Vieira did not believe the words that Robert's murder was an accident, and understood that there was something darker behind it all.
She slipped past the empty wards and stopped at a door leading into one of the older hospital rooms. Several metal plaques on the walls were slightly crooked, and the rough carpets on the floor clearly hadn't been cleaned in a long time.
Suddenly, she heard strange sounds coming from behind her. When she turned around, she found two nurses walking down the hallway, talking to each other. But that wasn't the point. They were holding revolvers, weapons that weren't exactly standard medical practice.
"Did you hear?" one of them whispered, looking around. "I think we have a new patient. There's something special about him. I heard he's with her, that... girl everyone's talking about."
The second nurse, with an ominous expression on her face, confirmed.
"I heard she was here. We have to be ready. If she gets in the way, we know what to do."
Delia Asia Vieira froze. They were talking about her. There was no sign of fear in their voices. As if she was nothing more than another nuisance. She decided to act. Stepping forward, she approached the nurses, intent on learning more.
"What are you talking about? Who is she?" Her voice was calm, but there was a threat in it.
The nurses turned to look at her, their faces showing neither surprise nor fear. One of them had her mouth twisted into a kind of sardonic smile.
Editado: 18.11.2024