Installment 51

Author's note - this ends with the last 2 lines from the previous installment's paragraph. Sorry 'bout that. /AN

“So, money, right? What else? How are you planning to get out of Ogmore?”
I scowled for a couple of minutes, then ideas began to formulate in my head, “Meet me by the maze at 6 tomorrow morning.”

*

Janet was sitting on the bed when I went back to the bedroom.
“Whatcha doing?” I asked.
She started at the sound of my voice and stared at me for a moment looking confused before she answered, “I'm trying to find them. Elena and I have a link; a connection. We can kind of feel each other.”
“Like twins?”
“What?”
“Twins – they can tell when the other twin is in pain and stuff. It would kind of make sense. You both came to the world at the same time from the same place. You're kind of like twins; just you don't look alike, although I guess you can both look alike with your mind tricks and stuff – not that you're mind-tricking me anymore, just that you could if you wanted to. I mean, not that I want you to, but you still have the ability, right? I mean...” I trailed off. I didn't even make sense to myself at this stage.
“I guess,” she said, finally. I'm not sure what it is, but I can feel her moods sometimes. I guess she can feel mine too. If we both concentrate, we can always find each other, but I don't want to do that in case she leads him here.”
“Right, so what can you tell?”
“Well, I can tell she's a bit frustrated, which suggests that she doesn't know where we are.”
“Right.”
“But I can also tell she's not scared, which worries me a bit.”
“Why?”
“Because he should be angry with her for losing you, so she must have a plan. I don't know, Fi, it's like trying to make a picture from a jigsaw where half the pieces are missing.”
I sat next to her and put my arm around her shoulder, “I'm glad you're trying.”
She sighed and rested her head on my shoulder.
I took a deep breath and then blurted out, “I'm leaving.”
She sat bolt upright and looked at me, disbelievingly, “Leaving?”
“Escaping.”
“But... how?... why?”
“I don't want to be a prisoner. I'm going to go back to London. I'm going to face the music. Thirty years in Holloway is better than a lifetime at the hands of a gaolor who doesn't even realise she has to feed the prisoner.”
“But... what will you do?”
“Brin has promised to help me. He'll get me out of the castle grounds and give me money.”
“Brin?”
“Yeah.”
“But... what about me?”
“I... I'm not sure.”
“I could come with you?”
“You told me to stay. You told me I had to. Why do you think we can leave now?”
She shook her head, “I don't, but if you're going, I want to come too. I've given up everything for you. If you go, I go.”
I swallowed a lump in my throat, “I'm going to prison.”
She smiled slightly and shrugged, “This world has no walls that can keep me out. Think about it. You told me for a reason. You want me there. You... I thought you'd want me there. To... to protect you.”
I sighed and dropped my head into her lap and let the tears come, “I don't know. I just don't know what to do.”
She ran her fingers gently through my hair, “Let me help you.”
I smiled, and started thinking how to set the rest of my plan in motion.